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Will You Run a Train Around the Christmas Tree This Year?

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Will You Run a Train Around the Christmas Tree This Year?
Posted by Shock Control on Friday, November 27, 2020 11:37 AM

That is, assuming you celebrate Christmas and have a tree.  

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Posted by NorthBrit on Friday, November 27, 2020 11:49 AM

No, but Santa will be seen around Leeds Sovereign Street (like every year.)

 

David

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Posted by cats think well of me on Friday, November 27, 2020 1:13 PM

Sadly not, between the cats and quite a few of my trains being quite delicate, and all are HO scale, that's not happening this year. If I get a set of larger scale trains, that are more durable and cat proof, absolutely. 

Alvie

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Posted by BATMAN on Friday, November 27, 2020 1:22 PM

Unfortunately, this engine packed it in but once I find a replacement it will run once again. I have all the cars and track and a lot of miles were logged. The dogs miss it.

Brent

"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."

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Posted by tstage on Friday, November 27, 2020 1:35 PM

Nope.

https://tstage9.wixsite.com/nyc-modeling

Time...It marches on...without ever turning around to see if anyone is even keeping in step.

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Posted by SeeYou190 on Friday, November 27, 2020 1:40 PM

We naver have.

But... if one of my selfish daughters ever gives me a grandchild... there will be a train around the Christmas Tree at Grandpa's house!

-Kevin

Living the dream.

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Posted by richhotrain on Friday, November 27, 2020 2:49 PM

Not unless I put one in the middle of my layout.   Smile, Wink & Grin

Rich

Alton Junction

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Posted by BigDaddy on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:10 PM

Nope.  That's how I got back into MR a few years ago, did it for the grandson.  My dog doesn't like it at all and bites the engine. 

Now that I have DCC with sound, I could see if the horn scares him, the downside is my shay might go under the dining room table to be chewed into pieces.Crying

Henry

COB Potomac & Northern

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Posted by Shock Control on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:21 PM

I am looking forward to running my vintage Ho Mantua and yellow-box Athearn rolling stock around the tree.  

I think of trains from around November through January, and then I try not to think about trains too much.  I have too many other interests, such as music and mid-century modern furniture.  

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Posted by ATLANTIC CENTRAL on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:27 PM

Yes, I have a Bachmann On30 PRR passenger set just for the tree. And a large selection of ceramic Christmas village houses which rotate making the display different every year.

A tradition at our house since the wife and met 26 years ago.

My yellow box Athearn rolling stock will stay on the model layout...........

Sheldon

    

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Posted by MisterBeasley on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:30 PM

I'm not sure if I ever did.  At some point I built a homosote platform, but my trains were 40 years old and didn't run well enough.

When my ex suggested I set the trains up, she probably envisioned some Martha Stewart fantasy with mis-scaled ceramic buildings.

It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse. 

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Posted by Track fiddler on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:35 PM

I miss running my train around the Christmas tree.

I have three Great Land Express collector editions that I still have.

Something had to go after we downsized to a one-bedroom condo as a plan for retirement.

There is no tree because sacrifices were made and my 4x8 model railroad is where the tree would normally go, ...Priorities I guess.

Here was our tree two years ago.

A six-story job in Branson Missouri.

Still have my favorite Christmas tree ornament too.

 

 

TF

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Posted by Ringo58 on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:36 PM

 

The girlfriend really wants one this year so were searching for one. I have an old lionel "The yukon special" from when I was a kid and want to use that. The only thing Is I want to repaint the Alaska GP7 into a MILW unit and find some christmas cars for it. She wants a really big one so I hope thats big enough. If not I will try to find a battery powered G scale set as electric G scale is waaaaay too much money for a once a year thing. Since I have all HO, I was looking into some on30 or regulaR HO but I think the cat would like the small stuff to chew on so I am avoiding that

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Posted by mbinsewi on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:38 PM

I have an On3 set I'll like to set up.  Not sure if I will.

Mike.

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Posted by Shock Control on Friday, November 27, 2020 3:45 PM

I do a pretty elaborate HO Christmas tree layout every year.  It takes many hours over many days.

I have foam board covered with white cotton sheets for snow.  I try to get as many trees, buildings, and telegraph poles up as quickly as possible, to discourage the cats; otherwise, they will sleep in the snow blankets and shed all over the snow.

I recess the train track pretty far in.  This accomplishes two things:  1), the trains look more realistic when viewed through scenery, and 2) the cats will probably not progress that far into the layout to destroy anything.

The worst that happens every year is the occasional downed tree or telegraph pole used overnight as a cat toy.

And then there was the one year that a cat threw up right on the track. Luckily, that hasn't happened in a long time. 

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Posted by HO-Velo on Friday, November 27, 2020 4:34 PM

Afraid not, but a wonderful tradition and I do miss having a train around the tree.  Do have fond childhood memories of the 3-rail Marx my father set-up around the Christmas tree, metal tinsel shorting the track and all.

I had a Lionel 3-rail train-set around our tree every year, but stored away after the kids left home.  Then roused from a long sleep the Lionel moved a thousand miles, where it circulated my son's tree to the delight of his children.  The old set was reawakened last year and will again be bringing holiday smiles to a third generation of wide-eyed little faces. 

Happy Holiday Season, Peter  

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Posted by selector on Friday, November 27, 2020 4:44 PM

My re-entry to the hobby was fueled initially by my wife and Mom-in-Law who conspired against me.  I wasn't going there at all, but one Christmas 20 years ago they got me the gift of that horrendously expensive subscription-based On30 Bachmann train set.  Somewhere, a whole family got to Hawaii on a paid vacation with the net we paid out. Huh?

I ran it every Christmas for maybe 12 years, and then, with a move, it became that pain where the sun don't shine.  Two years ago, I decided it would run on my current HO build.  Got it most of the way around, but there are two spots where I need to grind at something for clearance. 

Maybe next year.

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Posted by PC101 on Friday, November 27, 2020 6:15 PM

Wind up Bing 0-4-0.

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Posted by ATSFGuy on Friday, November 27, 2020 7:43 PM

Sure, I usually bring it out after December 10th. Stay tuned for pictures!

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Posted by chatanuga on Saturday, November 28, 2020 12:03 AM

After I got my cats, I moved my Lionel trains upstairs into my office on a smaller loop than I had in my living room.  I wanted to put up my tree, but, like the Lionel trains, I didn't want the cats to get to it.  The loop of track my Lionel trains are on passes in front of the window in my office, which is above my living room facing the front of my townhouse.  So, naturally, it was a perfect place to put up my tree, which I've now been doing since 2008.  Here are some videos I've made.

Kevin

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Posted by Billwiz on Saturday, November 28, 2020 10:52 AM

Every year.  I used to alternate between HO one year and O (3 rail) the next but last year my wife gave me the Lionel Polar Express for my birthday and now that runs around the tree.

 

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Posted by Shock Control on Saturday, November 28, 2020 11:08 AM

Thanks all for the replies!  

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Posted by CapnCrunch on Saturday, November 28, 2020 11:51 AM

Absolutely!  

Last year I was tired of lugging our full-size fake tree up and down from the attic.  We decided to downsize the tree and get a table top version that would be easier to manage.  It struck me that this would also be an opportunity to use some HO train stuff stored in the attic and set up a train around the tree to entertain the grandkids and, hopefully, get them interested in trains.

I found a sturdy plastic card table to be the base for the tree and the train.  The table was wide enough to create a small oval instead of a circle.  I used structures that my dad had built for his layout years ago and made a small village for the train to go by.  The height of the card table gives plenty of room to stack presents around and under the setup.

  xmas rr 3 by Tim Neely, on Flickr" alt="" />  xmas rr 1 by Tim Neely, on Flickr" alt="" />  xmas rr 2 by Tim Neely, on Flickr" alt="" />

Tim 

          Late to the model railroad party but playing catch-up.....


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Posted by nealknows on Saturday, November 28, 2020 1:14 PM

Not around the Christmas tree; I will try to put one around the Hanukkah bush Wink

(A very short small shrub)

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Posted by Shock Control on Saturday, November 28, 2020 2:14 PM

nealknows
Not around the Christmas tree; I will try to put one around the Hanukkah bush Wink (A very short small shrub)

One of our cats is Jewish, and in recognition of his ethnic heritage, we have a white tree with blue garland.  It goes well with the silver-and-blue B&O passenger train running beneath.  Cool

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Posted by danno54 on Saturday, November 28, 2020 2:37 PM

I run an N scale passenger set around the tree. The long train in the smaller scale looks pretty good and there's more room for structures.

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Posted by Shock Control on Saturday, November 28, 2020 2:42 PM

danno54
I run an N scale passenger set around the tree. The long train in the smaller scale looks pretty good and there's more room for structures.

That's cool!  I have wondered if N gauge would look to small around a tree.  Does it look good from a reasonable distance?  

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Posted by jjdamnit on Saturday, November 28, 2020 2:53 PM

Hello All,

Only if I put a tree in the middle of the pike.

Hope this helps.

"Uhh...I didn’t know it was 'impossible' I just made it work...sorry"

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Posted by Ringo58 on Saturday, November 28, 2020 2:57 PM

jjdamnit

Hello All,

Only if I put a tree in the middle of the pike.

Hope this helps.

 

Maybe a tiny one?

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Posted by Darth Santa Fe on Sunday, November 29, 2020 6:37 PM

I've got the standard gauge Lionel #42 going around the tree this year, along with some matching MTH reproduction Pullmans.

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