"Boy's Life" Layout

Len,

I've got good news and bad news for you. Yes I remember the plan and I actually tried building it as a kid but didn't have the skills and Dad had even less as he worked in offices and banks all his life..AND I actually have a reprint booklet of the series on the layout from Boy's Life mag (which by the way, was done by a Mr. Glenn Wagner).

I wrote to Mr. Wagner as a boy of around 10. You may recall that for the building plans one was supposed to cut out actual photos included in the magazine of window, signs and doors which you were to glue onto your built structure. Not wanting to cut up my reprint book I wrote to Mr. Wagner and explained this problem to him. He actually wrote me back an encouraging letter and sent photo prints of just the windows, etc. to cut out for my model structures so I wouldn't have to destroy my booklet! What a class act, IMO. I still have the reprint book, his letter AND the photos he sent, BTW.

That's all the good news. Now for the bad. Even though I still have all of this I have been unable to locate any of it. We moved to this house several years ago and much of my train related stuff is still packed away. As I say, I haven't been able to find any of this and a couple years ago I was looking for it all specifically as another modeler was looking for same.

I don't recall the name of the layout now, but it was in the mid-1960's. BTW, Boy's Life did another, different project layout a couple years later which my brother cut out of the magazine and eventually gave to me also some years back, but I haven't come across that either. I KNOW I have all this but darned if I can find it.

Sorry not to have better news. So close and yet . . .

Paul - "The CB&Q Guy" Modeling 1960's In HO.

This may be what you're looking for, or something close to it...

it...

Wayne,

I suspect that's the later Boy's Life layout Paul mentioned. I seem to recall the layout I'm thinking of had at least some elevated track, which the one on this web page lacks.

Thanks for the URL though, as cheap as it is I think I'll check out that TrainPlayer software.

Len

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Paul,

All I can say is, "Wow!" And Mr. Wagner sounds like quite a guy.

Sounds like me, sort of. I finally bought a house two years ago in March, and all of my train stuff is still packed away. At least I know where that is, but some of my tool boxes seem to have disappeared into the 'rubble'.

I hope you find your stuff. If you do, all I'm really looking for is the track plan.

I've been helping the kids build structures using sheet bass wood, foam core board, and pictures from magazines and home plan books while we're figuring out the layout design.

Thanks for the help, Len

When I was in the scouts back in the late fifties that series was a great inspiration. Although I did not have much skill the different articles showing how to do things were great. The one I remember was the wooden model of a concrete tunnel portal. Rick Larson

Yeah, I believe that was the item that called for a so many degree bevel on the plans. Problem was, at that young age I had no idea what a bevel was! 8^D

Paul - "The CB&Q Guy" Modeling 1960's In HO.