Merry Christmas to all!

[Medina1128]

I hope this finds you all doing well this holiday season. Hoping you all have a very Merry Christmas and a safe and prosperous New Year!

[MARTIN STATION]

  And Merry Christmas to you and all!

Ralph

[rrebell]

Merry Xmas, just got myself a present, two years of MR for $25 a year, best price I ever got.

[Bis]

And a merry Christmas to you and to all

[selector]

Merry Christmas, Marlon, and to all the great people at the MR forums.  I hope it is safe and full of fun, happiness, and love.

-Crandell

[gmpullman]

Season's Greetings to All

 

...and especially to the Staff of Model Railroader for hosting our Forum!

Thank you for opening this "Thread of Good Cheer", Marlon.

Cheers! Ed

[BATMAN]

Thank you, Marlon, and a Merry Christmas to you and all the wonderful people on the forum. 

 

 Santa Claus stopped what he was doing for a moment and peered out the window of his rather large trainroom. The reindeer were all frolicking in the snow with the excited anticipation of their Christmas run, now less than 48 hours away.

 

  As Santa turned back to his layout, his eyes went to the big screen TV up in the corner. A smile came across his face as once again his favourite Hockey team the Vancouver Canucks, had just wiped the floor with the St Louis Blues.

 

 Now, way down south in St. Louis they were in the midst of a major winter storm. This was preventing the Canucks from flying home. Normally this would not be all that serious, however Christmas day was approaching and there was a group of children that were eagerly waiting for the team to return.

 

   Anyone that has ever had to spend time with their child at B.C. Children’s Hospital know what a wonderful place it is. So much is done to lift the spirits of the kids who are in the Hospital, and the Vancouver Canucks play a huge role in this.

 

 The news came to Santa that the Canucks were stranded in ST. Louis, he immediately called for Jarrell, his head Elf.

 

With an authoritative voice Santa said “Jarrell I want you to hook up the Reindeer to the Sleigh and get it to St. Louis to get the Canucks home so those kids won’t miss out on their big day with the team”. Jarrell said that there was no way they could do that as Christmas prelaunch preparations were underway and there just wasn’t time.

 

Hmmmm. Santa thought for a moment and turned to Jarrell and asked, “don’t I own a  train”? “Of course,” said Jarrell, the Polar Express and we still have time!

 

Word was sent to the team to get to the railway passenger station in St. Louis.

 

  It was now Midnight as the diesel powered coach made its way through the deserted snow covered streets of St. Louis to the railway station. The team wasn’t sure what was going on but played along with youthful anticipation.

 

  At the station, the players wondered how many days it would take to get home by train. It was late at night, it was now Christmas eve, the clock was ticking, the players were dozing off.

 

  A slow deep rumble startled the players from their slumber. They jumped to their feet and ran out to the platform to see what was the matter. Out of the thick frozen curtain that enveloped the night, a massive steam locomotive rolled into the station.

 

  Out of the engine jump two smiling characters and out of a coach jumped a third. Hi, I’m Grampy your Engineer and this is Crandell our fireman. That’s Tom our conductor. He’ll have you all singing like angels by the time we roll into Vancouver.

 

  The players all pitched in to load their mountain of equipment into a boxcar at the back end of the train. The pucks went into the reefer Jarrell had added to the train. Any hockey player or fan knows pucks are to be kept frozen. In the caboose, the players could see strange little fellas feverishly working away. Like children scurrying around a toy store, the players pushed and shoved to get aboard.

 

  Grampy cracked the throttle as Crandell shoveled coal, soon that big engine started to roll. The train soon sped up to clip that was scary, The Canucks in the back were relaxed but were wary. The sights out the window passed by with a flash, but the players all knew there’s no way they would crash.

 

 With Tom conducting, the team were in the final verse of their 1038th Christmas Carol.

The train started to slow, a long haunting blast of a steam whistle could be heard as the big city came into view. The massive engine came to a stop outside the doors of Children’s Hospital where a wall of faces peered out of the many windows. As the players climbed down big smiles came to their faces as they realized they had made it home in time to make their big Christmas day visit.

 

  Just then the team realized they didn’t have all the gifts for the kids. Not to worry said, Tom, as he pointed to the rear of the train. Streaming out of the Caboose came a long line of Elves loaded with armloads of presents.

 

  The team relieved the exhausted elves of their burden and went inside. The team had made it home to do what they always do. For a few hours, the kids forgot all about being sick.

  The team emerged out the same door that they had entered through several hours earlier, to go home to their families. They looked at each other and smiled. There was no train, no track, just a light blowing snow dancing across the hospital driveway.

 

 

[dh28473]

thankyou and merrychristmas to all from toronto canada

[RobertSchuknecht]

Merry Christmas

[HO-Velo]

Marlon, Thanks and same to you.

Happy Christmas eve and Merry Christmas to all,  Peter

[csxns]

Merry Christmas too all.

[NWP SWP]

Twas the night before Christmas when across the layout not a creature was stirring, not even a Krauss (Maffei), the locomotives were placed in yard with care, in hopes that the Zephyr soon would be there... the sleepers were nestled in a quiet spur, while the Mallet Articulateds were placed in their sheds...

Thats all I've got right now if you have a suggestion please do post it... 

Seeing as how it's now midnight and officially Christmas here in the Central Time Zone...

Merry Christmas to all, and to all a goodnight!

 

Seasons Greetings and Happy Holidays, Wish you and yours Good Tidings and a Merry Christmas from the NorthWestern Pacific and SouthWestern Pacific Railroad System, the Great Pacific Fleet!

 

Now for some holiday favorites... first up is Mr. Moon River himself, Andy Williams...

And now for, Bing Crosby...

And last but not least is, Burl Ives...

 

[OT Dean]

Add me to the list of those wishing their fellow modelers, "Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!"

Deano

[Medina1128]

selector

Merry Christmas, Marlon, and to all the great people at the MR forums.  I hope it is safe and full of fun, happiness, and love.

-Crandell

 

Right on! Keep highballing throughout the coming year, Crandall!

[Water Level Route]

selector

Merry Christmas, Marlon, and to all the great people at the MR forums.  I hope it is safe and full of fun, happiness, and love.

-Crandell

 

Copy that. Merry Christmas everyone!

[SeeYou190]

Yes, Merry Christmas to all of my fellow forum members, and our hosts at Kalmbach.

.

Quiet Christmas for us this year. We spent last weekend in Orlando for early Christmas together with all our daughters. They are spending today with their in-laws, mostly out of state. One is having a White Christmas in Washington. I had our annual Christmas Eve party with my in-laws yesterday. Today it is just my wife and me. 

.

I hope everyone is safe and healthy. 

.

-Kevin

.

[last mountain & eastern hogger]

A Belated Merry Christmas to the staff of MR. and all who visit the Forums here.

Hope your every railroad dream and wish has or will come true this year.

Enjoy the Season and your Family and Friends but take it easy on the RUM pudding...    You know what I mean.

Johnboy out.....................till later