and
Richard's Train Room

The lower level is  finished.  The family room is almost 500 square feet and has two sliding glass doors that open out on to a small deck that wraps around the house at grade level.  It is our music room, craft room and may be used for a guest bedroom as there is a full bath, satellite TV and a small kitchenette. 

A gas log fireplace sits on a slate hearth and is black cast iron - rather like an old Ben Franklin stove.  The stove pipe vents to the outside and resembles an old coal stove pipe - it is all very rustic.   A great place for us to practice our music and Richard to escape with the dogs- his boys.

We use the lower level to house the tender plants over the winter.  There is also a light rack set up for seed propagation - gives us a head start on the summer garden. 

You can also see the overhead train layout.  Many hours are spent working with the trains on the overhead layout and the trolley layout that runs behind the stove and over the television.

My office is off the family room and can also serve as a guest room.  The office is very large and has a 15 light door so I can look out at the mountain through the family room when working on my computer.  Built in pine bookcase and desk area provide a first class office setup while keeping the rustic feeling of the lower level.

TRAIN ROOM!

The Louis Marx Co. manufactured inexpensive, yet durable, toys and trains from sometime in the 1920's until 1972, when it was purchased by the Quaker Oats Co. Thanks to Louis Marx, for over fifty years millions of American boys and girls, who otherwise would not have been able to afford them, had beautiful and imaginative toys to play with!  I WAS ONE OF THEM - Marx 931 is over 55 years old and still runs.  Now that I am retired I have decided to create a place not only to display my Marx but run a few modern toy trains - for the grandkids of course.   My Childhood Train I started by building a shelf to display my childhood Marx train with the Christmas Village I painted with my mother before she passed on - at the age of 96.  Then I made the mistake of buying some Lionel Train magazines and of course discovering their new catalog with their current Christmas Train.  I wanted a place to run my Marx and the new Christmas train I ordered without giving up a room to do so. You have all seen stores with a train that runs around the wall just above the windows and doors - Let the project begin. <G> I will add pictures and information to this page as I build out my project which I suspect will be a very long process - a hobby being born!
PHASE ONE:  I started to build the shelf around the room and as of this date I am around the room but have a major problem getting around the fireplace pipe.  A wide curve with a bridge will be required but having the "know how" to do that is something I am still searching for on the internet G<>  I found a source of information and supplies (where I ordered my new Christmas Train) on the Internet and the store is about 20 miles NE of Atlanta so I spent the morning there with the owner looking and learning.  Brian is a wealth of information and helped me design my project - we had track all over his store floor.  Legacy Station is a great place to visit and they are most helpful.  It helps to have a technical advisor like Brian Sheffield brian@legacystation.com PHASE TWO:  I have completed the shelf work and installed all the corners including that area by the fireplace stove pipe.  The pictures you see to the left have a Christmas Trolley running around the room - you can see the trolley go behind the Christmas car when it enters the turnout I have over the Marx train shelf.  I run that little trolley every time I am down there and  I have just installed the fence (made with dowels and stranded wired) as a safety barrier as of this date it has not derailed once. The bridge by the stove pipe is working great so I have 0-72 curves throughout the layout.  I created the bridge with a great kit from GARDEN-TEXTURE. They have some kits for O gauge are adding new ones.  Bob Kelly helped me select the best kit for my situation and was most helpful.  You can reach Bob Kelley gardentextur@earthlink.net Now to add scenery, dioramas and things to play with.   I have no intention of growing up!  CHRISTMAS TRAIN ARRIVES!
Twas the night before Halloween and much to my surprise my Lionel Christmas train from  Legacy Station was in the drive.  Down the stairs I went with a leap, up on my ladder with such a clatter! Joy to the world followed me to see what was the matter - out on my layout with smoke, carols and toot - The North Pole Central was departing.   The Christmas tree layout is up a working.  The larger 0-48 oval has the Lionel North Pole Express and the Expansion cars going in one direction and my childhood Marx on the inner 036 oval going in the other direction  The small O-27 loop has the Santa Handcar and the    trolley I got from Legacy Station  The Marx is elevated three inches over the Lionel Christmas train on the outer loop.  This layout on the left is now on a wood platform covered with snow cloth.  Joy has started to place small Christmas houses around the layout - I am sure it will grow over the season. We are looking forward to a real Lionel Christmas with family and friends.
	The North Pole Central Christmas Train departs from the snowy arctic, bringing holiday cheer to all points south. On board the train, an elf chases a reindeer around a crate load, and the boxcar plays 12 Christmas carols. Still on Santa's Slay - (not here yet)  Flatcar with Santa and Mrs. Claus operating handcar, Reefer and Searchlight car.  There are a couple of pictures that have another train going over the new bridge - yes I have learned how to run two trains on the layout <G> You won't want to miss Christmas on the mountain with Richard and Joy.  God Bless!   Yes I made it to 68 and Joy made a train birthday cake for me to celebrate the day.  We had family with us that week so the daughters and grand daughters enjoyed the decorating.
	Christmas 2009 was great.  I was recovering from hip surgery but fairly well recovered by the time the family arrived on Christmas day.  Lots of food, presents, and some exciting times with Joy's birthday gift - a Wii game.  My trains circled the tree for yet another year.