The girls never showed any interest in these trains but they sure rekindled a fire in me, beginning the evolution of my forever growing layout.

Additional track, a pair of switches and some Plasticville were shortly thereafter and mounted to a 4 x 8 foot piece of plywood. Our layout was "done", taking up just a small corner of my workshop. You might find it interesting to note that, not having the heart to ever tear this first layout apart, 25 years later it still remains as part of what is now the Warrenville Railroad.

The Original loop from 1985

Within a year I knew that an expansion was needed but, alas, space was in short supply in my workshop. My wife had no idea what was to come when she innocently suggested that I "move the layout into the adjacent spare basement bedroom". Her suggestion was taken, the layout was moved, and a second 4' x 8' section was added. The resulting layout now consisted of two towns, Lisa-Marieville and Karentown, named after my two daughters. Today the operating accessories in this area include a barrel loader, horse platform and operating control tower. There is also an elevated siding where one can watch a Aquarium cars and a Cop & Hobo car operate.

Soon, as you may have expected, the layout expansion need came back. Fifteen inch widths of plywood were added around the entire layout's perimeter for a new mainline. Mountains, buildings and light towers, streetlights and other scenery was added.

Train shows were discovered! - I came home from my first one with two shopping bags full of cars, accessories, tracks and other assorted goodies. These items could not just be put on shelves; that expansion itch had to be scratched! More plywood, cut into strips of varying widths, was added to the back and front of the growing empire allowing room for two new sidings and a passing track. Still 'itchy', an elevated loop was soon added. A coal ramp and diesel coal loader are now located on these sidings.

Only fifteen inches of walk-around space on three sides of the layout remained, leaving no more room to expand - WRONG! A cold four day Thanksgiving weekend gave me time to remove the doors from the new trainroom's three by twelve foot closet. The Closet Branchline was created consisting of a lower loop circling Main Street and the Warrenville Zoo. The Closet Branchline also has an upper level that enters and exits the old closet via two tunnels cut into the back wall. The train on this loop travels through one tunnel, proceeds around paint cans in my workshop, and returns through another tunnel.

The following year the train room's front wall and door were sacrificed to allow a five by nine foot extension to what was now called the Warrenville Railroad. A train pulling Lionel's space related cars circle this section, and it was dubbed Cape Warrenaveral. Scenery consists of a rocket launcher, radar tower and other military and space items.

An oil field is also located here, including an operating oil derrick and oil pump.

The elevated loop was also expanded around this section to accommodate both trains and trolleys.

Feeling bold, as my wife did not leave me when the old bedroom's wall was torn down, yet another expansion was planned. The Absolute Yards (appropriately named as I promised my very understanding wife that it would be absolutely my last expansion) was completed shortly thereafter. This four by twelve foot addition both expanded the Cape Warrenaveral mainline and added three sidings. Operating accessories including a barrel loader, sawmill, milk car, another diesel coal loader, operating billboard, control tower, culvert loader, culvert unloader, animated newsstand, log loader, magnetic gantry crane, icing station, 497 coal loader a Helicopter platform and various light towers are located on these sidings.

I guess nothing is absolute as, the following year, my wife released me from my "no more expansions" promise in return for hard labor cleaning out her laundry room. Eight feet was added to the AbsoluteYards which also gave me space for the Warrenville Airport. The Warrenville Airport features the unauthorized landing of the Starship Enterprise, and a heated conversation going on between Commander Riker, Jon Luc Picard and US Airforce personnel. It's red alert with spaceships landing and the US Airforce's jet fighters are taking off. Superman is also very concerned and is taking flight from his Fortress of Solitude in the background. Godzilla stands atop a mountain here, holding a Lionel gondola, ready to throw it into the airport.
Recent changes include consolidating coal loaders/unloaders in one area and Oil tanks and pumps in another, creating the Warrenville Coal Company and the Warrenville Oil Company.

My first (and only) venture away from Lionel occurred about 10 years so ago when I saw MTH's Subway cars. Having been a daily NYC subway rider I had to have it! Completed shortly thereafter was a subway, located under Cape Warrenaveral, featuring the Stillwell Avenue/Coney Island station.

The Warrenville Railroad is roughly U shaped. Lisa-Marieville and Karentown form a ten by eleven foot square section on one end, Cape Warrenaveral is at the bottom of the U, and the Absolute Yards and Warrenville Airport form the U's other side. The Closet Branch is opposite the main section. As noted above, the subway is located under Cape Warrenaveral, at the bottom of the U.

All track, about 550 feet of it, is O27 gauge. Curves are O42, O51, O54 or O72 wide radius. Operating switches are O42. Contrary to their reputation, I have been using Lionel O42 switches all these years with only one failure.

Track appearance is improved with approximately 2,800 balsa wood track ties, painted brown to match the existing metal ties. Kittylitter makes wonderful, inexpensive, track ballast. I love the compromise between the toy train look and realism.

Scenery consists of dressed up Plasticville and similar buildings, odds and ends, and hundreds of trees made from various weeds and other materials. Mountains and tunnels were made using several materials and methods, ranging from paper towels dipped in plaster to layers of Styrofoam and spray insulation. Streets and sidewalks are painted, fences, walls, etc. are made from balsa wood, fish tank gravel, Styrofoam and other goodies. I believe that people bring a layout to life, there are 100's of people on the Warrenville Railroad.

Other than the Subway, all engines, accessories and rolling stock are Lionel, from 1946 through the modern era There are also and a few Marx and Kline accessories.

Power is provided by by four ZW's, two TW's, a LW and a 1033 transformer. Can anyone say "Powerstrip"?

The spaces under the layout and all of the surrounding walls are covered with shelves housing my "collection". All trains are run, I consider myself more of an operator/accumulator than a collector.