I have been using the LionChief controls for many years for kids to control the trains at many shows over the years. I mount the LionChief controller on boards with wood blocks to hold up custom cut plastic covers to allow the kids to move the speed control from stop to medium speed. I found that before the kids would turn the speed control and break it or pull it off and damage it so I came up with this system to mount them to protect them with the plastic covers and keep the trains moving forward less chance of a derail. For some I drill a hole and use drywall or plastic plugs under the hole fat side to controller to allow them to blow the horn/whistle and talking buttons. (never the bell or you get a fleet of bells going drives you nuts - except for the battery ready to run G scale trains with plastic track bell does not stay on) I take a photo of the train add the name and mount this with double sided tape and a clear cover on the board next to the controller. You can find clear plastic shelf liner peel and stick at the dollar store that works well for covering photos and text on the display board. I wire up transformers to the tracks and adjust the speed so the kids can not run the trains to fast. With the new LionChief engines they run on DC so you can use the small DC power packs you find cheap at shows. I often add a lighted freight car with power pickup and wire all my engines and freight cars with a matching small plug male/female so that I can plug in any freight car to engine. This doubles the power pickup so with clean track and wheels most of the time a train should not stall out. Some of the engines I have the engines have failed so I gut them so they just roll and use any Diesel with LionChief to push them.
With the plastic G scale battery engines I have removed the 6 C cell battery holder and wired in 2 - 4 battery AA holders. Then I use rechargeable batteries the trains run 4 to 6 hours on a set of 8 AA rechargeable batteries. I found a hi capacity rechargeable AA battery at Ikea look for the Ladda 2450 batteries these are excellent.
For animated accessories the Lionel gate-men the solenoids burn out quickly; so I use in place of them Tortoise switch machines wired to DPDT center off switches mounted in plastic boxes on the fence for kids to control them. Small HO/N train transformers so you can adjust the voltage so the switch machine works slowly and figures move in and out slowly. Also used for other animated stuff like Fork lift or other moving accessories.
I use vehicle trailer plugs mounted on the boards that screw to my fence for quick connections for the displays. Make sure you label them if you have more then one on a board.
I made fencing out of 2x4's 3 boards for the height then the 8 foot boards for the length. I painted them white and then screwed in white lattice 4x8 foot plastic fence for the face. I have 8 so I can set up a 40x24 layout if I have a display in a corner of a building.
I store the fence in a 4x8 trailer and have 4 foam boards that glue on green carpet and mount 0-27 or MTH Real Reaktrax loops of track with long drywall screws; make sure they are threaded all the way from top to bottom with the carpet it helps hold track in place. I can fit the 4 boards on top of my fence in the trailer. Also have rolls of green outdoor carpet and use the old K-Line Super Snap track; this is excellent stuff quickly snaps together stays together and has good electrical contacts. If I break a connector I can use metal pins in the ends of the track to keep it together. Here shown are some examples at large public model train shows. I also do a set up for special events at our railway museum for Thomas the tank engine and Polar Express events. Have even done a few displays at real railways events. Through a normal year the trains will run for hours on end at many many shows. I also have a shot of last summer at our club ride on railway / garden railway layout where I used the Atlas track and my fencing for several months of busy weekends. You can see in the one shot at the garden railway a wooden whistle I taped on a air mattress/pool pump see the black hose hanging from the wooden whistle and kids could pump this up and down to blow the whistle very popular.
The LionChief trains and controllers have totally transformed how I do displays for kids and families, over a normal year I am able to share my trains with thousands of people. Thanks Lionel for a great product. I am excited to see for the new 2020 Lionel catalog that they are offering more of the basic engines at a reasonable price. I do not normally run smoke or need the LionChief plus extras. However in the 4th photo down you can just see on a table top left a 4x8 switching layout I put together with RealTrax and I have teens bring in other teens to switch trains here with 2 LionChief plus engines then I run smoke on the steamer and electro couplers on the diesel.
