ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll - December 4, 2003

[Anonymous]

YES !!! I have train's under my tree. I have a musical battery operated,
Holiday Express and my 1925 Lionel standard gauge E8 pulling three cars,
plus I use tins from M&Ms as a village. It looks Great !

Mark nielson

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Fergus

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

With a very curious kitty & an adventurous 2 year old, a train under the tree would be doomed 10 seconds after it was set up, so I think I'm going to pass this year.

Gordon

Learn to live dangerously, makes for some good stories when they get older![}:)]
A train under the tree can be hypnotic for a young child, the look on their face makes Christmas what it is, Magical.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Will again have my New Bright Holiday Express animated train under a freshly cut Christmas tree. Seems that I started with a 3 car train has expanded into a 7 car train and a village, that's turning into more of a city any more.

May also have an HO train this year, my son is getting his 1st HO train set this year from Santa. 2 gauges, 1 tree.

[trainsrus1]

Yes, a train is running around the tree this year. I have four HO scale CB&Q F7s (ABBA) pulling an 18 car freight. With a crossover in back of the tree, the train can make two loops around the tree.

[Anonymous]

The train is already under the christmas tree. A Bachmann 0n30 old timer with a 1890s lighted Chrismas village.

[Anonymous]

Yes already up and running. Have an actual 4'x4' HO layout that I built back in 1990. It has a tree stand in the middle and is fully detailed. I store it on end with a heavy cardboard cover over it. I pull it out on the Friday after Thanksgiving and clean the rails and add any new details I have picked up over the last year. (please read my thread on finding an HO scale nativity scene.) The Layout includes a couple houses, a diner, a church, a station, a skating pond, a barn with cows and horses and Santas workshop way back in the "North" . The track is a figure 8 folded upon itself so the station has 2 level tracks and there is a bridge on the opposite side of the layout where the track goes over itself. I have a few box cars painted for Christmas and one of these days I'am going to detail the loco to have Santa as the engineer. I'll post pictures to my web site if anyone is interested. e-mail me for site address [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

Unfortunately, my Irish Wolfhound does not understand that he should not chase the train around the tree. Comic video potential aside, the damage to tree and train from paws and tail would put a serious damper on holiday celebrations. Also, tooth marks tend to reduce the value and desirability of ancient Lionel steam engines.

[Anonymous]

Yes, for the first time in 50 years.

D. Neff, Lake Havasu City, AZ

[douginut]

Will have a 15inch radius circle of track under the tree and Bachmann Trolleys of the seasons greetings type. cats are now exiled to the basement for the duration.
Granddaughter will play with the trolleys an trains as will her mother take HER engine and cars out of the box and show her husband how it is done.
Our living room is too small for the Bachmann Big Haulers train we bought for this but enjoying the WRONG train is better than having no trains up to enjoy/1
Doug, in Utah

[Anonymous]

We probably won't have our Christmas Express set up under our tree this year. But who knows, by the time we get around to putting up the tree, the train may come out, too.

[Anonymous]

I will have my O 27 Lionel under my Christmas tree and a HO under my parents tree.

[Anonymous]

I have in the past, but this year, our tree has gotten signifigantly smaller, as such there is no room for a train like there used to be.

[Anonymous]

Well...not exactly UNDER the tree, but on a table beside the tree, there is a little Christmas village with lighted buildings, a frozen pond with skaters, a sleigh full of carolers and an operating HO layout made up of flex-track tightly wound to a 12" radius on which I can get a 2-4-0 engine to pull a short wheelbase Overton combine and a bobber caboose. Fairly frequent derails due to the tight radius, but it looks great and the grandchildren love it...and so do I!

[Anonymous]

Usually do but out of town this Christmas

[Anonymous]

No, the cat like to sit on them. The tree is in a small space, not enough room for gifts and trains.

Sorry

[fndbke]

I've got an O scale Lionel Christmas set under the tree. Joann's Fabrics has been selling their Dept 56 knockoffs for 50% off, so we created a snowy village scene for the Christmas train. Naughty and Nice hoppers, eggnog tank car, Christmas tree gondola car, Christmas carols from the musical box car, animated Mrs Claus chasing Santa w/ mistletoe - doesn't get any better than this! Our cat likes to nap in the snow blanket behind the transformer, but so far no pet disasters. This year the layout is directly on the floor, but I am plotting a platform for next year. By the way, presents look great by the fireplace, since there is no room for them under the tree! Also by the way, Michael's has a very nice Dept 56 knockoff - Roger's Model Trains. Very nice piece that is hard to find - we bought a display unit.

[Anonymous]

Don't have a tree but will have a Christmas theme layout with a loop of American
Flyer "O" (my first train set) and "S" in the basement train room.

[Anonymous]

yeh we have the train under the tree again this year it is mums trains she has a Bachmann HO 4-4-0 & Tender The Jupiter or if that gets tired or the kids get sick of that then she has the Union Pacific both old timers and when they are decorated along with some of my carriages they look really neat. She doesn't like some of my engines they are to big for it. The cat hates it so won't go anywhere near it and the kids won't let us use their Harry Potter train

[Anonymous]

I've also got a Bachmann 0-6-0 with a couple of cars and some E-Z track. Gonna set it up around the tree in the office. Wish I could do more, I have 3 trees!!!!

[duker1]

I have recently moved and temp location and trains are in storage in a different state.

[Anonymous]

I run an American Flyer set under the tree in the family room. I've construcred a rable on casters that is wired to receive the tree. The tree is clamped to the table. Time permitting, I'll set it up today with the help of my three year old granddaughter.

[JoeUmp]

I'd love to put a train under the tree. Unfortunately, the property owner (Mom) is afraid that the CEO and COO (Dad and I) will autorize logging operations along the right-of-way through the Enchanted Forest (her collection of Fenton and ceramic Christmas trees.)

[dstark]

Christmas without the train .... might as well forget about Santa. I will have a Bachmann Christmas Special again under my tree this year. I am 60 years old and have had a train every year since my original Lionel 6-8-6 a Pennsy Turbine.

Some of you people give up too easily ..... get rid of the dogs and cage the kid .. get the train out!!! lol

Merry Christmas,
Dave Stark

[Anonymous]

No tree. The Layout takes upall the available space

[TrainFreak409]

It wouldn't be Christmas without a train under the tree! This year, our new K-Line Coca Cola Steam Set has the honor of running under the tree. Previously, it was our Lionel Santa Fe Special. But, that doesn't mean it will be stored away. It will run somewhere during Christmas.

[Anonymous]

Even though I model HO, I have a lionel train that I run around the tree every year.
Ian

[Anonymous]

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by CP5415

With a very curious kitty & an adventurous 2 year old, a train under the tree would be doomed 10 seconds after it was set up, so I think I'm going to pass this year.

Gordon

Learn to live dangerously, makes for some good stories when they get older![}:)]
A train under the tree can be hypnotic for a young child, the look on their face makes Christmas what it is, Magical.[:)]

[Anonymous]

Yes there will be a train under our tree our grandkids love it and like to play with it we,ve had one for the last 6 years under the tree.