A question for Big Boy (Elliot)

Classic Toy Trains Forum
1

Hi Elliot
I built my first Lionel lay out using your video “How to bulid a toy train layout” It was a great first layout and I had a blast building it and running it! I was just wondering what became of the layout you built in the video?
Thanks George

2

Thanks George, that’s really a question for Tom McComas, since the layout stayed with him. I traveled to his home to shoot that video. That was over 10 years ago. It was a fun time, and we shot that in a single weekend, which means we built the layout in that amount of time too. It was a little rougher in person than the camera let on.

I’ll have to watch the video again to refresh my memories. Unfortunately that was never one of Tom’s best sellers, and plans to shoot a follow up fell by the wayside as other how to videos came on the market.

By the way, if you have Great Toy Train Layouts Part VI, the one featuring the late Frank Petruzzo’s standard gauge collection and enterTRAINment, there is a scene cut into Frank’s segment that was borrowed from the how to video. When it talks about controlling accessories using track with an insulated rail, yes, those are my hands.

On a recent visit to Tom’s website, I discovered that he has transfered all six parts of the Great Toy Train Layouts series to a 2 DVD set for $29.95. For anyone that doesn’t own this set, it features layouts and collections that are slowly disappearing with the passage of time. My little plug here is my way of saying thanks to Tom for preserving enterTRAINment on video.

This should in no way diminish my gratitude to *** Christianson, CTT, and MR for their time and coverage of enterTRAINment, though copies of those magazines may be hard to find at this late date. THANK YOU!

3

Hi Elliot,
Can you provide the link as to where we can order the Great Toy Train Layouts?

I know it was posted before, but I can’t seem to find it.

thanks,
tom

4

That’s easy!

http://www.tmbooks-video.com/

I’ve recently noticed that sometimes it appears in those Google ads along the right side of the screen, but not always.

5

Thanks Elliot,

I have been looking or the past 20 minutes. [:(]

I somehow knew that you would know. [:D]

tom

6

Hi Elliot,

I was at a train show today and pickup the DVD ‘Great Toy Train Layouts”. When I got home the first part I watched was you and enterTRAINment. All I can say is WOW. What a great layout.

tom

7

Thanks Tom, I’m gald you enjoyed that. That’s why Tom McComas’ work is so important to this hobby. I hope you watched the segment on Ward Kimball too. [;)]