Hiya!
I did started a thread like this last year and had a great time reading all the responses! So.... I thought I'd do it again!
It's often said that Christmas and toy trains go together like bread and butter. But why is that? What are your most vivid childhood memories of toy trains at Christmas time? Do you remember an elaborate department store display? Or maybe you most vividly remember the set around your tree at home? (Or nearby on a rug as mine was! )
Do we connect toy trains and Christmas just because they were the most awesome toys we ever got? Or are they just a small piece of the whole Christmas realm. One great toy that got heightened in your consciousness by everything going on around it?
Think back!
And even if you told us your memories last year, tell us again! And let me be the first to wish you all a Merry Christmas!
Becky
Trains, trains, wonderful trains. The more you get, the more you toot!
Well, I'm 16 so my memories are a little more recent :)
The earliest story of me with model trains took place before I could walk. My grandpa has a collection of G scale trains. They were buying all new furniture for their living room that year so it was empty for the Christmas season. My grandma let him take over the whole room for his trains and all his buildings (that he made from scratch and named after all of his grand kids, plus more). Anyway, my cousins, dad and probably a few other smart people couldn't figure out why the trains wouldn't run. Supposedly I crawled over to the outlet and plugged them in! I've been hooked ever since.
Also when I was little, my dad set up my grandpa's old Lionel set under our tree every year (a 1513S along with an extra 2055 locomotive). I wasn't allowed to touch them because they were "old". When I was three, he finally brought me my own Lionel set, a NYC flyer (this was back in the 90's). After that I set it up under the tree every year (and still do) and have added my moms christmas village (in second grade) which has been added on to itself. I started with around a half dozen buildings and I think I'm up to around 20 now. I also pulled my grandpa's set out of retirement in 2007 (it had been put away in our basement when I got my set) and have been running it ever since.
My under the tree display will be moved to the Redford Theatre in Detroit (redfordtheatre.com), one of two movie theaters in Detroit with it's original theater organ (for silent movies) intact and operational. I was going to buy trains to do a display for them as my boy scout eagle project but it fell through and I didn't want to leave them without a display so I'm using my own collection to build it. What could be better, a fully restored 1928 movie theater, a theater pipe organ and an 8x12 Christmas train display?
Here's a video of last years layout (music played on a theater organ).
watch?v=5UdXeVWtS2Q
Thanks for starting this thread. I'm looking forward to reading the stories others post.
My dad had some Lionel and Marx 027 trains that he sometimes would put out for Christmas (all of which are now mine but still "dad's trains"). But my Uncle Bill always set up his American Flyers. I have wonderful memories of visiting him at Christmas to see the trains. Now I have a 3 year old and every year we set up a small train around the tree - and are just beginning to build the big layout in the basement. Trains and Christmas - its just so right!
Great thread Becky,
Merry Christmas to you and all!
I believe Christmas and trains, not only go together, but also trains are a small piece of the whole Christmas realm.
Christmas of 1950, my brother and I each received, from Santa Clause, a Lionel '027' Gauge Scout Set.
Our trains were also, beside the Christmas Tree, along with a 'Whistling Freight Shed,' an 'Oil Derrick,' Lionel yard signs and Plasticville structures.The whole family enjoyed Christmas and the trains.
It, wasn't until Christmas of 1973, in our recently bought home, did my wife and I celebrate Christmas by putting the trains around the Christmas Tree.The Official Christmas train consist were all second hand: 2046 engine, 2466WX tender, 6257 cab. and a couple of other freight cars. They were used for all Christmases, thereafter.
For Christmas of 2007, the Official Christmas Train became Lionel's #6-30068 'North Pole Central Lines' brought via special delivery by Santa Clause, before Christmas Day, which was ordered by our daughter and her family.
Take Care,
Ralph
Always seemed that I would get Trains for Christmas, I guess that is because of the number of relatives that worked for the Northern Pacific RR in the State of Washington. First train probably around 1950 was an old Marx wind-up. Still remember the sparks that would shoot out of the smokestack. The following year I graduated to a Lionel Electric Train, a 2026 freight train.
Fondest memory, right after Thanksgiving, Mom, Dad and me going into Seattle to the Seattle Sporting Goods, they carried Lionel Trains during the Christmas season. They had one of the Lionel supplied layouts with all of the new offerings in which I would try to decide what I would like for Santa to bring on the big day. My Dad worked for Pacific Car & Foundry, they built railroad cars and tanks / howitzers for the Army so he was always into trains also. We lived right in front of the Pacific Car & Foundry plant so I always saw the newest RR cars and the military equipment rolling out of the plant for the Great Northern to pick-up on a daily basis. This was the mid fifties so there was one heck of a lot of tanks and howitzers on flat cars heading out to the Army.
Bill T.
What a great Eagle project!!!! Makes people happy and spreads the joy of toy trains!!!! Well done!!!!
PS my brother and 2 cousins all made Eagle!
Penny Trains What a great Eagle project!!!! Makes people happy and spreads the joy of toy trains!!!! Well done!!!! Becky PS my brother and 2 cousins all made Eagle!
Well, it would have been an awesome project but I ran short on time and it's not going to work out (back to the drawing board). I'm still doing the display for the theater (can't let them down ) but it'll be made out of things from my own collection.
I love that picture, where did you get the boy scout figures?
Becky,
Congratulations to the Eagle Scouts.
My son is in good company.
Eagle projects are performed by good citizens, of the U.S. of America.
God Bless,
To me, it's related to the fact that my Grandfather always had a German "Christmas Garden" (aka Putz) under his tree while my mother and I were living at my Grandparent's house while my father was off fighting in WWII. There were no trains in his "garden", but other wonderful things. I got my trains under our tree in 1947, but my current Christmas layouts make me remember my Grandfather.
The scouts are reproduction Marx 54mm figures that I hand painted. At just over 2 inches tall, they're a bit large for O. But I like them!
Good job with the painting, they look pretty accurate to me .
In case anybody's wondering what the movie theater I'm doing the display in looks like, here are a couple pictures.
The layout will be in the orchestra pit between the organ console and the piano (which the organist can play from the organ console). The length between the two is around 20' (if I remember right)
those pictures are from the theater website, redfordtheatre.com
Hi All,
Trains and Christmas what could be better. The hobby all started with me thanks in large part to my Dad. Every Christmas he went on the dominating task each Christmas Eve, long after i was asleep of not only putting up the Christmas Tree, putting all toys together; but also put a train layout under the tree and told me that all of that was what Santa had brought for me. Such great memories of it, i can still see the layout under the tree. From that moment on the train bug took it's bite. And i have never looked back.
I'm older now with two boys of my own. Although i don't go to the same lengths he did, we do put a train up under the Christmas Tree each year which my oldest son looks forward to the most as normally it is his Polar Express train running around it, although this year he was a nice big brother and allowed his brothers Rio Grande Ski Train to have a turn this Christmas. He said to me just the other day that he wasn't upset at it since we have a 10x11 layout downstairs," i can just run my train down there right Dad? " Such a good kid. And that is exactly what we have been doing for the past two weeks.
I have a wonderful photo that my wife had put together of all the different layouts my Dad and i had built each year in the basement. I look at as a reminder that this is the best hobby in the world. It allows you to be the boss, to decide what is going to be , and most of all it lets you be in a magical place that only you control, from scenery to buildings to people. Each piece is part of your imagination all though i like movies and an occasionl video game, kids today don't have this experience unless they are brought up around it. I have always said that if i could ever go back in time i would have loved to see the 40's and 50's, not only for the trains in all deptartment store windows but for the real things riding just outside most peoples doors. To be lying in your bed on a summers night and fall asleep to the whale of a steam engines whistle howling in the distance. My how things have changed. Merry Christmas everyone!!!
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