I know some of our forum members have already started to put up their 2015 Christmas Layouts and I'd like this thread to be a place where we can all share our Christmas Layout photos.
I usually start my Christmas Layout Thanksgiving Weekend, but I want to get this started so here is one of my photos from last year.
Happy Holidays to all my hobby friends! 
Replies sorted oldest to newest
Fantastic pictures and videos so far guys!!
Alan
Skip~
Your article and Christmas related posts have been a huge inspiration for improving my yearly layouts. The photo below is of the PE layout from last year. The kids did not see the layout until Christmas morning.
~Bill
I just run Christmas trains on my regular layout.....I did help decorate our "small venue" layout for Christmas.
Peter
Where are the North Pole buildings from?
Dave
Put up one of three trees today. Did a 1950s theme with plenty of tinsel, Shiny Brite, c7 lights, and bubble lights. Looking forward to building a 4x8 postwar layout under it with two loops, plenty of operating accessories, and a bit of Plasticville. Will post once it's completed
Be careful Andrew. I remember many electrical shorts, caused by tinsel falling on the tracks.
NYC Fan,
I do not start actually building my Christmas layout till after Thanksgiving,
will post pictures as I build.
PCRR/Dave
Permanent layout and under tree set up.
I did not finish my tree trimming until late in 2014, and I don't intend to start in 2015 until December. Here is my look from last year. I went with Standard Gauge.
The train was the Lionel Classics Fireball Express. Red 390E with maroon roofs and yellow trim.
New and old buildings. Plasticville cathedral and new Grand Central Terminal.
Tinplate, plastic and ceramic buildings along with tinplate train.
Plus a Department 56 version of a train... and station. This one plays Perry Como's "Home for the Holidays."
I'll have WIP pix by Friday when the layout goes up! Best day of the year!
Here is a picture that our forum friend Bill Parisi posted back in 2012 of his former supervisor's Christmas layout. Sure do miss Bill..he passed too soon. Beautiful layout!
Alan
Wow! Alan are there any other photos?
Bill was a real good person. Used to like our long conversations at the Allentown meet.
Sweet Guys!
Does any one have the all gold plated PE?
Got the carpet vacuumed & cleaned, including behind the TV, and Version 1.0 of the Christmas Layout down. Waiting on bumpers for the sidings from Pat's. Going to check clearances with an MTH Baldwin M-1 tonight, then partially disassemble for tree set-up this weekend. The tree will go about where the basket is. Will post an update when everything's up & running.
This is from last year. This years will be pretty much the same.
Got the carpet vacuumed & cleaned, including behind the TV, and Version 1.0 of the Christmas Layout down. Waiting on bumpers for the sidings from Pat's. Going to check clearances with an MTH Baldwin M-1 tonight, then partially disassemble for tree set-up this weekend. The tree will go about where the basket is. Will post an update when everything's up & running.
That cat looks tuckered out from supervising.
Just biding his time until someone goes to the kitchen for more food.
Wow! Alan are there any other photos?
Bill was a real good person. Used to like our long conversations at the Allentown meet.
Yes Skip...there were more photos but for some reason the format they were in would not allow me to copy and paste them.
Alan
Just biding his time until someone goes to the kitchen for more food.
I used to have a cat that assumed we put the Christmas layout up for her enjoyment - was always napping somewhere between the tracks and buildings. Never messed with any of it though.
Great pics so far everyone! I know a lot of you are putting up the tree now and will have many more pics....looking forward to them!!
Alan
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Here is the Christmas layout from many years ago when we 1st started using both FasTrack and our Christmas Bear Tree. Thought you might like it.
PCRR/Dave
I like that tree!
Warthog on a strafing run. The gift that keeps on giving all year long. Merry Christmas ISIS!!!!
Here is a Christmas tree layout that our own "Matthew B" had posted...REALLY NEAT!!
Alan
Nice work all.
Outstanding pictures and excellent thread for the Christmas Holidays.
Larry
I'm still finishing up outside honey do
decorations and looking forward to inside train decorations.
A very basic circle of the Polar Express under the tree...
Here's the video, as promised. Don't know why the video quality goes to crap when I take it off my cell phone, but it's better than nothing. Hope to have better pics in a couple days. Great to see everyone's layouts!
Edit - Promised link to higher res. video:
I get audio but no video.
Great pics everyone. I always feel a special connection between Christmas and model trains. Here is a pic of our Holiday layout. Not quite finished, need to add a small lighted Christmas tree to the town square and add lots of evergreen trees.
Looking good guys! I'll have mine up as soon as we get a tree....
this platform was my Uncle Jim's. I spent a lot of time growing up on the carpet at my Grandparents watching his 2020 go around their Christmas tree. Now it is mine.
Although not O gauge, this is Christmas themed so I thought I'd post it here. UK train operating company Virgin Trains East Coast has painted one of its Class 91 electrics and a companion driving van trailer (cab car) in a special Christmas livery. Courtesy of railway webcam provider www.railcam.uk here is the locomotive passing the site's webcam at York on the East Coast Main Line this morning. Santa's sure got a sweet ride this year!
Bob
I need to forward this thread to my wife. For some reason she is under the impression that I am the only person in the world crazy enough to put up an elaborate Christmas train display!!!! Thanks to all!
don't let her fool you stumper..the ladies like'm as much as we do. I never got too crazy with mine, but it was my wife's idea to start putting a Christmas platform up. she's the one that borders on over doing the decorations.
Not really a layout but, here is our tree with the 384 Blue Comet.
Built this for my oldest son's 2nd Christmas, so this is the 15th year we've run it. This is the first year we've included the fake snow and the Christmas buildings.
now that looks great!
Always just a simple loop for me. It's my grandpa's fake Christmas tree, so the thing is very old. But I like it as he's the one I got my train genes from. The train is much more modern.
Gentlemen,
All the Christmas trains are looking great, we start building the Christmas layout tomorrow here.
PCRR/Dave
Super pics everyone!
Started getting the Christmas stuff up yesterday evening. Got the tree up and mostly decorated. Needs a few more ornaments putting on the back.
Tonight Mason and I could wait no longer and got the basic track down.
Ordered a few new bits for this year including the 45 deg crossing to add a bit more interest. More to do but here's a in progress pic.
.
Nick
Built this for my oldest son's 2nd Christmas, so this is the 15th year we've run it. This is the first year we've included the fake snow and the Christmas buildings.
To me, that looks clever, great fun, and exciting. And dreamy. And pretty. Congratulations on the success of it! Bravo!!!!!!
FrankM.
NYC Fan posted:As has been my tradition for as long as I can remember, the layout and the tree were put up the weekend after Thanksgiving.
I always look forward to seeing this particular view, especially with the reflections. Very nice!
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Today we started construction on the 2015 PCRR Christmas Layout, initial layout work posted below. More pictures to come as we build.
PCRR/Dave
Past layouts/displays
and a few more 
Here's my contribution.......last Sunday at the annual Science Museum of VA show.....
Peter
those 253s are really growing on me.
Only had one the came out the first night, hopefully will add more. Having issues w/the steam/diesel motor sounds on my engines for some reason - even the PE Berk stopped. All other sounds (bell, whistle, crew talk, blow down, water fill) work fine.
Trainlover160 posted:and a few more
Very nice - that is a beautiful Christmas layout!
Sean
Scrambler81 posted:
Built this for my oldest son's 2nd Christmas, so this is the 15th year we've run it. This is the first year we've included the fake snow and the Christmas buildings.
Chris, what is the dimensions of that layout? I really like the track plan and use of space. Mike
artfull dodger posted:Scrambler81 posted:
Built this for my oldest son's 2nd Christmas, so this is the 15th year we've run it. This is the first year we've included the fake snow and the Christmas buildings.
Chris, what is the dimensions of that layout? I really like the track plan and use of space. Mike
The platform is 6'3" square, with one corner cut off. I took the track plan from a book. Our old house was quite small, so we would remove the dining room table to fit in the tree. This was made to fit in that spot. There was actually a short wall between the front door and the dining area, and the chopped corner kept people from turning into it and tripping. The oak trim was stained to match the dining room hutch, so it looked like it belonged in there. In the before pic, you can see the home made tree stand, and I also wired in 4 electrical outlets and a switch for the tree lights. My wife loves that part. Not being a carpenter, and having never built a layout before this one, I've really been very pleased with how this turned out and how well it has held together.
Wow! Some really Great looking Layouts!!!!!
Thanks Sean, really appreciate it. It is a labor of love each year as I do not have a permanent layout yet.
JoeG
Found a few more 
wmtrainnut09 posted:This is from last year. This years will be pretty much the same.
Love that station. Is it Department 56? If so, do you know the model number?
Very nice layouts / displays. I took 2 weeks of work to build a 34 x 20 foot display at our Railway museum for the Polar Express train event. Over 4 weekends we have train rides all day, then families come into the North Pole (roundhouse) where I have my display set up. 13 trains running half of them have LionChief remotes on the fence so kids can control the trains, little engines beside them have sounds for each of the matching engines kids can hear the sounds. Other controls for them to activate different things. Overhead I mounted a slow motor turning making Santa and reindeer and characters from the Planes movies flying. Lots of the Lemax etc. animated figures and buildings etc.
Everyone comes around the corner and says WOW then the kids favorite things they see are the Minions on a couple of cars and a gateman that moves, Frozen movie figures, of course Thomas and friends and a display of the town of Radiator Springs from the Cars movie similar to Disneyland.
Lots of fun with all ages enjoying the display some staying for long periods of time to see the village and trains.
Our Christmas layout is on an 8' x 8' platform and is a little unusual combining Lionel trains and Lego Modular building along with some of our own creations. We are running the Polar Express on the outer loop, Hallmark's Toymaker Express on the inner loop and a trolley.
Enjoy,
EddieZ, Austin, TX
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Construction on the PCRR Christmas layout continues, with the addition of the RealTrax inner loop on the 2nd level for the new Hallmark/Lionel Santa Train. There definitely is a need for MTH RealTrax on our Christmas layout, this is the 2nd inner loop on different levels now, and this loop has both the older solid and newer tubular RealTrax, some with black middle rail, some without. I do have one question for the guys running Legacy on RealTrax. How are you attaching the Legacy base wire to the opposite outside rail of the DCS TIU connections. I really do not want to solder the Legacy line to the RealTrax.
Suggestions definitely welcome!
PCRR/Dave
A picture from "opening night":
Peter
Pine Creek Railroad posted:I do have one question for the guys running Legacy on RealTrax. How are you attaching the Legacy base wire to the opposite outside rail of the DCS TIU connections. I really do not want to solder the Legacy line to the RealTrax.
Why does the connection need to be on the opposite rail? Why not just connect the Legacy to the TIU like MTH suggests?
Sinclair,
Per Marty F's outstanding advise, I do run the Legacy line on the TIU connections, and also drop a Legacy Base Line directly to the opposite outside rail from the Legacy TIU connection, to maximize the Legacy signal to the engine, it works very very well. The FasTrack has connections on it's opposite outside rail underneath the track, the RealTrax has none. I want to set the 2nd level Legacy RealTrax up in the same manner I do the FasTrack for ultimate Legacy signal Control.
PCRR/Dave
Okay, I see what you are doing now. I know you don't want to solder, but it might be a good idea to go ahead and do so. This way you have one section of track to use in the future in case you need it.
Sinclair,
Thanks for the advise, it may very well come to that, I am also thinking about drilling the opposite outside solid rail, slipping the Legacy Base Wire thru the hole and using a small screw to secure the line, if this technique sets up a good signal path, I will not need to solder, if not then I will solder. Was actually hoping for some way to use the MTH lighted lock on from the opposite side of the track, and just connect to the outside rail, got to look at this technique a little more, it just might be that easy.
After further investigation, it is exactly that easy, turn the track around insert the MTH lighted lock on, and the opposite outside rail is good to go, for the Legacy base line connection, on the Black Channel.
PCRR/Dave
Fantastic Christmas layouts and pictures everyone!!
Alan
This is the beginning of Johns & Lans Christmas trains 2015 from fairfax, Va. The whole idea is to create a layout visible from outside the house which reminds me of the window store displays I used to view as a child back in the 60's.
Ladies & Gentlemen,
The PCRR Christmas Construction is making head way, tested the different track levels and programmed the new Lionel Legacy Scale 317 Northern Pacific, you got to hear and see this engine, no video can do it justice, smooth and powerful beyond imagination, the more I run these Legacy engines, the more I love'em.
PCRR/Dave
Finally got a chance to go through this. A lot of great looking christmas layouts from the simple to the complex. PCRR Dave stop teasing us!!!
and there's that dang crane again......
Gentlemen,
Hopefully more to come some time today or tomorrow, Santa is older this year and the elf's have started parting already.
Merry Christmas guys
PCRR/Dave
Nick12DMC posted:Ordered a few new bits for this year including the 45 deg crossing to add a bit more interest. More to do but here's a in progress pic.
Nick
Nice. Track plan?
BobbyD posted:Nick12DMC posted:Ordered a few new bits for this year including the 45 deg crossing to add a bit more interest. More to do but here's a in progress pic.
Nick
Nice. Track plan?
Pretty sure that's the twice around FasTrack plan from the back of the Lionel catalog.
Thanks, will look for the catalog.
Thanks,
Mario
This is a video from a small local Christmas promotion in Mukwonago, WI.
Ray
Mario that is fantastic!
BobbyD posted:Thanks, will look for the catalog.
See page 47 of the 2014 Lionel Christmas catalog. It lists what you need.
Frank A. Mills posted:My Village of Make Believe, continuing a family tradition started in the late 1800s, now into its seventh generation with my great grandson. The Facebook Page includes photos several years, including 2015. It is also where I post a continuing story in photos of the Village. The two attachments to this post have their accompanying story on the Facebook page (caption has link).
looks good, looks good.....but you're missing one very important part of the movie.....
Fantastic work everyone. I'm envious. Working on something for this year in our new house. Will be very, very simple but larger than any carpet RR we've previously had (more track). For now, here's a couple pics from our window seat bumper line from last year. Sadly, no window seat this year to build the bumper line on.
Hope to post some pics of the barren carpet RR soon.
Keep these inspirational photos coming!!
Thanks,
Ron
For some reason -- more than likely from my not knowing what I am doing -- these overview photos seem to have dropped off of my previous Village of Make Believe post (if I am just not seeing them please let me know)... (Facebook Page)
Ladies & Gentlemen,
Well the over all picture of the 2015 PCRR Christmas layout is starting to come together, with the addition of the inner 2nd level RealTrax loop for the new Santa Train coming Christmas morning, for around the foot of the Bear Hugging Christmas Tree, and some of the Christmas Village below on the 1st level. Further additional pictures to come as work progresses.
Todays job, Programming the ERR upgraded 249 Tin Plate Engine & Tender, you see on the outside 2nd level in the picture, into the Legacy Cab2, with the outstanding directions GunRunnerJohn, has taken pity on me, and so nicely provided.
Merry Christmas everybody!
PCRR/Dave
My layout goes up this weekend. We had a late start this year as we were at the in-laws for Thanksgiving week and up in the mountains the next weekend. I'll be heading to storage to "bring all the trains from the North Pole" as my daughter would say this afternoon.
looks great PRRDave....but someone swiped your crane! 
Steamer,
David, Santa needed it for lifting his Giant Christmas Sleigh, some Welding work needed to be done on the Runners, the big man gets 1st call on the PCRR inventory.
PCRR/Dave
Access to this requires an OGR Forum Supporting Membership
