Your Under Christmas Tree Platforms (and other questions)

Before I outgrew my living room and started doing a public display in the orchestra pit at a local historical movie theater, my display had several components.  Track was always laid directly on the hardwood floor, however  a layer of that cotton type snow batting was placed underneath.  The tree was originally on a 2x2 platform made up of 2x4's and a piece of 3/4" MDF board, however we  built a second oval shaped platform (maybe 5 feet long by 4 feet wide?) out of 2x4's and 1x6's to give me more room for an expanding ceramic village collection.  The tracks ran on the floor around that platform as far as I could into the room.  We ended up building a second "mountain" made up of 4 platforms we built out of 1/4" plywood with 2x6 legs, that basically decrease in size on the way up and fit into the corner of a room.

Here's a video or two:

Mike,

My layout is built above the ground by about 18".  Here's a picture during setup.  I don't have a real tree, but you could put one in the center if there were a few less buildings!

My platform is 5' x 9'.  The white-felt covered plywood is 3/4" so it would hold a large tree if needed.  There are 3 columns that hold it up in the front - the back rests on the window sills.

It works really well because we stash all of the Christmas presents under the layout.  Lots of room for presents for the whole family!

And with presents...

It may give you some ideas...

Ed

I put the tree on top of a 4x8 plywood platform(split in the middle for portability/storage - screws together) and use different track(this year will be Super O) and track layouts from year to year.  I have used O, O-27, Fastrack, this will be the first year for Super O.  For lower level, I use O-27 or Fastrack(O-27 this year - all diameters 27" / 42" / 54" / 72" with K-Line K275-K276 O-42 switches).

2012:

2010:

I only have one track, But its off the floor 21". My tree is right in the middle and as you can see its the center piece. Its simple and easy to stow away in the attic loft of the garage. I use white paint for the snow base and white batten material and then spray the whole layout with the spray snow. After it dries, I go back with my track cleaning block and then run my train.  The layout is 3'9"X6'.

I haven't posted much on here, but I wanted to add my "Under the Christmas Tree" display from last year. You guys have some great displays posted !!

Here is my Christmas Layout.  I have used this for the past several years.  It has one loop that goes around twice.  It has an area cut out for the tree base to remain on the floor vs. sitting on the layout.   

Jake -

Thanks for posting the videos showing the layout that you do at the Redford Theatre.  I am so glad to see a young person interested in the old theatres as well as trains, as I am also very interested in the movie palaces.  I looked at the Redford Theatre website.  It's beautiful.  I was a theatre manager & projectionist and ran the Norelco projectors back when they were new at a theatre here in Maryland.  Also love the theatre pipe organs - and that one sounds great!  I really miss being in the booth around that wonderful mechanical equipment.  Take care of the Redford - there's not many left.

Mike 

Not under tree, but in same room.

I've had a Christmas tree platform layout since 2007. it is built in four pieces. Two 7x3' and two 5x3' it was originally designed for a double 8 but I have done a variety of layouts through the years. For the last 2 years, my modular club has used it with the storefront Christmas display.

Here are a couple of pics,

And with a live tree

Here's an abreviated version

I'll get some good pics this year to submit to OGR for Christmas 2014.

Gilly

I purschased two oversized coffee tables, one from a yard sale and the other from Goodwill. It gives me an off the floor layout of about 3' x 6' that is sturdy, has an underlayout shelf for storage and required no builiding on my part. I can just fit an o31 loop with no overhang though i usually stick to o27 to give some gap incase of derails. Total investment $35

My four foot diameter layout is split in two and has a hexagon in the middle.  Originally, it went around our Christmas tree.  Nowadays though, it‘s permanent.  Even though tiny, my layout isn’t finished.  As I learn about new toy train items or scenic techniques, I try to incorporate some of them into my Russian River Rapids Shortline Railroad.

My past Christmas Tree displays have been based on ball casters; 14 for a 4 x 8. I like the ball casters because they seem to turn more freely even on carpeting. this raises the platform about 4". We've also used a waterbed platform on one of the early displays, which set the first level about 10" off the ground. This year I'm thinking about 5' x 8', 64" tall center of the room display.

My platform is 1 foot off the ground. Its a 5x6. I have 3 2x4s running the length of the platform for support.  Its sturdy enough to support a cut Christmas tree and me walking on it when decorating the tree.  I have 2 loops of trains around it.  For Christmas morning, the presents are piled around the platform or on the platform (and the trains are parked in the back).

You guys go all out.  I just threw a loop of FasTrack on the floor around the tree last year and grew the loop as needed to keep all the presents inside without the train hitting them.  This year I was planning the same.