Show us your under the tree layouts!

Due to a temporary move this year, my train under the tree is the minimal type.

Still looks very cool Joe!

Took me 69 years to get my first Lionel under my tree😁

First year having trains going around my tree.  

And here is why I can’t have a layout under my tree.   And this is only 1/4 of the problem.  

Chinatrain99,

I can relate.  Today my wife used the "enforcer" (squirt bottle) on our 6-month-old kitten too many times to count, as he tried to rearrange my small near-the-tree layout.  His breed likes water so it takes some doing to get the message across!  This is why I made the entire layout magnetic per my post last month.  If a cat knocks over a tree, as can be seen in the image, I just upright it and it stays standing no matter where I put it.

I plan on putting one around our tree this year, but our tree isn't up yet, and I think I need more power drops for my PE LionChief when I do get it up, it seems to stop or slow down quite a bit the furthest distance from the Transformer, maybe we will get our tree up this week. I will try to remember to post pictures when I do get it set up, though no buildings.

tcochran posted:

I plan on putting one around our tree this year, but our tree isn't up yet, and I think I need more power drops

Rule of thumb, one power drop for every six track joints.

Got a nice new 'round the tree layout plan ready. My eBay shipment of extra track came in today. Trains were banished from around the tree as a result of the great "Coal Smoke Incident of 2012". The ban has been lifted this year as the result of a request by our 4 year old Granddaughter to her Grammy. 

Just sitting around, waiting for my wife to finish decorating the tree. Not very pleased with her progress. 

The same layout (just a circle of Lionel tubular track) in different years with different trains and different trees:

Regards

Fred

My Office Layout is supposed to represent a Polar Express Layout under a Christmas Tree. I may need a taller tree.

Does three 4x8's and some 2x4's leaning against the living room wall count? i hope to start today.

This is my first attempt at a Christmas Village. I never really had a train as a child apart from a brief HO loop. We bought a used O27 Lionel set last year to go around the tree and my son enjoyed it so much I decided to expand it this year. We went from 10ft of track to 100ft with DCS, two switches, a new MTH loco, a bunch of new/used cars, and a bump trolley. The village is mostly used pieces from ebay with a few new pieces.

The attention to detail some of you have is amazing, so I've lurked without joining the forum for several months. I've learned quite a bit from you all already!

Mine's pretty basic, but with help from the kids, it turned out to be a pretty "Ikea" Christmas advert...

So helping setup the tree...

A train is better than no train ~ a Lionel NYC F3 Century Club classic.

pretty much got Uncle Jim's Nuclear Village set up (oversize chickens roaming the town) and need to bring some rolling stock up.Of our three cats, one totally ignores the train, one will occasionally bat the Cabin Car, and the third will do a Catzilla bit and walk thru town.

You people are unbelievably creative. My hat is off to you all!

Shife posted:

This is my first attempt at a Christmas Village. I never really had a train as a child apart from a brief HO loop. We bought a used O27 Lionel set last year to go around the tree and my son enjoyed it so much I decided to expand it this year. We went from 10ft of track to 100ft with DCS, two switches, a new MTH loco, a bunch of new/used cars, and a bump trolley. The village is mostly used pieces from ebay with a few new pieces.

The attention to detail some of you have is amazing, so I've lurked without joining the forum for several months. I've learned quite a bit from you all already!

Shife, your set up is unreal!  I wish the wife would let me take up that much real estate for Christmas!!! 

Janitor John posted:

Shife posted:

This is my first attempt at a Christmas Village. I never really had a train as a child apart from a brief HO loop. We bought a used O27 Lionel set last year to go around the tree and my son enjoyed it so much I decided to expand it this year. We went from 10ft of track to 100ft with DCS, two switches, a new MTH loco, a bunch of new/used cars, and a bump trolley. The village is mostly used pieces from ebay with a few new pieces.

The attention to detail some of you have is amazing, so I've lurked without joining the forum for several months. I've learned quite a bit from you all already!

Shife, your set up is unreal!  I wish the wife would let me take up that much real estate for Christmas!!! 

Thanks! The wife thought it was kinda "dumb" when it was still a scarm rendering, but she's quite happy with the result. Our 4 year old loves it, and that's what I was aiming for.

We just finished ours. We incorporate Dept 56 with our layout and use MTH Realtrax on the outside with a passing track and a basic loop of Lionel Fastrack on the inside.  Happy Holidays everyone!

First time posting on OGR. Here is our under the tree layout, has grown over the years and reached it's max.

Just a couple simple loops under the tree...

And a small Christmas village in the dining room.

- Nick

As my Std. Gauge layout table took over the entire front room of the house, there is no room for a full size tree this year. After seeing many new and old pics posted, I decided to add a 4 ft artificial tree on the front window end of the layout. Pulled off the two 444 roundhouse sections to make room for it, which gave me a little extra space to add some recent acquisitions. Today the tree got its skirting added, but its not lit or decorated just yet. that will happen this weekend most likely.

Decided today that I'll run the MTH repro gold Millennium AF President's Special set on the outer loop, and the MTH repro 392E steam loco, followed by a "Vixen" Christmas passenger car, and the Stephen Girard 3 car passenger set on the inner loop for this holiday month.

No tree yet maybe this weekend

Nick R. posted:

Just a couple simple loops under the tree...

And a small Christmas village in the dining room.

- Nick

The hockey rink is brilliant!

Thank you!  That was my very first (and so far only) scratch build and was it an exercise in trial and error!  Ugh...

- Nick

Though my three daughters are in their 30's, they always want to see the "Girl's Set" under the tree!

I might as well just go with a stationary train under the tree like NJCJOE showed above.  Thank you for the idea Joe!  Our dog is a good dog, but she just can't stand the train running and nudges the engine off the track.    I run trains on a 4 x 8 Christmas layout in a bedroom one of our adult daughters vacated a few years ago.

Nick R. posted:

Thank you!  That was my very first (and so far only) scratch build and was it an exercise in trial and error!  Ugh...

- Nick

Nick, I just now noticed the Montreal Canadiens water tower.  I love it!

GO HABS GO!!! 

I posted some pictures earlier, but thought I would include a short video as well showcasing two of our favorite Christmas sets from MTH. 

rvHere is mine video 

 A few photos of the village and the tree with train underneath.  The Railking Canadian Pacific cars are really pretty on the tracks.  The photo nestled onto a branch of the tree is me with my dad, Christmas 1969.

Enjoy!

Nick R. posted:

Just a couple simple loops under the tree...

And a small Christmas village in the dining room.

 

 

- Nick

Love the hockey rink! That's the first time I've seen one in a xmas village train display.

IC fan posted:

 A few photos of the village and the tree with train underneath.  The Railking Canadian Pacific cars are really pretty on the tracks.  The photo nestled onto a branch of the tree is me with my dad, Christmas 1969.

 

 

Awesome, so great to have both the memory and the photo! (And your dad was/is a sharp dresser!)

My first Christmas at my current home in 2006.  The train is a K-Line Reading 4-6-2. For some reason, this is the only photo I took of the holiday that year. 

This not under the tree but I put this up every year

On the "triple track" somewhere west of Naperville: the Zephyr, a road switcher, and the Polar Express!!

It's the Blue Comet this year for my Christmas Train around the tree!

It's not exactly under the tree this year, but I'm going to be working to finish the layout today, but this is as it looked last weekend for our shows at the Redford Theatre.  Other than the lack of trees and a bunch of other details, it was pretty much completed for the shows.  We put the trees out on Tuesday evening and will be wiring in all the lights today.  Just in time for our first Christmas movies this weekend.

I started building this layout in 2011, and it's been awesome being able to share my collection with thousands of people every year.  My family and friends have also contributed many things to the display, not to mention volunteer time with getting it all together.  Forum Member Mark B has been working with me on it since 2013.

We expanded the layout by 6 feet this year, so it is now 26 feet long by 8 feet deep compared to 20x8 last year.  Considering that when I started in 2011, I was doing a 12'x8' layout, we've come a long way.  Donations from people like Gary Hart (forum member), the Detroit Historical Society, Tony's mower shop, and more have really helped it grow to where it is now.  Last year we had 16,000 people through the theater during the period the layout was assembled, not including private events.  We were also one of the runners up for this year's MTH Blue Comet Award.  

Nick R. posted:

Just a couple simple loops under the tree...

And a small Christmas village in the dining room.

- Nick

Nick, how tall are those hockey players and where did you get them? I have the Stiga Stanley Cup Hockey game, but my players are closer to 1:32. I would love to find something smaller and nicely posed.

I usually run a simple loop under the tree.

I don't think we are even putting up the tree this year? I now have a three rail high line downstairs.

My friend Jim Z usually has a nice Polar Express set up for Christmas that I wish I had pics of.

Carey TeaRose posted:

As my Std. Gauge layout table took over the entire front room of the house, there is no room for a full size tree this year. After seeing many new and old pics posted, I decided to add a 4 ft artificial tree on the front window end of the layout. Pulled off the two 444 roundhouse sections to make room for it, which gave me a little extra space to add some recent acquisitions. Today the tree got its skirting added, but its not lit or decorated just yet. that will happen this weekend most likely.

Decided today that I'll run the MTH repro gold Millennium AF President's Special set on the outer loop, and the MTH repro 392E steam loco, followed by a "Vixen" Christmas passenger car, and the Stephen Girard 3 car passenger set on the inner loop for this holiday month.

 

Carey,

Love that Presidential engine. It is so classy looking! Not sure if you need the Pass cars, as there is a set listed on the famous auction site. Great Pics!

Joe Gozzo

Jim R. posted:

Nick R. posted:

Just a couple simple loops under the tree...

And a small Christmas village in the dining room.

- Nick

Nick, how tall are those hockey players and where did you get them? I have the Stiga Stanley Cup Hockey game, but my players are closer to 1:32. I would love to find something smaller and nicely posed.

They are "Impact! Miniatures" its a company I think in England that does mostly fantasy game figures, but also does hockey figures in resin or metal.  I went with the metal and I am very happy them!

http://www.impactminiatures.com

- Nick

Not much but my 2 year old niece loves it!She insists i run the "Choo choo"whenever she visits!  [url=https://postimg.org/image/lo5ahftr3/][img]https://s19.postimg.org/62nyxhhsz/20171130_143337.jpg[/img][/url]

In stages of progress and with various helpers along the way.

rjsmithindy posted:

I posted some pictures earlier, but thought I would include a short video as well showcasing two of our favorite Christmas sets from MTH. 

 

Nice Rudolph set! That RTR catalog was one of their best.

Just finished up decorating this year's tree and Christmas Central Carpet Railway.

This is my under layout tree. Under my N scale table layout is my floor O scale layout with Christmas tree.

Running a little behind, but we made it. For some reason, my gateman isn’t opening, not sure what that is all about. 

Looks great, Chris!!  Looks like an interesting ride for the train!

This engine is a brighter red.

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

Nick R, the rink couldn't have turned out any better.  Definitely a game winning goal.

Atoz, nice track plan for under the tree, very interesting.

pennytrains posted:

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

  ROTFLMAO  ...with coffee all over my lap after the "door issue" was uniquely solved.

...yes, of course I let the credits roll past too. I expected no less from you

I did enjoy, very muchly

pennytrains posted:

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

Pennytrains,  That is a very imaginative and time consuming project!  I enjoyed the whole video!!

SantaFe158 posted:

It's not exactly under the tree this year, but I'm going to be working to finish the layout today, but this is as it looked last weekend for our shows at the Redford Theatre.  Other than the lack of trees and a bunch of other details, it was pretty much completed for the shows.  We put the trees out on Tuesday evening and will be wiring in all the lights today.  Just in time for our first Christmas movies this weekend.

I started building this layout in 2011, and it's been awesome being able to share my collection with thousands of people every year.  My family and friends have also contributed many things to the display, not to mention volunteer time with getting it all together.  Forum Member Mark B has been working with me on it since 2013.

We expanded the layout by 6 feet this year, so it is now 26 feet long by 8 feet deep compared to 20x8 last year.  Considering that when I started in 2011, I was doing a 12'x8' layout, we've come a long way.  Donations from people like Gary Hart (forum member), the Detroit Historical Society, Tony's mower shop, and more have really helped it grow to where it is now.  Last year we had 16,000 people through the theater during the period the layout was assembled, not including private events.  We were also one of the runners up for this year's MTH Blue Comet Award.  

 

 

Looks great!  I think a Williams GM BL-2 Demonstrator would look great running on the layout.

How about we send a few dollars towards a new Williams engine for the layout?

Adriatic posted:

pennytrains posted:

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

  ROTFLMAO  ...with coffee all over my lap after the "door issue" was uniquely solved.

...yes, of course I let the credits roll past too. I expected no less from you

I did enjoy, very muchly

That was one way to solve it.

I also so that the Doctor was in as much trouble as always.

My first Christmas tree layout.  I slapped this together last night.  Not sure if I'll install a scene on the bare half as we're a presents-under-the-tree family. 

pennytrains posted:

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

Amazing! Wonderfully done. You have a lot of movie talent, for sure.

How did you do the scene where the car and house trailer pulled up to the tracks and stopped as the train went by? The car and trailer are stop action and the train looked to be pure video. How did you combine the two techniques?

Basil posted:

My first Christmas tree layout.  I slapped this together last night.  Not sure if I'll install a scene on the bare half as we're a presents-under-the-tree family. 

Mighty fine looking, Basil!!

RoyBoy posted:

pennytrains posted:

Postwar mayhem featuring a Lionel paper train!  Enjoy! 

Amazing! Wonderfully done. You have a lot of movie talent, for sure.

How did you do the scene where the car and house trailer pulled up to the tracks and stopped as the train went by? The car and trailer are stop action and the train looked to be pure video. How did you combine the two techniques?

Ha!  I fooled you!    I was surprised myself at how good it came out!    I didn't even put power to the rails till after I had removed the locomotive to make the train easier to push.  But you'll notice I didn't push my luck by turning on the banjo! 

The paper train, by the way, is a Greenberg repro, I forgot to mention that in my post.  It will be on the move again soon as I still have one more layout to visit!   By then I'll either look like this: or this:  .  Probably both! 

Your vehicles showed it was no problem going over O gauge tracks!  It reminded me of stop action photography like the Gumby show on television when I was growing up!  Excellent!!

First year with Christmas Benchwork..

Mark Boyce posted:

Your vehicles showed it was no problem going over O gauge tracks!  It reminded me of stop action photography like the Gumby show on television when I was growing up!  Excellent!!

Yeah, I didn't want it to look too good so I only used about a tenth of the photos realistic animation requires.  Fits in better with the whole toy theme if it looks a might hinky and primitive in my opinion. 

pennytrains posted:

Mark Boyce posted:

Your vehicles showed it was no problem going over O gauge tracks!  It reminded me of stop action photography like the Gumby show on television when I was growing up!  Excellent!!

Yeah, I didn't want it to look too good so I only used about a tenth of the photos realistic animation requires.  Fits in better with the whole toy theme if it looks a might hinky and primitive in my opinion. 

Every 10.  Yes the effect came out real good!  Just like they did way, way back when we first got a television!  

These are all great posts.

Here's our's for 2017. Fastrack 60" and 72" curves creating a modified dogbone and four TMCC turnouts for stub sidings all powered by a ZW-L.

2017

And from the front sidewalk.

HO-HO-HO  err  in this case O-O-O.  NICE LAYOUTS EVERYONE

Ours is simple, has to be otherwise my dogs would take it apart while we are at work all day.  Our layout is comprised of my father's 1948 Lionel 1423w set, purchased second hand from the neighbor family who's boys had lost interest. Slept in my grandparents closet till Christmas day 1978 when the Tyco HO sets I was given died in short order that morning.  It was that day that I got my first real exposure to Lionel trains.  Only addition is a Lionel milk car and platform.  The platform is mounted to the riser table all the time, cant find the box with the milk car, its buried somewhere in my train room.  The 1655 has been remotored with a NOS power chassis from Madison Hardware right before they closed up in NYC.  I have the original one, but its so worn out that she barely runs in forward direction.  I also upgraded her to roller pickups from the 1656 switcher which shares the same drive chassis. I have added a couple more ceramic buildings that hide the tree base.   Tree is a live one this year.   Enjoy and Merry Christmas.   Mike and Michele T

idea-thinker posted:

 

Now THAT'S a mainline run! 

Mixed trains modern with post war. Lionel post war steamer pulls Polar Express. Texas Special pulls Mickey Christmas. AN LC + Pennsy Mikado pulls my childhood milk car and barrel car. A ps3 Santa Fe loco pulls 90s era silhouette passenger cars that I love so much. Some tin Marx goes around the Skating rink. Finally, just for fun, the Zombie train, because why not? Add Scrooge’s house, counting house, and  Bob Cratchits place and the North Pole village, and there it is.Fun!

Here's mine.  Rather simplistic this years due to the fact I blew my knee out.

George sorry to hear about your knee. I hope you're on the mend.

Skip is that the office layout?

Here's mine, just a simple rectangle under the tree.  Looked nice against the snow outside even though it doesn't show up in the picture.        

My layout is not under the tree, my tree is IN my layout!

Moved two 444 Roundhouse sections to make room for the tree, and added a post-war 115 Lionel City station. 

NYC Fan posted:

Hey!  I just watched The Polar Express today! 

Here are my old trains under the Christmas tree  2008 - 2016.

2008

2009

2010

2011

2012

2013

2014

2015

2016

My Christmas layout this year...just a figure 8, but I connected on side with a pair of switches so I can change direction...  

My son is have a grand old time. You can see a Legacy B6 sitting on the coffee table too

PRR Bruce posted:

I was actually thinking of going with a LEGO train under the tree this year to mix things up.

pdxtrains posted:

Mixed trains modern with post war. Lionel post war steamer pulls Polar Express. Texas Special pulls Mickey Christmas. AN LC + Pennsy Mikado pulls my childhood milk car and barrel car. A ps3 Santa Fe loco pulls 90s era silhouette passenger cars that I love so much. Some tin Marx goes around the Skating rink. Finally, just for fun, the Zombie train, because why not? Add Scrooge’s house, counting house, and  Bob Cratchits place and the North Pole village, and there it is.Fun!

PDX, great layout and mine is a mismatch as well.  My temporary Christmas layout is my only layout for the year so this is when it all comes out.  One word of advice though: take your videos with your phone in the horizontal position.  The viewers get to see more.

Currently under the tree is a Lionel 224e with passenger cars restored in quasi polar express livery with a set of tin plate traditions houses.   

george posted:

Here's mine.  Rather simplistic this years due to the fact I blew my knee out.

Looks great!  I'm sorry you hurt your knee!!

Here is what I have under the tree.  My wife got the idea we should have a second tree with just the train ornaments, so here it is.  I will show photographs of my 4x8 Christmas layout I just finished Saturday once I get a Christmas train running.

My round the tree layout

The K-Line MP-15 & caboose are from my first set, which I received for Christmas in the late '80s.

A little Standard Gauge on the floor and O above.

Just got my tree up tonight.  Oldest son ask for this locomotive.

Santa and a helper have tied down their handcar on the QA&P house track next to the depot and headquarters while Red Visney brings the Polar Express northward toward Amarillo on the FW&D mainline.  Frosty enjoys the action, cigar-in-mouth!

She likes PRR

Joe, Looks good!  Does she like egg nog too?  

yankspride4 posted:

My Christmas layout this year...just a figure 8, but I connected on side with a pair of switches so I can change direction...  

My son is have a grand old time. You can see a Legacy B6 sitting on the coffee table too

One of the nicest designs I've seen. Never thought that I would like a white tree, but it blends very well with the snow flowing down the hill. The houses being on that slope rather than on a flat surface, and covering the figure 8 to hide part of the trains journey, makes it very interesting.

Dave