2015 Christmas Layouts...Let's see your photos!

MarkStrittmatter posted:

Here is some pictures from the engine yard.

Mark,

Thanks for the great photos of your layout!  I am glad to have had the opportunity to have seen it in Person!!  I like the Frank's IGA and have kicked around the idea of purchasing one.  Yours is in a great setting.  Is that the MTH engine house?  I bought an operating sawmill and swichman's tower from a fellow out Eastrecently, and he asked me if I wanted his MTH engine house too.  I passed, as I don't have room for all the buildings I have now, but I do like it.  PRR works great for you!

Merry Christmas,

Mark

Got home from work early........we opened presents and I have be relaxining going through this thread........it is really fantastic......thanks to all who posted!

Peter

here is my christmas half of my 8x8.

Gentlemen,

    The new Hallmark/Lionel Santa Train made it's initial run around our Bear Christmas tree and I have to say for a Lionel RTR Christmas Train set it is pretty impressive, the colors are outstanding, the Engine Chuff Rate works well and the Santa Christmas Train Announcements are very kid friendly.  The Beautiful Christmas 0-8-0 Red Engine is heavy Cast and operates correctly right out of the box, smoke unit and sound.  If you are looking for a young childs Christmas present this one is just fantastic.  The one thing to remember however is that the Santa Train only operates from it's own hand held remote control unit, it will not operate from a standard AC transformer alone.  Your layout  AC Transformer will power the Santa Train, set at 18 Volts, however all commands to operate the Santa Train, must come thru it's own Hand Held Remote Control unit.  The Remote Control does not come with the batteries needed to operate it.  Make sure you supply 3, AAA batteries when gifting this Train set, without them you can not run the Train.  Instructions are written well and easy to understand.  The Santa Train also comes with its own DC Power Pack and FasTrack.  A real nice set up for the kids, even kid of my age.  

Merry Christmas everybody!

PCRR/Dave

Thanks for all the great pictures.  This is what I put together with the kids this year.  

We get use of a 5'x9' "stage" down in the basement for a little over a month.  Would welcome any suggestions for modest future upgrades (track, easy set up temp modeling, etc.).  I used legos and thin baseboard style wood to make supports and saved styrofoam to make the "hills."  Was thinking of picking up a couple of manual switches and slightly modifying this year's layout to have upper and lower level reversing loops connected by a shared incline track. 

Just finished the details a few days before Christmas. Hope y'all had a great Christmas.

Prospector,

   Your FasTrack Christmas bedroom layout, is a seriously classic small layout, nice going man!  

Merry Christmas!

PCRR/Dave

Matthew B Rogers,

     Fantastic FasTrack Christmas Layout, lots of great engineering work on that one sir! Enjoyed the Video!

Merry Christmas!

PCRR/Dave

DL&W Pete,

    Fantastic  Christmas Layout with both RealTrax & FasTrack, great stuff as usual!  Real nicely engineered Christmas layout this year!  The Ceramic Village is way cool.

Merry Christmas!

First Christmas layout, first tinplate layout, first digital photo...

Jon,

A lot of firsts, looks great, 

thank you

Ray

This is our Polar Express layout under our Snoopy tree.  I updated it this year by adding the riser which gave us tunnels.   We added some new houses as well.  This is the first time posting here.   My family and especially my daughter loves it.  I am getting more and more interested in building it out.  Currently it's 4x6 due to how it rests on our basement stair "bars" that divide our main level.   I might be able to go 8' but you'd have to duck to go downstairs!

really enjoyed seeing all the great layouts here.  Thanks and Happy New Year!

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Prospector,

   Your FasTrack Christmas bedroom layout, is a seriously classic small layout, nice going man!  

Merry Christmas!

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

Thanks for the kind words.  A lot more we can do but the kids are having fun. Hope to pass the love of trains on to them. As an aside, your handle, Pine Creek Railroad, made me think about trains and some good memories.  When I was a kid my grandfather had a summer cabin by Pine Creek near Jersey Mills and Callahan Run.  The RR ran about 60 feet in front of it.  I was thrilled and in awe every time a big train came through.  He used to pick me up sometimes and we'd hang out for a week or so together.   Great memories of fishing boats, an old Ford pickup, swimming, trains, and one cool, cool guy.   

Happy holidays!

Alex

Alex,

    I still own one of those Log Cabins, when ever you can make it up you are welcome to visit, bring the kids and the wife and spend the weekend, it's still God's Country.

PCRR/Dave

Here are a few more.  I'll post some train pictures after New Years.  Happy Holidays!!!

I need to take some time and catch up with this thread!  I last posted on page 1 and we are up to 6 now!  Here are some memories of 2015 from my home.

My trains this year were O gauge.  2 loops on FastTrack.  The inside loop is the Lionel Polar Express, and the outer loop is the Lionel Hallmark Santa Toymaker Express. 

The village is made up of some Lionel, Plasticville and Department 56 structures.

The Santa Toymaker is a stunning train, and pictures don't do it justice.  I added the LCCA 2015 boxcar and A Christmas Story boxcar to the set.

The whole tree set-up.

It's always Christmas Eve, 1941 here. And the Boston & Albany milk train is slipping in front of the Polar Express east bound while the Santa Fe Scout  will be heading west. (Many aren't aware of the confluence of those three railroads at Bedford Falls).

now that is a work of art!

Thanks, Dave. I'm going to try to catch up with Bill Bramlage. I only need to add about 9,750 more lights.

Prospector,

I think you nailed it!  Great balance. You took me back to my fondest memories of Christmas layouts of yesterday.

Earl