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Reply to "End of Post War Era"

My childhood Christmas 2 week 027 layout (ping pong table board on the floor w/oval and figure 8) was dismantled in 1954 with my Dads employment transfer from St. Louis to Arkansas with housing in a company rental house for 2 years.   My brother and I were interested in model building which continued into the 1960s with U-control airplanes and radio control (with tubes) boats.  College, employment, marriage and children then came.

We had a employment transfer to Jamaica in 1976 and I had the childhood trains consisting of a Marx 999 freight set and 4 Marx.  The children were 3 years and new born.  I decided they would need a Christmas 027 toy train layout with a Christmas tree on the layout on the floor like I had as a kid.  I build the layout, an oval and figure 8 with another outside loop to allow two train operation.  The idea of a homemade turntable was hatched and built.  The layout was in two sections to allow moving for job transfers in two queen size boxes.

I missed the end of the Post War era but in the 1970s they were still the major way to go.  Post war trains were readily available and train shows were available to find them.  Later on when MPC came PW was still popular and easy to find.  Classic Toy Trains and O Scale and later named O Gauge Railroading magazines helped keep PW trains popular.

I have continued with my layout, expanding in 1988 but only really working on it a month or so before Christmas.  The layout was down on the floor for 2-3 weeks in the den or living room with a Christmas tree for 2 weeks.  I have continued to be have a Post war layout and it was installed in the second floor a new 2 car garage since 2011 and now has 31 Marx switches.

Charlie

OGR Publishing, Inc., 1310 Eastside Centre Ct, Suite 6, Mountain Home, AR 72653
800-980-OGRR (6477)
www.ogaugerr.com

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