Hokey smokes, Folks! It's only three months until Christmas! And of course we have to begin assembling our Christmas lay-outs even earlier than that!
Fortunately, I have collected a variety of Christmas railcar photos over the years. They are mostly Lionel
O-scale, but there are a variety of others. And please feel free to add your own photos.
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Those are great, Vincent! I'll have to get some photographs of mine rounded up!
I don't know who made this one or what year it came out, but it is still my favorite Christmas car.
Bill,
Those are beautiful. Thanks for sharing.
Christmas 2016
I'll have to be up and running by Thanksgiving as my Grandson will be here then. He's already asked several times, "Pappy will you have your Christmas trains up?"
Here's some I my past videos......
Peter
Man, some of you folks have really nice-looking Christmas lay-outs! I hope this gives all of us (including me) some good ideas for this year's Christmas lay-out.
Meanwhile, here are some more photos from the web:
My Christmas cars are gondolas with custom loads of figures I found at Craft stores. I just glued them to 5gal painted paint sticks. I have about 30 different ones.
Boomer, Your custom cars are great!!
Gang, I am impressed at how many sharp-looking Christmas railcars our people have. Anyway, here are some more:
Thanks Mark.
Here are some more of my Christmas cars.
Still more!
It's October 1, and I only have one month left before I begin assembling my Christmas lay-out!
A major thunderstorm just started, so I have to post fast and shut down.
Notice that the second photo is from 19945. That's the boxcar number, not the year.
Last year, "Cuddlee's Christmas City" was my first Christmas train lay-out. I hope some of you get some good ideas from it:
Picture #3 shows foam buildings. They not only looked great, but they survived assembly and disassembly. Picture #5 illustrates a great model railroading truth: you can do a lot with gondolas.
Foam buildings! They look pretty good!
Photos of Cuddlee's Christmas City were taken during different stages of construction.
These are photos from a collection of older folders I assembled over the years:
I decided to show cabooses today. The first one is actually a boom tender, but most people won't know that.
Vincent Massi posted:
OMG, I haven't seen that set in years! We had that under the tree when I was very young until it ate too much tinsel, lol
Don't recall what year I started putting O gauge trains under the tree as I didn't get my first O gauge stuff until age 8 or 9 and didn't really switch over completely from HO to O probably until I was a teenager.
Still rolling in!
These are from a few years back,
Always liked the Christmas box cars, started in the very early 80's.
Stopped in 2012, reason is that Lionel delayed the car coming out stating it would not be ready until July the next year.
This was very disappointing for me and that is when I stopped purchasing the cars.
I still have what I purchase and do like them and love seeing all of the photos that are on this post
Doug, I have tried so hard to get ANYTHING, anything at all, from that Burl Ives (He was the snowman/narrator) Christmas special. Great-looking train!
Vincent Massi posted:Doug, I have tried so hard to get ANYTHING, anything at all, from that Burl Ives (He was the snowman/narrator) Christmas special. Great-looking train!
There were some ornaments done by Carlton Cards quite a few years ago, not sure if that's what Doug used for his train or not.
The ornaments I've got from that series are of a size such that they easily could be put in a gondola like that if you wanted.
-Dave
Folks, anything goes! While most of my photos are O gauge Lionel, any gauge is welcome. Plus, toys, ceramics, plastic, non-powered, etc., as long as they are Christmas trains or accessories. And of course photos from your own Christmas lay-outs give the rest of us good ideas.
Vincent Massi posted:Doug, I have tried so hard to get ANYTHING, anything at all, from that Burl Ives (He was the snowman/narrator) Christmas special. Great-looking train!
It's available on Amazon
Want to pitch in? Tell us, are you putting up a Christmas train display this year? Explain your reasons, please.
A few inexpensive articles for this year's Christmas lay-out. Last year I could not find any candy canes here in Mexico, so I grabbed this package when I saw it.
Vincent. Thanks for starting this your getting me back in the mood to start a custom O scale Christmas train. I have a HO Custom Christmas Train that I made many years ago and made my own decals and Custom painted the cars we put it under the tree every year my girls loved it when they were young and my nephews enjoy it now I still have a little more work to do on it and add some cars I would like for everyone to see it but it’s HO scale you say anything goes but I thought I would ask first
Folks, EVERY type of Christmas train and accessories is welcome on this thread. Every gauge and manufacturer are welcome. There are even ceramic and wooden Christmas trains, and they are welcome.
Vincent, You have showed a lot of neat items! I'll be getting more posted in the near future!!
Ok Vincent here’s you go I just took theses and ran my old Christmas Train awhile go this is my HO cars and F7. All cars are Athearn except the gondola which is a old Mantua. All decals were made by me. I used a font on our computer for the Santa’s Express and then I added the snow caps I hope I still have this down loaded I will be adding more cars and I will fix these up also I would like to get this done the wife want a snow sence this year with buildings and such. Enjoy the pics
Lee, I certainly did enjoy your photos and videos. In fact, I stole some of your photos for my Christmas train folder.
Vincent was they worth it?? There HO
lee drennen posted:Vincent was they worth it?? There HO
It's Christmas, so I'll forgive you.
Mark Boyce posted:Christmas 2016
Mark
is that gold car about the same size as a Menards car or is it the same size as a Old Lionel 6464 I just bought 2 of these the Lionel 1998 and 1997 I think and I have my eye on the gold one like yours. I want to pull them with my Lionel FA post war 202 I’m worried they will look to small behind it thanks for your help sorry to bother you
Time to get moving!
Gotta help Santa move all those toys!
If anybody can figure out the last photo, please explain it to me.
Vincent Massi posted:.........................
If anybody can figure out the last photo, please explain it to me.
It's basically what it looks like.
You use this car on a loop/oval where the train will regularly pass by the "bridge". When the boxcar goes under, the figures change positions. The one on the car transfers to the bridge and the one on the bridge ends up on the car to go for a ride. Repeat. 
It's based on a post-war classic called the cop and hobo car.
-Dave
Thank you, Dave.
I've spent two years trying to figure that out.
When you run a world-wide manufacturing organization from the Arctic, you need a variety of special-service vehicles:
Steam locomotives! Why? Because there isn't any diesel fuel at the North Pole.
I thought there was a refinery on the North Slope with a pipeline due north! LOL
Vincent
Your just not going to happy till I get a O Scale Christmas Train going are you.
Vincent - and what scale Christmas train would that be?
Enon49
Mark B - I think if you look closely - that was not an oil pipe line
I am thinking it is EGGNOG
Enon
Enon, Why you are absolutely correct!!!! It is eggnog!!
lee drennen posted:Vincent
Your just not going to happy till I get a O Scale Christmas Train going are you.
Only if you post photos.
Enon49 posted:Vincent - and what scale Christmas train would that be?
Enon49
Which one?
PS. I probably don't know, unless I can see three rails.
Vincent
The wife wants me to put one up in the setting room where our main Christmas tree is on a big table so lookout
lee drennen posted:Vincent
The wife wants me to put one up in the setting room where our main Christmas tree is on a big table so lookout
You have a good wife.
Where does Santa Claus get the coal for his steam locomotives? From the coal cars, of course!
I'm not too sure about that third photo.
However, steam locomotives and coal cars are useless--unless they are connected.
My Christmas train usually consists of a Lionel 627, 44 ton red diesel, Lionel 36743 Operating Santa Claus Bobbing Head Box car, two flat cars with Santa’s reindeer including Rudolph and one flat car with two reindeer and Santa’s sled and the fat man himself, a “CANDY” labeled gondola with Christmas Candy Canes, and a Lionel 26527 Christmas Work Caboose with Christmas gifts.
I added added as Santa, sled and 8 reindeers plus Rudolph the red nosed reindeer to my Christmas train. I made the reindeer cars from three junker Scout sized flat cars and figures and reindeer from a Hallmark Cards Santa, Sled and Reindeer set. I painted the flat cars white as reindeer like snow and will show up better with a light color.
One car carried the Santa sled and two reindeer, a second car carried four reindeer and third car carried two reindeer and Rudolph the red nosed reindeer. The reindeer were simply glued to the flat cars with 5 min epoxy glue.
The original Hallmark Cards Santa sled was too big so a smaller one was made from balsa wood and sized for Hallmark Cards Santa.
A blinking red light was installed in Rudolf’s nose and a power pick up was added to the car.
The Christmas Train is usually stationed on the hidden track behind the background and comes out by surprise for the kids after watching the trains run for a few minutes. They all love the Christmas Train, Santa and the reindeer and of course the Christmas candy canes in the gondola!
Charlie
Awesome photos Charlie. And the best part is that you explained how you did it--that gives us some good ideas for our own Christmas lay-outs.
I have to get thru Halloween before thinking about Christmas, they both share some of the same freight cars prior to decorating.
Then there is my favorite.
You need to make sure that your train is doing okay during wintry weather. That's why you need cabooses.
briansilvermustang posted:
Beautiful picture of Izzy!!
Vincent
glad your thread is doing well. Thanks for posting your pics
Ok Vincent I just ordered some Christmas Boxcars I found the years my 2 daughters were born and when my wife and I got married here we go
Boxcars! If you're gonna' move all that freight, you gotta' have boxcars!
Vincent
just bought 3 off eBay post pics when they get here
Vincent
these came in the mail today
lee drennen posted:
Vincent
these came in the mail today
Obviously, you have been good this year.
Okay! Okay! Santa Claus does use diesels.
Vincent Massi posted:lee drennen posted:
these came in the mail today
Obviously, you have been good this year.
That is a matter of opinion my friend
When it's time to get the elves to work in the morning, you need trolleys!
Pick-up trucks! Like gondolas and flatcars they are easily converted into Christmas vehicles for your lay-out.
Santa's well-balanced fleet includes coal, diesel, electric and gasoline. Hmmm....needs more gasoline. You never know where a shortage will hit. Ooops; the third one is an electric trolley, but you get the idea.
Still more gasoline and diesel-powered vehicles for Christmas!
When all else fails...handcars!
Yes indeed! The handcars are great!!!
Airplanes! Sometimes you have to move supplies over great distances...
train under the Christmas tree...
briansilvermustang posted:
train under the Christmas tree...
Oh, I get it!
Just a few trains today...
Vincent, that one hauling the gondola with reindeer looks neat with the big snowplow on it.
SantaFeJim posted:Then there is my favorite.
Mine too, Jim!
John
Mark Boyce posted:Vincent, that one hauling the gondola with reindeer looks neat with the big snowplow on it.
Thank you, Mark.
And this brings up a word of advice: If you're thinking of buying a Christmas train, look carefully at the railcars. Are they sharp-looking or plain-looking? And never buy a small plastic battery-powered train--they derail constantly.
Why were all of yesterday's trains heading towards the right?
LOL
About buying trains. I couldn’t agree more about the plastic battery trains. I’m not in the market this year. I have the LC Bluetooth Polar Express and the Halmark Toymaker sets. I also have a North Pole Central 0-4-0 and a few cars. I need to find some photographs of them.
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