ModelRailroader.com Reader Poll - December 4, 2003

[riograndenut]

verry, verry much is the answer

The Lionel 1627S set which I got for Christmas in 1963 will be set up once again, along with four other operating HO gauge layouts in the other rooms.

Merry Christmas

[Big_Boy_4005]

100% Grinch here..... no tree, just trains

[Anonymous]

Yup - just like every year, with hoppers and gons
that get loaded with beanie babies and other assorted
characters like Chucky from Rugrats and plastic
animals from my duaghters zoo set

[Anonymous]

We leave for Christmas with our daughter and family in southern Pa. and then on to Florida for 4 mounths. We don't have our own tree, so no train around it. We used to have a train running around it though. MERRY CHRISTMAS

[Anonymous]

I will have two G scale trains up with villages around two trees; an On30 Wonderland Express and On30 trolly with a Victorian village; an ETS metal O train running with my Fort Apache, Robin Hood, and Cape Canaveral setups to create my "Disneyland" (which I could never go to when I was a kid); two N trains on a dual-level layout; and a Z, N, HO, S, and O scale trains with buildings running on a board to show the difference in scale. I have been doing this now for five Christmas seasons since getting back into the hobby.

[alpreston]

What tree? The missus and I haven't put up a tree for years, since we spend most of our Yuletides at siblings' places, - and they tend to have presents under the tree, not trains. Putting a train under a tree just isn't part of my family's tradition.

[Anonymous]

For the past 21 years LGB has been under the tree and this year is no exception. My 5 year old son will have his construction set running again this year. The conglomeration of most everything else will be running in the basement.

[Anonymous]

Oh You MUST have a train under the tree , I will be running my HO Lifelike P2000 locomotive its modeled in Pennsylvania R.R. (G.P.7 phase 2) and a bunch of my Kadee box cars and Branchline trains "Blueprint series " boxcars and some Bowser P.R.R. (x31) turtle roof boxcars (which I adore) and a bowser n5c caboose with light kit installed and all the lost wax castings for the PRR style antenna system - I have a 7 year old son and he loves to run the train and is very good around it and parks it behind the tree when not in use , but the best part is watching him run the train late in the evening and seeing him slowly fall asleep that is contentment !
Cheers From western Pennsylvania

[Anonymous]

It would be great to have a train under the tree as this was they way I received my first set when I was very small. A Tyco, Century 430 (CB&Q) with a few cars and caboose....some still running on my "plywood pacific" to this day! Anyhow, since we have been blessed with 4 children (girls 3 and 2...and twin boys just turned one and of course our little white dog, Buddy.....don't think it will occur this year! I just retired from 20 years in the military and as I am between jobs right now still enjoy working on my layout in our basement....as I write this a 20 car manifest rolls along flawlessly behind two UP SD-40-2s in the train room .....not under the tree, but the kids will make the journey downstairs to see the trains before ol' St Nick arrives!

God Bless you all and Merry Christmas!

[Anonymous]

The area we live in has deep railroad roots, so my son and I model HO scale CSX, and under the tree we'll have a Bachmann G scale Tweetsie (ET & WNC) train running. Model railroading is more fun when you can model lines appropriate for your area!

Jim and Matthew

[armchair]

Oh yes, the christmas tree. What a great excuse to buy a new On30 train set! It just would'nt be right without a train runnin' around it . Besides that the new fiber optic buildings are so neat ! The village is growing ! The grandchildren love the trains and I think grandma is getting into it too, as She set the village up this year. Have a Happy Holiday & A Hobby New Year!

[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

[Anonymous]

My tree was put up a week ago. Underneath I've got running a Lionel standard gauge train pulled by a No. 38 electric, a Marx 6-inch tinplate train with KCS Fairbanks-Morse A-B units and a Lionel train with a No. 681 Pennsy Turbine. The two O gauge tracks actually go a ways beyond the tree, not just around the perimeter, so the presents go there beside the tree. I don't just have trains under the tree, though. I also set up a ceramic Christmas villiage layout on a door that I put on a table. I've got New Bright battery powered Dickensville and Rio Grande sets running on it. They're bigger than HO and smaller than S gauge, but they fit in perfectly with the buildings. Underneath that I've got two battery powered Christmas trains on the floor.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Bergie

Will you have a model train running under your Christmas tree this year? Please vote then share your comments below.

Polls on Trains.com are not scientific and reflect only the opinions of the users who have chosen to participate. The results cannot be assumed to represent the opinions of Internet users in general, the readers of our magazines, nor the public as a whole. Bottom line, our polls are meant for fun and to stimulate conversation amongst our forum users.

[Anonymous]

Yes!!! I got my first train under our family tree the year after we lost my mothers Marx set from her childhood in a fire. I was seven at the time and for the next 12 years it was my honor to put that Tyco HO set under the family tree. It has been a long time since I moved from my parents home but this year my youngest daughter encouraged me to get back into model railroading. We have had a great time building our new N gauge layout. This past month we went to the train show in Indianapolis and bought everything we needed to set a beautiful village and train under our family tree. I hope it will be there for many years. We also are surprising my mom, we found a Marx set identical to the one we lost so many years ago. When she gets up Christmas morning she will find a wonderful surprise from Santa in her livingroom!

[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.

[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]

[Anonymous]

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

[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]

No tree. The Layout takes upall the available space

[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

[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.)

[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.

[duker1]

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

[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!!!!

[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]

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.

[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]

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

Sorry