Something Vintage This Way Comes...

[wm3798]

Thanks to a desk swap at Rhodana's office, the Old school Vintage and Pacific now has a semi permanent home!



And more drawers to store crap in!

[Doug G.]

Should it have a foam base if it's vintage? Shouldn't it be a box frame or L-girder with a plywood or Homasote top?



Doug

[learmoia]

Should it have a foam base if it's vintage? Shouldn't it be a box frame or L-girder with a plywood or Homasote top?



Doug

Agreed..

[Doug G.]

Actually, I guess my reply was written a bit tongue-in-cheek as my first layout was made by Life-Like (sold by Montgomery Wards) for my Treble-O-Lectric trains in 1963. It was made of expanded styrene bead foam. Still...

Doug

[wm3798]

I had a Life Like foam layout myself back in the day.  It is a box frame, and the 2'x2' section does have homasote on it!  I'm covering it with a layer of blue foam, and will probably do the scenery with my usual flair.  But I have a ton of vintage structure kits, which I will finish hopefully a little better than the ones I built when I was 12...

Lee

[Point353]

It is a box frame, and the 2'x2' section does have homasote on it!  I'm covering it with a layer of blue foam, and will probably do the scenery with my usual flair.

A vintage layout really ought to have hardshell terrain, with the land forms roughed out using strips of corrugated cardboard stapled together, covered by paper towels dipped in plaster and finished off with a layer of Sculptamold.

[wm3798]

Oh LAWD!  Ain't nobody got time for dat!!

[MK]

You'll have to make your own Sculptamold from a scratch recipe!  Buying it would be cheating. 

[DKS]

A vintage layout really ought to have hardshell terrain, with the land forms roughed out using strips of corrugated cardboard stapled together, covered by paper towels dipped in plaster and finished off with a layer of Sculptamold.

Depends on how "vintage" you want to get. Both the hot glue gun and Sculptamold were invented in the 1970s, so this probably wouldn't pass for a first-generation N Scale layout...

[Point353]

Both the hot glue gun and Sculptamold were invented in the 1970s, so this probably wouldn't pass for a first-generation N Scale layout...

Which is why staples were specified, rather than hot glue.
However, thermoplastic adhesive was first introduced in 1940, with the glue gun appearing in 1954.
Trademark info for Sculptamold indicates that the name was first used in 1964. 

[Doug G.]

I had a Life Like foam layout myself back in the day.  It is a box frame, and the 2'x2' section does have homasote on it!  I'm covering it with a layer of blue foam, and will probably do the scenery with my usual flair.  But I have a ton of vintage structure kits, which I will finish hopefully a little better than the ones I built when I was 12...

Lee

Why, looking closer at your picture, I see I committed a big faux pas. I beg your pardon and take back any evil thing I ever said about you, Lee.



Doug

[Curtis Kyger]

Okay; it took me a while to respond to this post.  (This is my first attempt to download a picture into The Railwire.)
This is the oldest piece of equipment still running on my layout.  I know it's a couple scale feet too short, but it's hauling steel products well on the layout.

[CRL]

If you’re looking to relive your childhood, you’ll need at least one tunnel made from some throw pillows off your mother’s couch.

[GaryHinshaw]

This is the oldest piece of equipment still running on my layout.

Nice looking layout.  Would love to see more.