My favourite Model Railway Exhibition layout

This weekend, being Thanksgiving weekend has been the model train show of my local club, The Rum River Model Railroaders in Princeton, MN. This year due to other commitments I was unable to exhibit but it didn't stop me dropping in to pay a visit. A favourite layout of mine was on show.

An all time favourite.

I've been to many shows over my years in the hobby and have seen some stunning scenic layouts but this display is way up at the top of my list. It's a display of tinplate Lionel Standard gauge from the 1920' and 30's. It's great to see stock like this running instead of being in a glass case in a museum.

Above: A view of the entire layout. Size? Smaller than 8' x 4'. What is it I find so fascinating about this layout?

Just about everything is period perfect. Everything is in mint condition. Looking at this layout, it's easy to imagine being a child (admittedly probably the child of a wealthy family), keeping the baseboard under your bed. Pulling the board out from under your bed to play with your trains. To me this layout evokes the spirit and magic of being a childhood model railroader like no other.
Above: Mint tinplate station building. Lit inside and out.
Above: A view across the layout of one of the immaculate locomotives
Above: Imagine the excitement of being a child and receiving a loco like this for Christmas. Interestingly this locomotive is a full on restoration job culminating in a repaint.

I do hope you've enjoyed looking at these pictures. It might be the last thing some of you would expect to see here but I think this is well worth devoting some attention to.