Some of you may or may not remember my O scale layout called Westfield. The layout was 4 feet wide by 16 feet long with a bridge section that was added between the two tables at Christmas time. The layout was started in 2004 but never finished. My wife at the time Tina built a lot of the town and we both worked on it up until the end. The layout survived a move from a finished basement in northern IL to a livingroom in central IL. In 2008 I divorced Tina and we put the house up on the market. The plan was to keep the layout and let one of us take it. (I would rather my ex get it if she enjoyed it rather than cut it up.) Unfortunately that never happened. Our real estate agent said the layout was too disruptive to sell the house and it needed to be taken down. In hindsight, she was an idiot who never sold the house and it ended up it we lost the house. I've added pics today in my railimages album showing the last day of Westfield. I wrote descriptions like I always did, treating the layout as a real town in north west IL. [/url][/IMG] Tina and I divided the trains between us, she took the buildings, I took the track and out came the saw. It was sad to see it go into the dumpster. So many good memories. I hope someday I can build another O scale layout and pick up where Westfield left off. Until then enjoy my album and the story below. In March of 2008, the state of IL Army Corp of Engineers stated that the town of was in a flood zone due to a series of levies that would be built later that same year. The town of Westfield's population had suffered ever since the 1980's having lost a general store, two factories and finally a post office, state officials decided to help the 1500 residents relocate. In May of 2008, the last Train, JTW #31 came into town to pick up a few cars. The bill of ladding said it all. Two covered hoppers. Two days later, BNSF crews ripped the track up as well as signals and other safety equipment. The former CB&Q station was the first to go, taking a week to fully raze it. Next was downtown. The three brick buildings that once house a general store, post office, music store, police annex and apartments were built in 1890. Most of the buildings had been empty off and on since the mid 1990's. Seward Garage on 71 & 73 had been a mainstay since 1925. The building that was razed had been built in the heyday of Westfield in 1955. The pumps had been taken out early that Spring since routes 71 and 73 had been relocated after the states declaration. It survived it's last few months as a used car lot. Northland Baptist Church on the west side of town had been built in 1885. Fortunately the building was moved and now is undergoing restoration in Pekin IL. The last building to come down after the fire station was the old bed and breakfast. It was burned down as a training exercise for nearby fire fighters. The Westfield station, also built in 1955 was torn down a week before. The roads are gone, some side walk still remains. Tall grass grows in what used to be a park. Some play ground equipment is still there. You can still see where downtown was along with the main drag that was so popular with the local car club. But now Westfield is but a memory, forgotten as time marches on. Westfield lives on in pictures now....
Not right now Boxcab. I have a third bedroom that is holding my 6X3 B&M N scale layout and right now all the stuff that needs to go on E-Bay. I'm hopping be fore Summer to have this room cleared out and just have the layout, workbench and spray booth. It will be nice to paint locomotives and rolling stock again. Someday though the O will be back.
That's a fear I have here. Ha ha. I grew up with Lionel and AF. Later was TCA and TTOS. Once it's in your blood, you never get it out. (And I'm not trying! ) I am dabbling in a bit of On30, as my sight is doing what happens to many with years. Should the day come I cannot do my N scale, I'll likely switch to On30 for scale modeling, and then perhaps a bit of good old post-War Lionel again. Love the sights, sounds and smells of tinplate. If my health had been better, I was supposed to have traveled to visit some family and friends by now. I missed a huge estate auction of (a whole basement!) Lionel. Which I would have attended with a family friend who went for the old books advertised. Attendence was low and stuff went at very good prices. Such as two very nice ZW for $65 each. WOW. Boxcab E50
