Almost done -
Tom, moving that tree looks akin to NASA moving the Saturn V to the launch-pad. Brilliant job, looks great!
PD
Just getting started on our Christmas layout and hope to finish up this weekend. It's a modest oval that we insert into a bay window looking out toward the backyard. The family visitors have come to expect trains at Christmas time, so this checks the box.
Last year when we took it down, my wife suggested outlining where the Dept 56 river pieces go that run through the layout. To keep the noise down and without building a fancy table, we use puzzle piece rubber floor mats on top of a particle board screwed to an old coffee table. Added 2"x4" legs to the overhanging ends to eliminate any droop.
I got a kick out of putting the rubber mat puzzle back together last night. 8 year old granddaughter could have done it! Wife sure is the smart one. Now I just need to do the work to get it all set up. Photo of completed layout is from last year. Short video can be seen here - Christmas 2021.
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@Don McErlean posted:@TomStoltz- great looking layout. Good luck with the tree sounds like quiet a job. We avoid all that, pack away tree fully decorated. Pull tree out of wrapper, put on tree table, plug in. Tree’s up!!
Happy holidays
Don
I couldn't pass this up Don..........when I saw this video on this other post ,all I could see was you and one of those unique trains you have. It is a neat video.
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@Mooner posted:Just getting started on our Christmas layout and hope to finish up this weekend. It's a modest oval that we insert into a bay window looking out toward the backyard. The family visitors have come to expect trains at Christmas time, so this checks the box.
Last year when we took it down, my wife suggested outlining where the Dept 56 river pieces go that run through the layout. To keep the noise down and without building a fancy table, we use puzzle piece rubber floor mats on top of a particle board screwed to an old coffee table. Added 2"x4" legs to the overhanging ends to eliminate any droop.
I got a kick out of putting the rubber mat puzzle back together last night. 8 year old granddaughter could have done it! Wife sure is the smart one. Now I just need to do the work to get it all set up. Photo of completed layout is from last year. Short video can be seen here - Christmas 2021.
Very nice, Robert. Looking forward to seeing this year’s edition!
PD
@Dallas Joseph - Dallas, you were right a great video and a really neat engine and certainly unique. Thank you for posting and giving me the chance to view it. Best wishes and Happy Holiday's.
Don
Just about done with this:
Vintage cardboard houses and wind-ups on the table that typically serves as my desk. Still a few issues to resolve, primarily a bit of lighting and sluggish clockworks, but otherwise this is done. The tunnel/tree-stand works well with the exception of its internal lighting (totally due to my design idiocy).
Maybe a few better pics later.
PD
@Don McErlean posted:@Dallas Joseph - Dallas, you were right a great video and a really neat engine and certainly unique. Thank you for posting and giving me the chance to view it. Best wishes and Happy Holiday's.
Don
...............to you both too.
Howard Lamey sent me a few of his hand-crafted houses from his extensive collection for use on this year's display. This castle he built using a number of paper tubes of various sizes is my favorite:
His ingenuity seems boundless. Thanks Howard.
PD
@Mooner posted:Just getting started on our Christmas layout and hope to finish up this weekend. It's a modest oval that we insert into a bay window looking out toward the backyard. The family visitors have come to expect trains at Christmas time, so this checks the box.
Last year when we took it down, my wife suggested outlining where the Dept 56 river pieces go that run through the layout. To keep the noise down and without building a fancy table, we use puzzle piece rubber floor mats on top of a particle board screwed to an old coffee table. Added 2"x4" legs to the overhanging ends to eliminate any droop.
I got a kick out of putting the rubber mat puzzle back together last night. 8 year old granddaughter could have done it! Wife sure is the smart one. Now I just need to do the work to get it all set up. Photo of completed layout is from last year. Short video can be seen here - Christmas 2021.
the river pieces as a border around the village looks amazing. great idea!
How's it coming, Walt? You must be getting close!
PD
Dallas, the display is great, and your wife's handiwork just brilliant. Takes handcrafted scenics to a new level!
Have a great Christmas.
PD
@pd posted:Dallas, the display is great, and your wife's handiwork just brilliant. Takes handcrafted scenics to a new level!
Have a great Christmas.
PD
Thank you very much PD .
You have a great Christmas also. We are definitly going to have a great one . Today we got our early Christmas presents..........
.............two 8 year old rescues from Ohio.
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Looks outstanding, Rixster.
PD
Christmas layout video 2022!!
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@Rixster posted:Didn’t complete everything I had planned on but here is my layout.
Looks pretty good to me Rixster.
Maybe you didn't get everthing done that you wanted to do but hey.......its not Christmas Eve yet ......tic-tic-tic-tic-tic .
@Dallas Joseph Good point. 😊
@Rixster posted:@Dallas Joseph Good point. 😊
Thanks Rixster.
I sure hope that suggestion doesn't take away too much time from you getting some WRAPPING done for some REALLY IMPORTANT presents.
Well circumstances have conspired to pretty much eliminate a special train display for Christmas. However I was in my wife's antique shop the other day and "discovered" some Christmas tinplate lithographed houses that I could not resist, so they will be a part of the 2023 layout for sure. To me these are quite amazing, uniquely lithographed in multi colors differently on all 4 sides, no advertising outside of the scene depicted, actual peaked roofs and all for $4.00 each! I could not believe it.
So here is an early look at my Christmas Village for 2023. Here they are, not that the roofs are in fact 3 dimensional and thus truly peaked or in one case mansard. The scenes are beautiful and colorful and they are unique on each side. They are clearly about 0 scale as each house is about one ft in height.
Well that's my Christmas village for next year.
Happy Holidays
Don
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@Don McErlean posted:Well circumstances have conspired to pretty much eliminate a special train display for Christmas. However I was in my wife's antique shop the other day and "discovered" some Christmas tinplate lithographed houses that I could not resist, so they will be a part of the 2023 layout for sure. To me these are quite amazing, uniquely lithographed in multi colors differently on all 4 sides, no advertising outside of the scene depicted, actual peaked roofs and all for $4.00 each! I could not believe it.
So here is an early look at my Christmas Village for 2023. Here they are, not that the roofs are in fact 3 dimensional and thus truly peaked or in one case mansard. The scenes are beautiful and colorful and they are unique on each side. They are clearly about 0 scale as each house is about one ft in height.
Well that's my Christmas village for next year.
Happy Holidays
Don
Those look familiar! (and $4 a piece is a steal!)
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jhz563. Yes! I noted a similar house on one of your layouts. Thanks for the comment. Candidly I thought they were really beautiful and colorful and the price was really cheap.
best wishes. I bet those kids of yours are really looking forward to the holiday. Enjoy them they grow up so fast!!
Regards. Don
Finally finished. Have a few streetlights not working I have about 40 of them.
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Good day all. Great layouts so far and here is my 2022 contribution.
This year I went with the Lionel Lighted Fastrack for the double loop. Yeah, its pricey, but the oohs and aahs that have been received so far are well worth it, especially last weekend at the Christmas party that my wife and I hosted. FYI - I have the green lighted track for Halloween also, but I didn't get to put one up this year because we were moving.
I will take some still photos later today and post them.
@Amfleet25124 posted:Good day all. Great layouts so far and here is my 2022 contribution.
Great action packed layout Kevin. Lights , action and Camera by Kevin.
Thanks for sharing this video.
Photo montage of the tunnel/tree-stand we built for the 2022 Christmas display:
Works well, but the clockworks are running s-l-o-w. They need a good lube and cleaning.
PD
Great trolley in the middle
Last shot before it comes down next week and gets packed away:
A few neighbors over tonight to ring in the New Year, then this table reverts to being my desk.
PD