Hi Russ, I grew up running Christmas trains with my Dad, and now I run 4-6 trains during Christmas, so I'll throw in what I have learned over the past 14 years running trains with kids at Christmas.
For the train you run around the tree, I think that KISS is the rule to follow. Kids like to build the track, so keep the layout and power simple, but building a simple layout is a great intro to electricity and STEM. My experience has been that kids like the remotes over transformers. They REALLY like the remotes. And the apps if you have a device to dedicate to them, otherwise they will have your phone/pad for hours. Younger kids freeze with the MTH and Legacy remotes, too complex. They want the trains to run FAST, so make as many individual loops as you can fit, unless you don't mind repairing crashes, in which case, add switches. They LOVE the milk cars, the present cars, the log cars, the ice cars, anything that dumps anything, so invest in operating track. (But I have boycotted all modern lionel operating accessories, like the sawmill and ice house. Perhaps the original models functioned well, but every modern version I had invested in died by the 13 month of ownership.) Get empty ore cars and gondolas so they can run their action figures around, and stock cars they can stuff things in. Buy used.
We've tried fancy layouts under the tree from time to time, but the tree itself gets in the way of train fun. Every. Time. Even elevated and trimmed, consider that a 7-8' tree is quite wide at the base, depending on the species. Also, running trains with kids, you will have derailments. Even without switches. And problems with needles, ornaments, tinsel falling on track. I've had party guests spill champagne on the track. Coffee on the track...tree water on the track..I have a cat who insists on drinking the nice fresh water under the tree, and knocks everything over... onto the track. Do you want to lay down and correct track problems behind and under the tree while nestled in foam scenery on Christmas eve or during a party?
I've tried to eliminate anything that requires me to make rules about the trains...so if you can imagine a scenario where you are saying, "Now, you can't do it that way or (insert problem here)...".... don't set it up that way. I set it up so that they can run it themselves and have fun!
(Then I built my own complicated 6x12 layout in the basement.)
Peg
