Terry Johnson's Standard Gauge Layout

This layout will be on a tour featured for the TCA National 2007 Convention

Return to RMDTCA Layout Page

Terry has four world class layouts/collections. You can visit the others here.
View Terry's - Standard Gauge Wall Displays
View Terry's - O Scale Layout
View Terry's - 3 Rail Layout
View Terry's - Combination Layout

Background: - Terry Johnson's 40' x 40' Standard Gauge layout located in Denver Colorado has to rank among the top in the world. Being an avid collector/operator, Terry purchased Ray Korte's layout (Classic Toy Trains - May 1996), but this was just a start. The current layout has been rebuilt twice since it was started. With four-foot wide aisles, it is convenient to grab a train from the 70 plus units on the extensive wall display and set it running on the layout.

An interesting construction note is that the layout tables are steel with wood legs and the steel provides the ground connection for all the electrical wiring. This was a major time saver considering all the accessories and over 300 lights on the display. The table surface is 3/4 " plywood with ½" soundboard plus commercial grade carpet which results in a quiet running layout. All transformers, switch pulls and sidings are 1930's vintage using Lionel V and Z transformers along with No. 439 panel boards.

Features: - Three Hellgate bridges, six roundhouse sections, thirty high-tension towers, forty floodlight towers, twelve stations from Lionel, Ives and American Flyer, a Lionel 920 plot as well as seventeen freight sheds along with the seventy plus trains from four different manufactures. All are early Standard gauge units in excellent condition. The layout is available for viewing by appointment.

Over All View Looking Southeast at the 40' x 40' layout with over 300 lights

Over All View Looking Southwest

Looking Down the Hell Gate Bridges

Three Hell Gate Bridges Left bridge is modern, middle one is late 1930s and right is early 1930s.

Lionel 840 Industrial Power Station

American Flyer Station This excellent condition cardboard station was listed only in the 1928 catalog.

Ives Station Note the green glass canopy believed offered only in 1917

Lionel 113 Station Includes 129 terrace platform. Note the American Flyer airplane from 1930 in background

Lionel 441 Weigh Station

Round House Four of six Lionel 444 Roundhouses cataloged from 1932 to 1934. Original cost was $12.50 for each section.

Dorfan Crane This rare Dorfan crane from the late 1920s includes the original box.

Lionel Plot The No. 920 plot was manufactured only in 1932 and 1933 and sold for a retail price of $25.00

Some Small Plots Two House Plots and one Vegetation Plot.

Control Panel Numbers one through thirty six control turn-outs with the knife switches used for sidings.

Terry at the Controls

Return to RMDTCA Layout Page