I'd put my tree up right now, if it was up to me. I think the season is here. I see it in the stores already.
My girl doesn't like the tree at all. She says it takes up too much space. She does like all the rest and the lighting around the house.
I'll start working on her soon and wear her down. I usually win out sometime in late Nov or early Dec.
The grandkids have already asked when the tree will go up, so they can run the "Christmas Train".
Ken Oscale, Christmas and Trains, Bread and Butter.
If there is one thing that may keep our hobby alive it's Christmas and Trains…….
Ours goes up on the Thanksgiving weekend. This year, we get Monday off along with the students and teachers, so it will be a nice long weekend. I'm hoping to put down enough track to fit 39 club cars, which represents 8 years worth. Several years ago, we closed in our 12' X 19' deck, which is where the tree and trains go. The Nativity is permanently displayed in a curio in the front room. We have an artificial tree which I have to admit looks very real. I still miss a natural tree. Even when I was in the service stationed in Missouri, I had a real tree in my apartment.
Don
Probably three to four days before Christmas. We try to keep the season short but intense. The train layout under the tree grows each year.
I noticed Christmas decorations are already up at the mall nearest us. It really does seem to be earlier each year. Gi'me a chance for Halloween first, mall.
My experience has been based on my daughters habit of collecting cats and the track around the tree seems to be in the line of fire in regard to the tree. I thought if I put the G gauge stuff around the tree, that its weight and heft would avoid tip over from their invasion of the space. Not so. The O gauge stuff is out of the question for now.
The cats watch the trains go around and they are fascinated enough to pounce when my back is turned. Model trains seem to be a source of prey.
The first morning after putting up the display, the set looked like it was in the path of a tornado. This became an everyday routine and at my age, bending down to put each and every car back on the track was a literal pain in the posterior. So...I put off setting anything up until the 11th hour.
If anyone knows a "cat strategy" I would be forever thankful as will my back.
Anyone else have a cat infestation?
We keep our cats out of the living room. We use two devices, both humane in my judgment. The Scraminal is a motion detector that emits a high pitched noise when the beam is crossed. Another tool is the Scat Mat. They step on it and receive a low voltage shock from the 9v battery. After using both for a few weeks, both devices can be left in place, turned off, as the cats will see them and stay away.
My current living arrangement doesn't allow room for a train under the tree. Just not enough room. Not for lack of trying. Next year though I'll be in a new home (I hope) and rather spending money on more trains, it will be all about the decorations.
When I browse houses online as I start the process, I imagine what the house will look like at Christmas. Whether there is room for a tree with a train. It is a must to have room for a train under the tree in my new home.
That being said, the tree goes up about a week and a half before Christmas. Too much earlier and I'm over it too quick. Probably wouldn't feel that way if we weren't bombarded with Christmas from Halloween on.
My current living arrangement doesn't allow room for a train under the tree. Just not enough room. Not for lack of trying. Next year though I'll be in a new home (I hope) and rather spending money on more trains, it will be all about the decorations.
When I browse houses online as I start the process, I imagine what the house will look like at Christmas. Whether there is room for a tree with a train. It is a must to have room for a train under the tree in my new home.
That being said, the tree goes up about a week and a half before Christmas. Too much earlier and I'm over it too quick. Probably wouldn't feel that way if we weren't bombarded with Christmas from Halloween on.
Marty: Move to the south hills. We can be neighbors!
Bob
1955
My current living arrangement doesn't allow room for a train under the tree. Just not enough room. Not for lack of trying. Next year though I'll be in a new home (I hope) and rather spending money on more trains, it will be all about the decorations.
When I browse houses online as I start the process, I imagine what the house will look like at Christmas. Whether there is room for a tree with a train. It is a must to have room for a train under the tree in my new home.
That being said, the tree goes up about a week and a half before Christmas. Too much earlier and I'm over it too quick. Probably wouldn't feel that way if we weren't bombarded with Christmas from Halloween on.
Marty: Move to the south hills. We can be neighbors!
Bob
Years ago they would both go up after Thanksgiving. After my wife's Mom passed she started having this thing called a cookie party. It was an evening for her and 10-14 of her girlfriends to exchange Christmas cookies and drink bottles of wine.
I soon learned that they either drank way too much or had absolutely no respect for my trains as after one party the trains were kicked and stepped on.
They now go up after her beloved cookie party...
Stephen,
Usually the Christmas living room platform goes up shortly after Thanksgiving, however the last few years it has been a little later due to our other family commitments. It all now depends on when I return to the Churchill home from our Potter/Tioga log cabin.
For all you guys just reaching the age of retirement, welcome to the club, you made it!
PCRR/Dave
Our Christmas Living Room Train layout last year.
i usually start with the trains around the middle of november, wife caught me reading this thread and offered to help move furniture tomorrow! i work this weekend, but i think there's a good chance i'll start next week. the tree is real so it waits until about 2 weeks before.
Dave
Great photo Dave…….
Hey Dave don't hurt your moving furniture…...
"PCT: Now you caught me! To be honest, I get my grandkids to help set up the tree. Consists of five large sections and these two big kids can wrestle the darn thing up much easier than I once could. But I do stand around and supervise!"
Paul, we have no Grandkids (yet, Granddaughter just got married), and our kids live too far away to help. So it is Elizabeth and I to wrestle that big, heavy tree. But, we would not have it any other way as we love the Christmas Tree and the train set underneath it.
Guy's, there must be someone who can help with that huge Tree. Are there any OGR members close by who might lend a hand? Neighbors, H.S. students? 
This year the Christmas tree will go up Dec 6th or 7th. Having grown up with an artificial tree at home, it was a bit of an adjustment to start cutting a live tree, but now, after 40+ years of doing that, I wouldn't do it any other way. We have a number of great local tree farms here in western NY, and we get our mileage out of it by keeping it decorated until late January / early February. The trains (usually 2 loops of Fastrack) go up as soon as the tree is anchored and watered - and often stay another week or 2 after the tree has been turned into mulch.
Just finished converting the Santa Pylon into a 24" Polar Express Christmas Tree. If I can find a star to fit on top of it, I may sneak it into the living room today.
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