Starting on Christmas Layout?

[pbjwilson]

The days are getting short. I'm still raking leaves. I really dislike this time of year - except for my Christmas layout. Actually I probably won't start on it until after Thanksgiving.
What are you planning? I'm doing a tinplate layout - Pre-war trains, Marx, Ives, etc. Would like to incorporate some other tin toys and I need a theme, Home for Christmas or a kids Christmas?
Anyway, I'd really like to read what others are planning or building.

[spankybird]

Here is a link to a posting I did on mine

http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=24505

[railfanespee4449]

The biggest layout possible!!!

[palallin]

I'm doing something different this year. The 4 x 8, two-level, three-track O layout is going in the den/family room. Under the big tree in the living room will be a nifty little Standard Gauge layout I put together. I took a page out of Stan Shuster's book.

After building a frame, I used a sheet of thin plywood 88" x 48" (with the front corners cut off) on which I laid thin, tongue in grove pine boards that I stained alternate colors to look like wood flooring. I surrounded it by cherry-stained shelf edging. On it, I laid an oval of SG track with three straight tracks on the long sides. In the back, the three pieces cross a #104 bridge. In the front, I put a pair of #210 switches giving two spurs, one of which has a #121 station next to it populated by some original and repop figures. I have a #092 switch tower at the head of the spur and an #119 tunnel over the other straights on the oval. I put some antique-looking trees on it and a couple of lamp posts along with a #69 crossing bell. I'm currently using an S transformer to run my #10E pulling my 332/337/338 passenger train. I have an Ives #195 caboose on the other spur. On the right hand side, I put down a heavy, cast iron stand for the tree, and I intend to limit the tree to old glass ornaments. I will add to the accessories as I get more.

[railfanespee4449]

I just built a layout around the tree at my library today.
P.S. I need engine for Library. Under $25 Any help?

[railfan23]

You need to post pic palallan. Sounds great :-)

[palallin]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railfan23

You need to post pic palallan. Sounds great :-)

I'll try to get some to post. I don't have a digital camera--rather spend the cash on trains ;-)--so I'll have to borrow one or get some film developed.

[waltrapp]

Tomorrow will mark the end of the 5th week that I've been setting up this year's Christmas layout! I work (it's not really work right?) on it virtually every day for 2 to 5 hours. I still have a few days left before it's done!

14' x 14', multilevel, 7 t rains, NOT just a pile of loops either. DCS helps.

- walt

[4kitties]

I'll be setting up the 4x7' layout I built last year. It's raised about 5" off the floor and has an offset hole for our tree stand to poke through. I use Dept 56 Snow Village buildings over a ground cover of poly batting. This year will be a little different because I'm using FasTrack for the first time instead of RealTrax.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by railfanespee4449

I just built a layout around the tree at my library today.
P.S. I need engine for Library. Under $25 Any help?

For an O gauge engine under $25, I'd recommend a Marx steam engine. The cheapest are the #400 and 490 plastic engines, as well as the 591 engines (these are tinplate with plastic fronts on them). Those are the very cheapest of Marx engines, but there are other Marx steam engines that you could probably find fairly easily for that price.

I actually build two Christmas layouts at my house. First of all, there are the trains under the tree. This year, I will be having my Lionel standard gauge set with a #38 electric on a circle right around the tree. Then, there will be two ovals of O27 track that curve around one egde of the tree and then keep on going to the other end of the room before they turn back. The presents go insde this track beside the tree. I have decided to have a Marx prewar 6-inch 8-wheel set puled by a CP engine with blue sideboards on one track and a Lionel train pulled by my Rio Grande 221 Alco on the other. There will be a couple of buildings with this.

The other is the layout I build is for my collection of ceramic Christmas villiage buildings, which is also in the livingroom. This has always been on a an old door sitting on a table, but this year the door will be replaced with a 4x8. These are the smaller buildings and they are too little for O or S gauge trains and too large for HO. The trains I use are battery powered trains made by New Bright that are between the size of HO and S. I've gotten more of these buildings and trains and so that's why I'm enlarging it. There will be two trains running instead of the usual one and I'm contemplating creating a mountain/tunnel that has a third train running on it, although I'm not sure if this will work or I can fit it in.

All this will be going up on Saturday, Nov. 28.

[spankybird]

Here is a pic of Spanky checking out Christmas Layout





tom