MultiPlex sectional O scale track late 1930's early 40's

[Carey Williams]

Hello Vintage O scale world ...
Tis wonderful to collect door stops upon a shelf ...but it is magical to see them run ...some how running a Mini-Scale Hudson pulling a string of Mini-Scale cars ... around a loop of Atlas track just did not make a good visual marriage .....so the hunt for period track .

I was lucky to be able to buy a Custom built Multiplex 2 rail O scale layout ..( about 44 sections of sectional track ... now the task of connecting a to b and b to c etc) . Being a tinplater where everything is sectional, working with 22 1/2 degree curves and switches .... just snap it together and sooner or later it comes out correct .....this Multiplex layout with slip switches and fancy switching is way above my pay scale .... but I'm having fun trying to connect the dots. If you have any ideas ...or if this is a standard layout found in a book somewhere please point me in the right direction as I'd be ever so grateful.

Multiplex Manufacturing of Berwick PA ....a valve company apparently was hungry during the lean depression years of the 30's hoping to tap into the growing O scale market were money flowed . Their big score was providing track for the 1939 World Fair NYC layout .... all sectional so it could be moved and reused ...like it 1941 when the whole layout went to Macy's ....and ran till it was sold off piece by piece . ( Time machine please) The 1939 NYC layout was 2 rail .... the slow death bell for outside 3rd rail had begun to ring.

Multiplex offered complete layout design providing beautiful track-work with sectional design to snap together with large brass pins hidden within the wooden ballasted base plate ... connected to solid #12 wire ... to assure good conductivity around the layout .... both 2 rail and 3 rail track was offered.

My layout came for the Pittsburgh area ... beyond that no clue ..no idea when the last time it was together or where the trains that ran upon it went . The layout had been stored in pieces for many years .... and moved a few times .... each piece is numbers in the back ....which in theory would make it a snap to put back together ..... there are a few numbers missing ..and a few pieces are not stamped ..and one is stamped 40 4 40 and the wire is not contiguous from one end to the other ... I assume there was fancy blocking , and the ability to run one or two trains ... then some switching ... of course there is a turntable and a full yard , passing siding , up and over and down ..the works ..just have to reconfigure what was ... and see if there really are missing pieces ...

I've attached ads about Multiplex track systems 1939/40 ..... I assume ..the valve business picked up thanks to WW2 and Multiplex gave up the O scale world .for more steady work . Cover of Model Craftsman of the 1939 NYC layout ...with the Multiplex turntable ( does anyone out there have good photos of the NYC 1939 /40 , Macy's 1941 Layout they would be willing to share and post ? )
Also photos of the layout as I have tried to connect the dots ... appears to be two loops .... bottom end with fancy slip switches and diamond to yard etc ... but the stub ends of the two loops ...one seems to lead to a double track passing siding ... ..the other wanders up and ? around ??? and down ..there is a section that was a trestle / bridge / over head at an askew ( based on the offset girders).

Sorry if I did a huge mistake that jumps out at those scholar-ed in the O scale world ..of railroad operations.
So any help and guidance would be appreciated .
Cheers Carey

PS ..Yes I'm an outside 3 rail type of guy ...so the thought was to add outside 3rd rail to the layout ....but fate is intervened... an outside 3rd rail layout was obtained ..a whole different story ... hope to work the outside 3rd rail as a shelf layout outside the Multiplex in the center . The O scale world shifted from outside 3rd rail to 2 rail rapidly so best to cover both arenas .

Are there any odd loose pieces of Multiplex track outhere ? Any 3 rail ? Any Multiplex catalogs or flyers ?
Thank you

1939 ad MR.jpg (1012.71 KiB) Viewed 6151 times

1939 ad turntable.jpg (828.4 KiB) Viewed 6151 times

Flyer TCA Lib page 1.jpg (726.79 KiB) Viewed 6151 times

Nov 1940 Craftsman cover NYC Worlds fair.jpg (331.69 KiB) Viewed 6151 times

from roof.jpg (1.5 MiB) Viewed 6151 times

switches area from roof a.jpg (1.19 MiB) Viewed 6151 times

far end double track.jpg (1.15 MiB) Viewed 6151 times

underside of track.jpg (1.1 MiB) Viewed 6151 times

close up of switch.jpg (1.28 MiB) Viewed 6151 times

[texas&pacific]

That is some mighty fine looking track, both then and now. Looks sturdy as all get out, and the switch frog is massive. Glad to see you were able to rescue it from the landfill!

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Ok, so what are your plans with all of this now?

[Carey Williams]

Hello all

Multiplex Manufacturer... is family owned by the Crispin family ...a multi- generational family of model train enthusiasts... Ben Crispin was the inspirational leader in the 30's to branch into providing track work .

My plans are to get the layout up and running again in my basement ..photos shown are out on the driveway trying to figure out where the layout all goes and space required for it ... as shown roughly 12 x 20 ....radius 8' and 9' .

Once the layout is up and running you can look forward to being bored with links to videos of vintage O scale running upon it.

Cheers Carey

Turntable is all cast aluminium... huge switch motors / coils

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Once the layout is up and running you can look forward to being bored with links to videos of vintage O scale running upon it.

Looking forward to them!

[E7]

Once the layout is up and running you can look forward to being bored with links to videos of vintage O scale running upon it.

Looking forward to them!

As am I! The stuff seems to have stood the test of time well, and it has (in my opinion) a look of quality.

Looks like your turf for sure Maroon!

Rich

[R.K. Maroon]

Looks like your turf for sure Maroon!

Carey seems to find the most interesting things. I have never heard of MultiPlex before. I am sure I have "seen" the advertisements for them in the old magazines but have not paid them any attention. As it is, I do not have a basement or any other space for a layout of my own, and as such I am not much in tune with the history of trackwork (or signaling or buildings...). I had an opportunity to purchase (and rescue) Larry Muir's old Tru-Scale layout. I might have felt compelled to do so if it was offered to me for free (or super cheap), but it would have gone in pieces from one attic to another. I was somewhat relieved when the owner asked $1000 for it. He did not live much longer, and his wife died shortly after, so I imagine the layout is gone for good. But I digress.

As it is, the only layout I have regular access to is our club's portable layout. We are rebuilding this layout to make it doorstop compatible (no more code 100 rail!), and I have posted here on progress from time to time. But I co-exist in the club with modern modelers so things like brass code 172 rail and other doorstop-era features are not viable. I'm OK with it. But I am glad that somebody out there has an interest in having a period-appropriate layout. I wonder if the outside third rail club is still up and running in Brooklyn? I believe they were just a couple of years ago.

Jim

[bob turner]

Speaking of Larry Muir, I believe he had a Lobaugh Cab Forward?

Did you know he was a pilot?

[E7]

Speaking of Larry Muir, I believe he had a Lobaugh Cab Forward?

Did you know he was a pilot?

Don't know about any of that, but there was a VERY nice article about Larry in the late "O Scale News" titled (I believe) "Thursday at Larry's" or whatever night it was his group got together. My memory is a bit fuzzy, (well maybe a LOT fuzzy) but I think he had some one off Max Gray stuff, like an "Old Rivets" GG1. Also talked about him and Mike Hill bringing in the Hobbyhill tank cars. No detraction meant toward OST, but I really miss Greg Heier's writing style. I have a model kit of a "Heier Kite factory" I picked up a while back. Now all I need is "Scace's Braces" or some such! It was "Hog Heaven" back when we had two mags!

Rich

[R.K. Maroon]

I do know for a fact that Larry was a pilot. Larry passed away long before I started modeling, so I never got to meet him. However, I do know one of his close friends from the era (Fred Bradley) so I have heard many stories. He also was well known in the DFW area as the sponsor for several years of the local O-scale show. The story is often told of how he would fly his plane across the country to pick up some VIP (Jerry White comes to mind, but don't quote me) just for the show. He was also known to load his plane with cronies to go to other shows or to ride excursions. There were only a limited number of seats on the plane, which is appropriate, as I have been told that Larry was good to a close circle of friends and indifferent to everybody else, which made him a "love him or hate him" kind of guy, or so I am told. I have also been told that he died early needlessly by ignoring a chronic health condition until it was too late. I have always been puzzled by the somewhat common "I don't go to the doctor because I am afraid of what they would tell me" philosophy.

I do not know what became of all his models. A different friend of his made a deal with Larry's widow to disassemble and remove the layout in exchange for the layout itself. That proved to be a bad deal (which I expect it most always is), as it went into that gentleman's attic and their it was almost two decades later when it was shown to me. I have photos somewhere. Note the implication here is that the odds are against Carey getting his newly acquired used layout up and running. I say this with no prejudice -- it's just how I would bet. I am not a gambler and therefore not betting, but if I did I would hope it's a bet I would lose.

Jim

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Now all I need is "Scace's Braces"...........

I am intrigued,

[E7]

Now all I need is "Scace's Braces"...........

I am intrigued,

Braces as in "Brace and bit", not dental fixtures!

[bob turner]

Disassembling and cleaning up someone else's layout in exchange for the track and scenery is a lose/lose game. Maybe, if some rolling stock is part of the deal, and if you have a Sawzall and a pickup truck, and your town has a free dump. Maybe.

Opinion.

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Now all I need is "Scace's Braces"...........

I am intrigued,

Braces as in "Brace and bit", not dental fixtures!

I was thinking of suspenders - also known as "braces"

[Rufus T. Firefly]

Disassembling and cleaning up someone else's layout in exchange for the track and scenery is a lose/lose game.

Generally true.

Not entirely true for my layout.

I grew tired of tearing out layouts and dropping 95% into a dumpster. Decided to do otherwise.

All of the structures on my layout while fully sceniced are also designed to be completely removable.