Time to roll out our Christmas Trains....

“This is the Polar Express!”

This is my baby, the NPC legacy gp35 (pic from last Christmas). This year’s under the tree layout will be interesting with a 7 month old black Labrador, so wish me luck

Mine is still in progress ... built over stairwell.

Got the semi scale PE out and running and here's a few photos. I have two sets of PE characters, so there's some on the station and some on the Bershire and observation car. The PE passenger cars are 2007-2010 with upgraded lighting to LED, and the Bershire is a 2019 LionChief Plus 2.0 which has way more power than my original 2007 conventional Berkshire that came with the set. The "Do you believe" bell is on a flat car just behind the loco.

Upgraded fire pit on the roof of the disappearing hobo car.

With a toddler in the house we try to let him beat up something a little less expensive.

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Got the semi scale PE out and running and here's a few photos. I have two sets of PE characters, so there's some on the station and some on the Bershire and observation car. The PE passenger cars are 2007-2010 with upgraded lighting to LED, and the Bershire is a 2019 LionChief Plus 2.0 which has way more power than my original 2007 conventional Berkshire that came with the set. The "Do you believe" bell is on a flat car just behind the loco.

Upgraded fire pit on the roof of the disappearing hobo car.

Are there any additional details on the lionchief plus engine?

I'm torn this year.  I'm waiting to move to our new home, but it wasn't built in time for the holidays.  Therefore, I am limited to just a circle around the tree this year.  I'm torn between running either some O gauge stuff, Flyer S gauge trains, or my Lionel OO gauge trains.  I can't make up my mind.

I started last weekend.......

Enjoy,

Peter

Let’s take a trip back in time to a simpler period in trains from the Prewar period.

I got them all out from storage (under the layout) and up and rolling yesterday!

We are really in the Christmas spirit here:

“Tis the season…Trains are the reason”…🚂🎅🏻🎄

@Csxcellent posted:

Are there any additional details on the lionchief plus engine?

Csxcellent, since you didn't ask a specific question, I'll do my best to answer your question.

Lionel released 8 Berkshire LionChief Plus+ 2.0's in the 2019 catalog and shipped them October 2019. These are semi scale and quit small side by side with a scale Berkshires. Compared to the Berkshire that comes with the PE set (I can only speak for earlier versions) it's a nice upgrade.

Link to 2019 catalog for basic details of the loco. PE product # 1932090

http://catalogs.lionel.com/19bb/#

I'll highlight what the PE Berkshire LionChief Plus+ 2.0 has compared to the one in the set.

Tender is diecast instead of plastic.

Bigger motor than original PE Berkshire versions, but I hear that the newer Berkshire in the set has a larger motor too.

Railsounds with lots of quotes from the movie.

Cab light, flickering firebox, and green classification lights

Fan driven smoke and lots of it! I run MEGA Xmas tree scented in the PE. :-)

This video is work a thousand words, enjoy.

@WesternPacific2217 posted:

Csxcellent, since you didn't ask a specific question, I'll do my best to answer your question.

Lionel released 8 Berkshire LionChief Plus+ 2.0's in the 2019 catalog and shipped them October 2019. These are semi scale and quit small side by side with a scale Berkshires. Compared to the Berkshire that comes with the PE set (I can only speak for earlier versions) it's a nice upgrade.

Link to 2019 catalog for basic details of the loco. PE product # 1932090

http://catalogs.lionel.com/19bb/#

I'll highlight what the PE Berkshire LionChief Plus+ 2.0 has compared to the one in the set.

Tender is diecast instead of plastic.

Bigger motor than original PE Berkshire versions, but I hear that the newer Berkshire in the set has a larger motor too.

Railsounds with lots of quotes from the movie.

Cab light, flickering firebox, and green classification lights

Fan driven smoke and lots of it! I run MEGA Xmas tree scented in the PE. :-)

This video is work a thousand words, enjoy.

Thank you for the detailed response. It was very informative. Merry Christmas!

Here’s mine.

@Craignor posted:

I got them all out from storage (under the layout) and up and rolling yesterday!

We are really in the Christmas spirit here.

Love the “Lash-Up”

Peter

Thanks

@Putnam Division posted:

Love the “Lash-Up”

Peter

I posted photos of my public holiday layout at the Redford Theatre in its own thread, but I still have trains at home.  Last year I set up my Department 56 Harry Potter village set, but this year I went for a more simplistic and classic approach.  Three loops of track,   some Plasticville buildings and I'm quite content.  The set in the center is my 1949 era Lionel 2151W with the 2333 Santa Fe F3s along with the accessories and add on cars from its original owner.  To me that set just screams Christmas.

The official Christmas trains are still boxed up.  They'll cycle through for some track time at some point over the next month.

I won't decorate for Christmas until sometime in December, so here is  a look at some of the trains I had under the tree this past season.  The 2008 Lionel Tinplate Christmas train, and a Christmas Thomas the Tank Engine train.  I was lucky enough to catch them posed at the Union Station.

The Xmas tree is up for 2021. After I added the expansions, the layout needs a new skirt, so the wife wanted to participate in Model Railroading and is working on that, should be done soon. :-) And I need to get to work on the scenery for the expansions!

This Marx 400 set has a bit of a story.  The marked price is $5.99 and the cars show BLT 12/55.  My father likely bought it in January, 56 because U.S. Steel, Bridge Division always laid him off Thankgiving through New Years.  The story is that one year a live Christmas tree sat in a wash tub with a Wonder Jet aluminium jet boat.  One day Dad saw the tree but no train.  He found the entire consist beneath the tree, under the boat.  My two oldest brothers apparently thought it was the Seacrest.  The oldest has vague memory of the incident.  I played often with the set in the 70s.  News papers on the dining table and all cleared up before supper.  It hasn't been touched since then.  This was high time to put her back in service.  A few minutes cleaning and lubricating and is running wonderfully.  I haven't run the Wonder Jet - yet.

Here is my setup for Christmas 2021. I got to setup under the main tree this year. This is the santa freight stater set with the naughty and nice hoppers added to it.

@UKE KAT posted:

“Tis the season…Trains are the reason”…🚂🎅🏻🎄

Paul - Very nice Christmas Train!

I have most of those Macy's Boxcars.

I put this together a few years ago.  The two battrey packs are in another gondola to the left.

Nice pictures everyone....Keep them coming!   HO-HO-HO!

Here is last year's version of my "what if Lionel had made a" Prewar Christmas display layout.  Just added the legs and the bare table is where we are this year. Now the fun begins. Only one non-Lionel item here (other than the Christmas tree and scenic plots and trees. The trees on the scenic plots were featured in OGR Run 315) See if you can find the non-Lionel accessory. (Not the telegraph poles which are Maerklin)

For a Christmas video of it in action, click on the link in my signature.

Wasn't sure if this topic was for Christmas layouts or just Christmas trains, but I''m posting.

Our foam sheet - 1" framed 4'x8' (keeps us in good standing with the club).

Our upgrades for this year:

1. Added Lionel lamp posts.

2. Added block control (6 blocks) with a dedicated control panel to allow a bit of operational possibilities with conventional locos.

3. Replaced the Lionel OTS controllers with DPDT self-centering switches - much more reliable.

Love digging out out the Christmas trains.  Favorite part of decorating.

Our layout

Our Christmas setup is on the kitchen table for now until we can find a place for the tree and see if there is room beneath it.  

Some folks leave their lights up all year. I will leave my christmas trains up all year.

@D44 posted:

Our Christmas setup is on the kitchen table for now until we can find a place for the tree and see if there is room beneath it.  

Very, very nice.

BTW -- For most of us on this forum there is always room for a layout under the tree, even if there isn't.

Enjoy the holidays.

Mike

@george posted:

I'm torn between running either some O gauge stuff, Flyer S gauge trains, or my Lionel OO gauge trains.  I can't make up my mind.

That is a dilemma some folks here would probably like to face.

Ray

Cheers,

-Mike

Simple, but nostalgic set up for me.  This year's train 'round the tree features a MTH RK Mohawk pulling WbB passenger cars.  Track is Menards.  Love the traditional look and I think the lit passenger cars look great.

Need a skirt still.

The Polar Express makes its appointed rounds as it circles our 2021 Christmas layout.

Our Christmas tree is host to a carpet layout based on the "Christmas Wreath" track plan with two spur sidings added. Three THOMAS-series trains are ready to run: Thomas, James, and Percy. Each train includes a new loco-matching boxcar plus their  standard freight cars.  Our three great-grandkids know how to use the loco-matched hand-held controllers to run the trains along the Fasttrack railroad. Pix attached.

By intention, it's not a fancy layout. I consider it an "encore" railroad to my much larger home layout in the Train Room - a 15x19-feet L-shaped layout with trains, buildings, action accessories, figures, and automobiles.

Santa knows Christmas and toy trains go together like cookies and hot chocolate.

Mike M.   LCCA 12394

Bearville & Polar Railroad and the town of Bearville