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Merry Christmas to all!

Currently working on a larger video to share with you all soon, but in the meantime I'd like to show some of my photos, featuring perhaps the most Christmassy steam locomotive in operation today.

Simmering in Owosso, Pere Marquette no. 1225 awaits departure on the very first North Pole Express run this season.

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This shows well how dirty the Steam Railroading Institute lets her get. It definitely provides an experience like no other, though if it were my choice she would be sparkling clean.

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Now departing Owosso, the 1225 crawls across Main Street, past the old Robbin's Furniture Warehouse. This makes for one of the most timeless scenes on the line.

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For many, this is the money shot of the entire trip. Pere Marquette no. 1225 gallops through the small town of Carland in perhaps the most famous scene she goes through every year.

Two weeks after my visit, this was the site of a near-miss incident between the locomotive and a pedestrian who was standing much too close to the tracks. While this person escaped with only a torn jacket, it serves as a haunting reminder as to why rail safety is so important. Remember to stay a safe distance from the tracks when you're along the railroad, and to remind those you see that are too close to stay back!

Happy Holidays!

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Last edited by TrainMan1225
BobbyD posted:
VistaDomeScott posted:

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays ! 

The CVSR Polar Express and work keeping me too busy to set up a Christmas floor layout yet.   Here are a  few views from the CVSR Polar Express last week as we deadheaded to Akron.20191127_214802

Now those are darn way COOL handrails!!

I bet one can duplicate it with a K Line/ Lionel scale dome car and some smd LEDs along with exposed fibre optic cable!

Last edited by prrhorseshoecurve
Allan Miller posted:
Will posted:

I am working on a tinplate layout, but here is a Christmas diorama from about 15 years ago and my days of more realistic railroading. Happy Holidays to all my old and future forum friends. Happy to be back.

Welcome back, Will! Those diorama photos are really very nice. Is the tinplate layout you're building Standard Gauge or O gauge? I am a BIG fan of tinplate!

Hi Allan, long time no see. It's O gauge, using my Dad's original trains, liberally supplemented with purchases. Trying to use as much or all original equipment, all pre-war. Doing a lot of restoration!  It's just 4 x 6 but will resemble a Lionel catalogue layout of the period, but in winter. Just finishing some wiring, It won't get finished this year, but I will post some progress pics. 

I've discovered I love tinplate. It's more like the abstract art I make. All about arranging the pieces and balancing the color. Realistic modeling is very different- more about copying nature. 

prrhorseshoecurve posted:
BobbyD posted:
VistaDomeScott posted:

Merry Christmas & Happy Holidays ! 

The CVSR Polar Express and work keeping me too busy to set up a Christmas floor layout yet.   Here are a  few views from the CVSR Polar Express last week as we deadheaded to Akron.20191127_214802

Now those are darn way COOL handrails!!

I bet one can duplicate it with a K Line/ Lionel scale dome car and some smd LEDs along with exposed fibre optic cable!

Except fiber optic doesn't shine along the length of it, only the ends. You could try sanding it, I guess, but then the light would all just escape near the source.

Here is a video showing the trains around the family room Christmas Tree.  The Polar Express passenger cars’ lighting has been upgraded to LED strips using my version of GunrunnerJohn’s lighting module.  Probably won’t put buildings around this tree other than possibly an old Lionel No. 133 station I bought a battery operated string of blinking LED’s to decorate it with.

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Last edited by GregM
Mark Boyce posted:

Greg, The PE cars with John’s LED kits look great!  I have enough of John’s kits to do my two sets of passenger cars.  I need to do the same as you 

Mark, thanks but I didn’t use John’s kits.  I did use his circuit design to develop my own PCB with slightly different components.  All of which is documented in other threads here on the forum.

I used to run the trains on the floor around the Christmas tree, through the village, and under the piano.  This year we placed the tree in a different location with no room for trains so I got the village up off the floor which made it easier to work on.  It's on a 4x8 sheet of plywood supported by cheap storage bins from the orange box store - simple and strong, and no need for fancy legs or framing.  Hopefully next year I can add a backdrop.

Merry Christmas to all.

Don

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Turns out it actually is beneficial to read the instructions once in a while.  This string of LED’s has an “on” setting where they flash for six hours, turn off for eighteen hours, turn back on for six, etc.  So, yesterday I turned them on and right about six hours later they turned off.  The LED’s turned back on this afternoon just a little later than expected.  

Captured the magical moment just for the fun of it .

 

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Last edited by GregM

While digging out the little Lionel train station ornament (see the Christmas ornament thread for details) the box with a few second hand Snow Village buildings and accessories was the “next” one in the closet.  Somewhat simultaneously my wife and I said “what the heck, there is room for them under the family room tree.”  So I spent part of this morning getting them placed around the tree.  I will admit, they do look better than the No. 133 station all by itself.

More buildings.

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Last edited by GregM

I wanted to wait until I received my new Menard's buildings before posting a pic of my Christmas layout (a simple O42 loop, single train service). I was waiting for Menard's Taco Bell to be delivered when they offered the new Strip Mall. I ordered the Strip Mall on Wednesday, the 11th, and it was at my door Monday evening, the 16th. Now that is fast delivery!

So, these two pics are my Christmas Menardsville layout.

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