2013 Christmas Photo Album

Hi Brian and Elizabeth,

Your layout looks fabulous!!!!!!!!!

Thanks,

Alex

Fantastic job!

Wish I had the room

Have a great and wonderful holiday!

Dave

My little 4ft x 8ft Christmas Layout is up and running. Once it is finished I'll take some photos with the "good" camera.

Still a work in progress. Should be finished by the end of the weekend!

Happy Thanksgiving and Merry Christmas everyone.  This year I raised my Christmas layout off of the carpet by framing out six 3x4 modules with 1/2 inch plywood and 1x4s.  Total layout size is 6x12.  The trains run a bit smoother and the layout has more of a finished look to it.   I enjoy it and I hope you all do as well.

Didn't mean for that to happen.  Anyway, here is the other view I wanted to show.

Wow!!! These are great, you folks have a good jump on this holiday season.

I love Christmas and the spirit. Thanks.

Skip - Your "little" display is absolutely splendid, very much in the spirit of Christmas.  Nice to see such a lovely display that is not trying to be the biggest or the baddest.  Well done!

Pete

Great thread Brian! I'll be decking the halls of the layout right after thanksgiving and post some pics.

Skip, that new Chrysler Building makes an excellent counterpoint to the Empire State Building. Great display!

Nice photos, everyone!

Skip:

Though your Christmas layout is not complete, it sure is one of the best I have ever seen. Can't wait for you to post pictures of the final version.

Brian and Elizabeth, I checked out your Christmas Village in the Dec. OGR Mag.  Did you set out with any drawings or plans or did you trust your creative side and just went at it.  I appreciate  what you have done.  I would love to see it in person, but that won't happen.  When you have it open to the children to view, do you  dress up as  Mr. & Mrs. Claus?  BTW: your train station is awesome and you are more than a train collector.  You are an artist  and you left that out of your bio.  I understand you being humble, but yet being proud of what you accomplished.

Bob

Brian,

Your layout is beautiful and always makes me think of Christmas. I like your village and all the snow. If you need more snow for it I will send you more...THE REAL THING LOL. Thanks for sharing your layout with us.

Sorry, I will not be having a layout this year. Therefore, would you settle for a picture from about 1985.

Very nice Christmas layout.I like the brick border at the bottom.Please post a video of the trains running on the layout if possible.

Dan

Dan986,

          Thanks for the compliment.  Unfortunately, I do not have video capability.

First step complete

Dan, thanks for posting photos of your beautiful Christmas layout. Jim, I am sure you do not remember me, but I called you on a Sunday afternoon, not really expecting you to answer the phone, and you were gracious enough to fill my order for two MTH flag baggage cars. Thanks for your contribution from a previous layout.

Bob, no we do not dress up as Mr. & Mrs. Claus. We would not want to scare the kids.  I had prepared a detailed plan for the layout which located every building (over 200 of them) that was a task as I did this in my work city that was hundreds of miles away from my home where the layout is located. The plan actually worked during the installation phase. Many thanks for your compliments.

Bill, as always, thanks for comments, you are a real friend. And Ben, what a great start. This is one beautiful tree. How tall is it?

WOW! Can't wait til 12/8 - 12/20!!!

PLEASE keep in mind that I'm already on the prowl for Christmas layouts for next year's issues of the magazine.  

I'm really looking for two full cover features next year, if possible, because a number of our readers/fans have already expressed disappointment that they already received the January issue before Thanksgiving and they don't like to see the holiday season rushed liked that.  I customarily devote the Dec. issue to a Christmas theme, with the January issue ending up being pretty much devoid of Christmas.  With your help, I hope to correct that situation in 2014 by featuring appropriate holiday or winter-type scenes in both issues, at least in part.

I need high-resolution photos for publication, so please keep that in mind.  That just means setting your digital camera for the highest resolution or fewest number of images on the disc.  Send an example or two via e-mail attachment and I'll guide you through the process, if necessary.

Like most here, I love the holiday season.  And since it is THE season when toy trains come to the forefront in the eyes and minds of hobbyists and the general public alike, I want to be able to do it up right.  With your help, we'll be able to give a kick-start to getting even more folks enthused about this wonderful Christmas-and-trains tradition.

this is as far as I go until we cut  tree down.

Dave:

You have a beautiful Noma Station, that is a very good start. Please post photos as you complete your 2013 Christmas layout.

I scaled back the accessories this year.  Now I've got visitors and my wife asking me why.  Easy, they're not the ones who have to disassemble everything. 

Merry Christmas!!

Here is our Holiday layout.  About 7 x 10, 3 levels, 2 fastrack loops with bottom loop reversing on both ends.

Finishing up on my first Christmas layout in 3 years.

View from outside. 

Some fine candidates for the magazine here, for those of you so inclined (you'll make a few bucks for next year's Christmas fund, too, if they are used).

Some photo tips:

1.  Take high-resolution photos (fewest number on the camera disc or set for "hi-resolution."

2.  Use a tripod or other firm support for the camera if at all possible (beanbags work great for floor-level photos).

3.  If the camera has adjustable settings, use the smallest aperture possible (which results in longer exposure times but also gives greater depth-of-field).

4.  Include trains in as many photos as possible.  Our readers like to see your trains.

5.  Take a number of photos from track level to give viewers/readers a realistic "trackside" perspective of your creations.

If you send me an e-mail, I'll be happy to send along our "Photo Tips Sheet" that was put together by our own Section Gang member and forum contributor, Jim Policastro.

Let's share the fun of Christmas TRAINing with as many folks as possible this year and beyond!  

Skip:

The new Chrysler Building is a terrific addition to your Christmas layout. The lighting effect gives a very good impression.

My layout construction on the Park Avenue Cut in Harlem New York City.

Santa riding the CTA in Chicago.

Dan

I won't have a Christmas Layout at home, however I made this Polar Express Bell Car for a Christmas layout display that the Jacksonville Toy Train Collectors wil have at the Museum of Science & History in Jacksonville Fl.  Dec 11 - 28.

Here are several photos of the Christmas layout put up earlier this week. I've also attached a link to a video of the layout, which shows the train and the rest of the Snow Village. 

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=glLM_PjMN-Y

Boomer, that's what I call a great design. You have a real winner there. 

beautiful guys! The Bell car is fantastic!

Run 232 "Let it snow" revisited for 2013...