The Christmas cars are fun, I especially like the new lighted cars of various types that MTH has been doing. I have a few factory Christmas cars that look nice so I bought them. The full factory sets I have are a Lionel Polar Express where I have lighted the fire for the Hobo, and added snow with sparkles to the roof. Also a Hallmark Santa red train set.
But I have the most fun creating my own cars. I buy up old engines and freight cars cheap worn out 0-27 freight cars and repainting and decorating them. I had done many years ago a set with old Lionel Steam engine in a Candy Cane scheme, red white green stripes I masked and painted with silver and gold lettering and plastic candy canes in 2 gondolas. Also my other favorite is a red and silver old Lionel train with silver letters and loads of toys Hallmark ornament Tonka trucks, sleighs etc.
My favorite I started working on long before MTH came out with them was a CP Holiday train with EL light strings around the edges of the box cars and EL light sheets and blinking stars on the sides. I made an operating stage car with a band that moves and lights up.
Here is a link to some photos of lighted and custom painted cars on my grandsons layout;
