The Royce Files

I acquired an assembled version of the Lionel lumber shed structure last year and blogged about it here . It is still ridiculous how much these are going for on the market. Do not get me wrong, it is a good model, but shelling out $20 - $30 dollars for one is extravagant. It just does not have much collectible value. Since it gets attached to the Lionel name some sellers assume it is something akin to precious metal. So it is ideal to find these outside the typical Lionel searches. I would think that if the Lionel name were not attached this would be just another mass produced plastic structure. While at the October Fargo Toy and Train show I found the lumber shed in a modified form. I am not entirely sure what scale the alteration was intended- I am guessing N since most of the other items around it were for N. It certainly is a bit of a scale stretch to plausibly utilize the structure in the smaller scales. The work bench and the storage bin would have to be removed to...

It being National Model Railroad Month , I am going to post some images of my O gauge 3 rail layout. This layout  has been around for 4 years. It has been in this particular format for about 3 years. Previously I just ran trains on floor.  I am modeling a fictional area along the Great Northern Railway in northern Minnesota. A mix of vintage and new equipment make up my collection from many companies. Structures are mostly from Lionel and Bachmann Plasticville. I have a few Post-War Lionel pieces thanks to my father and good finds at shows. I am an operator so I do not buy to keep items on the shelf or in boxes. I have not found time to scenic the layout- but that is mostly because I do not think I have the skills. Plus, I have not come up with a track layout I like. Right now it is just track around the table. See how many items you can recognize in the photos. Small station and saw mill Town area with larger station and yard. Another angle of the s...