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I have started a Christmas Train Layout this year as a community service project...and thanks to Jake (SantaFe158), the planning for my version has progressed very smoothly. Having lost my wife of 48 years this past July...I needed a project to help me get through Thanksgiving, our Anniversary in November and of course, Christmas. First, I was able to secure a store front window on the Main street of our small town, it's going to be our "Macy's" window, if you will. I also was looking for a way to raise funds that will be designated for our town Christmas Light Fund. Originally, I was going to have a space that would be open to the public and accept donations. However, that would have been a part-time venue, probably on weekends and limited on hours of operation...dependent on volunteers. So my latest concept...was to have the display in a storefront window and only viewable from the sidewalk...again, similar to Macy's. Now, instead of taking donations...I have been offering local businesses, the opportunity of showing added community support, by purchasing a Lionel billboard sized ad which will include the business name and logo. Those billboard ads have been received well at a $100.00 price point...my original goal was $1000.00...so probably 10 or more of the billboards will be spread around the display. It is a 7 ft X 9 ft layout...with 4 trains, 3 of which will be operational. About 20 Department 56 buildings and other accessories make up the design. The buildings will be lit 24 hours a day. I will be using 2 LionChief Plus locomotives on 2 of the tracks and just added  LionChief Thomas the Tank which will run on the 3rd track. I'm setting all of them on timers...so they won't run all of the time...but will run as programmed into the timers. They most likely will have various run times in the afternoon and early evening. Most of the downtown merchants in our small town (pop. 7500) close by 6:00 pm, so the trains will be off all night. The display has been assembled in my basement to make sure all systems are go. We will break it down this week, pack it up, then transport everything to the storefront and reassemble it there. I have taken plenty of photos, measurements...and have diagrams, so it should be like putting a jigsaw puzzle together, only easier. The current plan is to have it available the night of our town Christmas Parade on November 30th and will run through Christmas. We usually have more than 100 floats and participants in the parade...the main street can be 3 or 4 deep with families who come to see the end of the parade...and of course, who else, but Santa Clause. I told the owners of the storefront...and I hope it comes to fruition...that that only problem that I can foresee...is they will probably want to have their window cleaning service on call...just to get the nose prints off the glass from all of the children (and adults) trying to get a closeup view!

 

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Last edited by UKE KAT
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Let me first share my deepest sympathy for your loss.

 

Let me then share my humblest respect for the direction in which you have turned your grief.  Taking one's own pain and redirecting it toward the good of others is the most noble of aspirations.

 

Truly, the Lord can take all things and turn them to work for the good of others.

What a nice Christmas layout! I looks like it will be a bit difficult to place 10 billboards, but I'm sure you'll figure it out.

 

What if you were to add a billboard on a flatcar (Lionel has offered this in the past, but ought to be simple enough to make) and either ask for a bigger donation for that billboard, or rotate it between the donors of the other billboards? Perhaps next year if it is too late for this one.

 

Condolences on your loss. Forty-eight years is a very good run. We should be so lucky.

 

J White

 

 

 

So sorry for your loss, but I'm very impressed with your decision to channel your grief into something positive for the community. I'm surprised you found a store willing to give up the space, but hopefully they'll get paid back with more traffic and subsequent purchases. Growing up I remember holiday layouts in a lot of department stores around Green Bay. Sadly that is no longer the case. Bass Pro Shops is the only store around here who does a layout to sell their Polar Express set. I walk every day in the mall and just this morning I was thinking how nice it would be if they had a model railroad set up. Unfortunately, temporary kiosks are the name of the game these days and they fill the available space. Please let us know how people react. Good luck reaching your goal.

Wanted to post an update on my community service project and add some additional photos. I'm just about ready for the big unveil...that will happen next Monday evening, prior to our small town Christmas Parade. Small town...but BIG parade, usually there are more than 100 entries...my wife and I were Grand Marshals a few years ago, because of our community involvement. It was cold and snowy that night, so glad we were leading the parade in a nice warm car! As an update to the billboard sales and a way to raise funds...I was able to offer my idea to 11 sponsors...each invested $100, so a total of $1100.00 will be going to the town Christmas Light Fund. I enjoyed terrific response from businesses and went 11 for 11...only wish that my Fantasy Football team had done as well this year. Actually could have sold more...but there is only so much available real estate. I will be surprised though, if I don't hear from additional businesses asking why they weren't contacted and how they can be included?

The photos start with an idea, clean slate, buildup in my basement and then assembly at the storefront. Just have a few finishing touches...haven't seen it from outside on the sidewalk myself yet. Had the window covered with wrapping paper hoping to garner additional interest.

 

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Basement setup...

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Storefront setup...

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I will post addional photos the night of the Christmas Parade...

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Last edited by UKE KAT

Wanted to provide an update...

The window display was officially unveiled late yesterday afternoon and all aspects looked and operated as I had envisioned a couple of months ago. The town Christmas Parade is this evening and I'm hoping that the word spreads quickly(usually does in a small town)with regards to the layout! Here are some photos from last evening...

 

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By by the way, my initial goal was to make available 10 of the small Lionel billboards for local businesses to sponsor and raise $1000.00 for our town Christmas Light Fund...happy to report that the I was able to exceed that goal and will be making an $1100.00 donation to our Community Foundation at their Open House on Thursday, December 10th.

P.S. Will post a couple of crowd photos of some of the viewers from tonight's parade.

Thanks for all of your previous comments...Paul

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Last edited by UKE KAT

It was a great night, 38 degrees and dry, for our small town Christmas Parade with over 100 entries! The activity in front of the window display was non-stop...and the faces on some of those little guys...were priceless. Even had some that were crying when their I parents said "it's time to go"! Hopefully they will be back again before Christmas. Here are a few photos...

 

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Oh...and of course...the Chief Engineer was there too!!!

 

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Last edited by UKE KAT

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