My first year of all Christmas trains under the tree was 2015. The Hallmark Santa Toymaker train took my outside track while the Polar Express (with Hot Chocolate car and Disappearing Hobo car) took up the inside track.
I remember in the mid 1980s, adding Christmas decorations (mostly old cupcake toppers such as plastic snowmen or Santas) to the train layout we had. I also cut out some of the decorations off old gift tags, and Scotch-taped them to the telephone poles. My father was not amused. I placed 6 (only 6) Hershey's kisses in an HO Union Pacific gondola, and he accused me of "wasting food." Since he grew up in the Depression, I suppose he expected me to, also.
Thank you for this thread, Vincent. I hope to add more recent pics when my 2019 trains go up.
