Today we start a new series based on the products of The Hershey Company. This layout was first blogged way back in 2012 and deserves a second look as we begin the start of many posts highlighting Hershey's trains, buildings, vehicles, etc.
To the Europeans, one mention of 'Hershey's' is bound to elicit a quite verbal 'Yeccch'! And having spent quite a few years over there I can understand why. Once you've been to Europe and have tasted their wonderful chocolates, wrapping your taste buds around a standard Hershey's milk chocolate bar is a really tough thing to do. Why? Well, it seems back in the late 1800s when Milton Hershey was testing and formulating his recipe for a chocolate confection, it is speculated that the milk used is partially lipolyzed, which produces butyric acid giving the chocolate a tangy flavor that the American consumer has grown to associate with the brand. It's that difference which sets it apart from European chocolate, however one which is not favored by the refined European palate. But in all fairness, since 1900 when Milton Hershey started selling the Hershey's Milk Chocolate Bar, the brand has spread out and their Nuggets, are very similar to European chocolate. And who can argue that Reese's Peanut Butter Cups are like the GOAT?? 😋
So, even if you're not a big fan of the original milk chocolate bar Hershey's has lots of other options to choose from:
-Reese's (and all the various iterations)
-Nuggets
-Kit Kat
-York Peppermint Patties
-Twizzlers
-Rolo
-Hershey's Kisses
-Mounds/Almond Joy
-Ice Breakers
-Jolly Rancher
-Skinny Pop Popcorn
-Skor
-Whatchmacallit
-Whoppers
-Good and Plenty
-Heath
-Milk Duds
...and more.
Sooo, back in 1995 when I was still active in the local train community, I decided to build a portable 4'x8' train layout to take to meets. And what did I choose for my first theme? You got it - Hershey's! There were two loops of Marx track: an outer loop of Marx O-34 track and an inner loop of Marx O-27 track with plastic roadbed. The ballast used on the outer loop was aquarium gravel. It looked nice, but being rock, did not take well to the water/white/glue/detergent mix used to hold it in place. On a home layout it would have been fine, but for a portable layout the gravel kept coming loose during transport.
Within the oval was my version of K-Line's Chocolate Town U.S.A.!! The K-Line buildings utilized the old Marx tooling and were re-purposed as licensed Hershey's products. In addition, there were numerous Hershey's labeled vehicles on the layout.
The backdrop seen in the photos was removable. When all of the Styrofoam scenery pieces, buildings, vehicles, lights, trees, figures, etc., were removed and placed in tote bins, the backdrop was detached and bolted to the top (just inside the surrounding decorative frame) using threaded inserts in the frame. The backdrop then became a cover for the layout during transport. There was a pair of folding banquet table legs underneath to allow it to stand on its own.
Be Blessed and Relish Life! Ed
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