I decided to construct a portable 4X6 Christmas layout this year and display it at work at our downtown building to bring back those days of old when stores displayed Christmas scenes in their windows. The train is a 1951 Lionel loco with Marx Tinplate passenger cars that light up. The buildings are from Kohls "St. Nicholas Square" collection and can be had for cheap. The cars are a mixture of 1:43 scale and include fine detail. The layout has generated a lot of positive comments.
No Christmas layout but the Lionel Christmas Tree is lit up
Bill T.
Here's my layout, not to Christmas-e at the moment, Ive got some more porcelain Christmas building around here somewhere.
Here is the beginning of my Christmas layout. It is 4' x 8' 027 Marx for electric and windup engines. The tree will go in the center loop. I'll add some photos when the layout is finished and the tree decorated.
I also built 2 loops of track to be added inside the tree. N gauge at the top loop and HO at the bottom loop.
Nice looking layout. Love the old Studebaker!! Never had a Christmas layout before. Santa brought my first two t rains & they were running by the tree Christmas day, but I played with them all year.
Now I have the layout planned for Christmas & will start building it next week. Will be a simple oval with room for the tree in the middle. Pretty basic this year, but hope to add on in the coming years. Will post some pix when I get going.
wyomingscout
I am anxious to see the finished product! All that action on one set of switches! Really neat! Should be doable with Lionel 027 track, no?
Really great pictures and great work!!!!!
I'll be adding my own "project" layout here in the near future. In the meantime, thanks to Hector for starting this thread. Goes to show that the art of a window display still draws attention today, as it did in the 30's 40's...
This is a great time for some of our viewers-not-heard-from to share some of their efforts with the "regulars".
My challenge is to see 25 pages by the 25th.
Pssst...Ouch, burnt my head again!
Bill T:
Can you tell me who makes the orange Interurban in your picture? I had looked all over for the model like that with the round windows and the lamp protruding out the top. The shape matched the MP-54 that was run on the LIRR for years.
Can you tell me who makes the orange Interurban in your picture?
Bob, that is a JC Penney exclusive manufactured by Lionel about 10 years ago or so. It has TMCC and sounds imitating the conductor and engineer. Some of the call-outs.
All Aboard, All Aboard. Sound of the bell. then, Tickets Please, Tickets Please
It is pretty cool.
dsmith Here is the beginning of my Christmas layout. It is 4' x 8' 027 Marx for electric and windup engines. The tree will go in the center loop. I'll add some photos when the layout is finished and the tree decorated. I also built 2 loops of track to be added inside the tree. N gauge at the top loop and HO at the bottom loop.
I really like the scissor layout design of your Marx set. I'd like to see the finished tree layout when you're done too.
Same old under-the tree layout. But with a different set of trains this year.
I have figured out what is wrong with my brain! On the left side nothing works right, and on the right side there is nothing left!
Great stuff David!
Kurt
One of the pictures from the Hightstown Fire Dept Christmas layout I build for the town tree lighting ceremony. More can be found on the SPF 11/28/10 edition.
I'll be doing one at Mom & Dad's house and one for a friend, so there will be a couple more.
I am the monster in your head...And I thought you'd learn by now, It seems you haven't yet.I am the venom in your skin --- Breaking Benjamin
do you mean stores still have windows as I haven't seen those since the late 50's.
I like your idea of displaying your christmas layout in window for all to see helps promote the hobby too!
CB&Q do you mean stores still have windows as I haven't seen those since the late 50's. I like your idea of displaying your christmas layout in window for all to see helps promote the hobby too!
There's a few left in our downtown area.
My Christmas layout is currently being repainted and I hope to get it finished this week some time. It is 6’x8’ and 4 levels high with the Christmas tree above it. Actually I guess I should call the 1st level (my harbor scene) a sub level because it is below the main level and is only about 1’x3’. Anyway the second level (main level) is for my Lionel Christmas train and has the bulk of the porcelain village houses. The third level is for the Polar Express. It used to be Santa’s Village but I moved Santa’s village to the top level (The North Pole).
I’m going to post a few Photos from Last Year so you get the Idea. Then I’ll post some new photos of the upgrade that includes a new MTH Arch Bridge.
Last years Photos:
This years Photo.
I’ve been working on it for over ten years and each year I say this is it, “I finally got completely modular so that it will only take a few minutes to setup next year”. Only that never seems to happen because there are always more small little changes that end up taking weeks to finish.
Although not a Christmas theme per se, I also completed this 4X6 portable layout for my sister so we could enjoy it at her house for Christmas. It's an American Flyer 1950's ish theme with many of the equipment from that era. I substituted my new Lionel 0-6-0 S scale locomotive for my original 342 American Flyer loco. Only because it's a bit faster and runs smoother.
The Women in my life
Just finished out the basement room for the trains 15x22 in size and started the backdrop behind the trains. Going to do the backdrop first this time (da) instead ol last like on the last layout. Remember being suspended over the layout by cables or something so I'm not doing that this time.
Pics of the painting as it progresses. Hope to have at least one train up and running by Christmas.
Tim
Before starting scenery
After first layer
These are great! Excellent work guys!
It's a little blurry but, I just posted a pic of my O and S gauge bedroom layout to the "Reader Photos" section since I don't have an offsite page to link to. It says the image has to be approved by the moderator so it may take awhile before you can see it. This is the Plasticville layout which features Tonka trucks, Boy Scouts, toy soldiers and my homemade Howard Johnson's Restaurant. (OK, it's really just a modified Plasticville schoolhouse!) The Standard Gauge layout is also finished and I hope to get better pics of both posted this week.
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Here are a few photos of my 4' x 8' Marx 027 Christmas layout. The engines are Commodore Vanderbilt electric and windup and the freight cars are 6" 4 wheel tin.
I have 2 loops of track added inside the tree, N gauge at the top and HO below.
dsmith I have 2 loops of track added inside the tree, N gauge at the top and HO below.
Great idea,
What a great idea for a thread. I have enjoyed all of the posts so far and I look forward to more. dsmith's track plan is very interesting. I hope he plans on posting some video of his vintage Marx trains traversing that route this year.
I am not sure that there will be an under the tree layout this year. It all depends on the final location of the tree. However, the Blueboard Central Division of American Flyer Lines does have some holiday features added during the Christmas season. I am going to take my lead from fifedog and post some "in process" photos as the project takes shape.
During the last week the town elders started work on the project by clearing out the park and some of the surrounding area.
The Northwoods Flyer Collection
of
American Flyer Trains
"The Toy For the Boy"
Northwoods - I trust you are bringing back the ice sculptures, as they were just too cool.
fifedog,
Here is an archival photo of the ice sculpture competition from last year during the Winter Carnival. The town elders promise that this year the opportunity for winter activities and holiday celebrating will be even better.
Enjoying the World's Greatest Hobby Northwoods Flyer Greg
These pictures are a few years old, so I've added a few things since they were taken. I built this for my older son, Jarrett, when he was 1 year old. The oak capping was stained to match the wife's dining room set, since I had to remove the dining room table for two months out of the year so I'd have a place for the Christmas tree. It's regular Lionel track with 0-31 curves, 3 sidings and of course, electrical outlets with on/off switch for the Christmas tree. The train is always Jarrett's U.S. Army Troop Train, including all of the add on cars, as that has become the official Read family Christmas train.
I am a person with a very active inner child. This is why my wife loves me so. Willoughby, Ohio - the home of the CP & E RR. OTTS Founder www.spankybird.shutterfly.com
Strictly speaking, I suppose, this isn't really a "Christmas layout" at all, being as it's just a loop of FasTrack I've set up in my basement. But it is the Christmas season, and it is a layout, however basic, so I guess it qualifies.
The locomotive is my newly-acquired 681, pulling a string of modern Lionel PRR passenger cars. The woodens structures (station, two houses, a schoolhouse and a barn) were built by my grandfather for my mother's layout. The water tower is by Marx.
arkady
Looks good to me!
Rob
This is my 6 x 8 Christmas Layout. Portable set up.. I use carriage bolts to hold the legs... I made some cliffs/mountains on foam in three sections that are easy to store. I started it two years ago. Lemax buildings on the elevated portion and o gauge buildings (except for the dept 56 lionel store) on the bottom.
"Texas & Pacific... MKT... FW&D... Cotton Belt ... Frisco"
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