2012 Christmas Photo Album

Just wanted to share our 2012 Christmas Card on this thread.

OK. I moved the Christmas Layout board and I finally got some things out, but I will not have a Christmas tree since it went with her.  I put small tracer lights on the Lighthouse.  They show up very well at night.  I pulled out some of my usual Christmas train stuff, AND I dug out my first Train Set I got when I was 10 months old, 65 years ago! It is the Marx set & it still runs.  Merry Christmas to all.

Remember my earlier post?!!

Because of space, I never do much under the Christmas Tree anymore. I have a box with a transformer, fastrack, and two Marx tunnels in it. This is the result:

Here are some pics and video of my Christmas railroad. This year, I've given it an overhaul (new track, new lighting for the buildings, etc.), and am finally able to give it a more urban and industrialized look. Because the nature of most Christmas village structures (most of my family's is Lemax) sometimes clashes with the look I'm aiming for, I have felt like I have been trying to: "turn Disneyland into Gotham City." (And yes, I specifically purchased the Batmobile from The Animated Series from the 1990's for the village, and eventually the permanent layout.) The dirigible, one of the focal points, is a paper model I found online and is downloadable for free. (Significantly under-scale, but still works.)

Currently, it can only support one train at a time, but I have been able to run all of my equipment several times.  Because a baggage car is my only piece of Polar Express equipment, I treat it as the name of a seasonal mail and parcel service, similar to Railway Express Agency or UPS.

Current fleet:

K-Line Conrail GP38

Lionel Pennsylvania "Starter Set" 4-4-2

Lionel Great Western "Hall" Class 4-6-0

MTH New York Central J3a 4-6-4 (the "official" locomotive being used this year)

Enjoy, and Merry Christmas (and Merry TubaChristmas to any other low brass musicians out there)!

Aaron

This brings back memories of my dog (he was a beagle).  He used to chase and bark at the trains every time I pulled them out, Christmas time or not.  A couple of times he even jumped right into the middle of the layout!!!  Eventually, he got to where he would ignore them--unless we had company.  Then he liked to bark at it when everyone was watching him!

Aaron

GCRailways, Nice post, Thanks, I like the click- clack sound on that first video.

Thanks Ralph!  I actually cheated with the re-lettering.  I used a label maker with black tape and gold ink.  Properly spaced Times New Roman font was a pretty good match.  I had to really trim the label down for the cab numbering; it just barely fits in the flat area there.  Using the labels for the cab number and tender name blends in well enough for our Christmas layout - very happy with it.

Thanks again,

Sam

here is some more....switched the kline alcos for a jr hudson with railsounds....

Really great job Dave.  Just magnificent!!!  Jim

Thank you.  It was an unknown benefit of traditional tubular track.  (FasTrack is just way too loud; drowns out the air whistle on the Atlantic.)  It's also fun to watch various details shake as the Hudson goes by!

Very nice!  That's more like what I eventually want to do.  I'm guessing the 0-6-0T with the old time coaches on the elevated section is inspired by the old 0-4-4T Forneys that used to serve New York City in the late 19th Century?

Aaron

thanks jim....try to make it a little different year after year....its a mixture of new and postwar stuff....with a few ho items like that red yardtower lol

The start of my under tree setup. I hope to add a little more every year!

The Brisbane & Bushong Railroad has a Christmas branch line.  Last year I built a 3' x 5' platform with a RealTrax oval.  In the center is a higher wooden platform with a permanently mounted metal Christmas tree stand.  So we buy our tree without a stand and mount it on the platform.  There is a small Christmas Village, a trestle, a tunnel and a frozen pond for ice skating.  

MERRY CHRISTMAS AND A HAPPY NEW YEAR FROM THE ENTIRE STAFF AT THE BRISBANE & BUSHONG RAILROAD.

here  mine

Excellent work, Everyone!  I'm humbled by the quality and ingenuity of your layouts.  I can only hope that, someday, I'll be able to approach your success.  This year is a simple "twice around" inspired by Keith.  Too embarrassed to post pics.  Maybe next year.

Thank you for your pics AND for your stories.  They are both heartwarming at this time of year.

Merry Christmas,

Ron

The last time I had Standard Gauge under the tree was 2008.  I decided to return to that size this year, after a few holidays of O.

Well, the town has grown a bit since then

Same coaches, but now led by the Lionel Classics 1-384

Leaving town now with a train full of memories 

Snow in Maine today. The city picture reminds me of snow removal chores later today.

My Christmas train........and the OGR Beep is MU'd in!

Peter

Ron.  Don't be embarrassed.  It's the joy of it.  Look at what I had left to work with (in my earlier post) & no tree.  It's all OK.

These are some photos of a joint venture between the SD3Railers and the All Gauge Toy Train Assoc. Rady's Children's Hospital requested a Christmas layout for their lobby in the Acute Care Facility that the patients and their families could enjoy. With the relatively short notice and their willingness to be a little bit flexible on their requirements the layout was built and installed on Dec 1st. Although it is realtively simple with two tracks and some operating accessories everything is push button operated.

My Father-in-law didn't feel up to crawling around the tile floor this year, so my able bodied assistant and I got up there this afternoon to get down a loop under their tree...

Here's my layout, the B Unit is waiting to join the F3 and F7 Christmas morning.

Video coming soon...

I've got a train at work too, a lionel switcher pulling the polar express. Train run times are 7:30 am - 8 am / 12:30-12:35 / 3:30-3:35 / 5:00-5:15 pm - depending on when my boss is around.

Not as elegant or expansive as some of guys, but its all mine.

A prewar 1684 pulling post war and modern and a 224 hauling my first train set.

Both engines rebuilt and painted by me.

The last few months I've been working on building a modular layout.  For the Christmas season this year I decided to set it up on the pool table downstairs  (nice solid base), and add some Christmas items.

Decided to use the Evolution to pull the K-line 12 days of Christmas set...never could run them on my regular layout - no room for 12 cars on my 12' x 12' layout.

A few Beeps, one of them I custom painted (spray can) along with a matching caboose

"The reason for the season"

Rudolph and the misfit toys!

And a few Looney Tuners...

After the holidays, the layout will become a bit more traditional.  Modules are either 30" x 30" or 30" x 60".  In this configuration I'm using 4 corners and 2 straights, making a 5' x 10' layout.  Additional modules will allow for growth in 5' increments. Very lightweight, SUV-able.

Ed

Eddiem

What road is that silver Beep? MTA or custom paint? Enjoyed your pics and everyone else's as well!

redrockbill

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Budgerman, very nice work. I hope some of those presents in the background have something to do with your train collection. Do let us know after Christmas morning.

Great job Ed. It came out nice. I will see it Saturday.

The North Pole backdrop is my wife's handiwork. It sure is nice to have a wife who LOVES O-Gauge trains.

Your Christmas layout looks wonderful Rixster. Great pictures!!!!!!!!!!!

Really great job Rixter!!! I wish I could live in your village.

Under our tree

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v...9p37Ds1A&index=6