If we are going to talk about a traditional toy train layout I can't think of anything more traditional than a carpet central around Christmas time. I assembled carpet centrals many times over the years and there are dozens of stories I could offer about running the trains for visitors.
This display dates from 1981. At the time I was single so I could do anything I felt like as far as making use of floor space. What I would do was move all of the furniture out of the living room and stuff it into the bedroom (there wasn't a lot of furniture so this wasn't a big deal) and cover the entire living room floor with my latest creation. About this time my sister wrote me and asked for an updated picture of myself. I was going to set a camera up on a tripod and take a timer picture but before I could do this one of my co-workers came over with his family to view the layout.
He was taking pictures so I asked him if he would take a picture of me at the controls of this layout. As it happened his wife and two children were sitting along side me when he snapped the photo. In due time he sent me a print and I forwarded it on to my sister. Apparently some of her friends wanted to see what I looked like so she pulled out the picture and showed it to them.
Their uniform reaction to the picture was NOT positive. Some of the more printable comments were:
1. My God, his wife must be a saint!
2. How could he possibly treat his family that way?!
3. If he pulled a stunt like that with me I'd leave and find me a good lawyer!
4. Shame on him for forcing his wife to sit still for something like that!
5. I can't believe it! He plays with his trains and just makes his kids watch! What a creep!
6. What kind of a jerk makes his wife and kids dress up while he sits there in jeans and a sweatshirt?
My sister had to quickly explain to everyone that:
1. I was single
2. The lady and the children in the picture were visitors and were the wife and children of the guy who took the picture.
3. Most of the time my living room looked like every other living room.
When I told my friend about the reaction to the picture we all got a good laugh.
