Obviously I have tons of work ahead of me to gain realism.
I am happy that all track is now operational and without derailments and dead electrical spots.
All backdrop panels are up and painted a basic blue for now.
I like the way our famous Dave used trim for his backdrops, so I trimmed the backdrops and painted them gray.
All styrofoam bases have a coat of paint now. Of course there are a few sneaky spots I missed but they will get covered.
Also carved a steep backroad going up the mountain in the river gorge out of Denver.
You will note a school bus sitting up about 2/3rd of the way up.
With the aid of a couple heavy 4 wheel drive vehicles, the bus was helped up to that vista point. The bus driver got cold feet and would not drive it back down, it will have to be air lifted out of there unless a local driver is found with enough nerve to drive it out.
We’re searching for a short 4 wheel drive school bus now, to take the mountain kids to school. My 6 year old grandson likes it, he also planted pine trees on the mountain, he put good thought into where to place them.
My grandson is helping me plan out where roads need to go now. So much to do, it is a joy to have him help Papa.
Closeup of Oakland area
Looking at West end of Denver
Looking down on Denver Colorado
Another look at Denver
River gorge out of Denver
Looking at Salt Lake City
Looking at Chicago
Looking toward mountains from Chicago area
Looking toward Oakland area from West of Denver area
Dick”
A big thanks to Dick for sharing his N scale Zephyr layout – you all know how much I enjoy an update.
That’s all for this time. Please do keep ’em coming though.
And if you want to make today the day you start on your very own layout, the Beginner’s Guide is here.
Well, yesterday’s Christmas post seems to have gone down well. The Christmas train layout ideas are still comning in:
And I’m thankful to say I have a few more few you.
I pondered over whether to post John’s. It’s a very touching read so I did check with him.
“Hi Al…
With Christmas fast approaching, those were some very special stories. Here’s mine.
There is a beautiful story and song that is a bittersweet Christmas classic. It is about a Child wanting to buy a pair of shoes for his dying mother — A final Christmas gift. Events of 2020 have given that song new meaning in my life.
Christy and I were married in November of 1985.
On our first Christmas I gave her an animated doll. It was a Christmas doll meant for outdoor use and yet it has never been outdoors.
She had wanted a doll like that for many years — And the one I gave her was the best I couldn’t afford.
The same Christmas she gave me an LGB garden railway set I had wanted for many years. — That said, Apartment living meant there was never a real garden for it. That gift to me was the best she couldn’t afford.
Together these were a real life version of O’Henry’s “Gift of the Magi”.
Through time and many moves, both of these things went into storage. They languished in their boxes almost 20 years. Life often makes plans for us that frustrate our dreams.
In June of 2019, I lost my mother (she was 100 years old). In that loss, things long stored were removed from storage. The Christmas doll I had purchased was one of those things (as was the LGB set).
Christy’s health was failing also — And in November I knew she would not last through 2020. Last Christmas, 2019, I made sure that the doll I had given her for our first Christmas, the doll that had been part of each or our first 10 Christmases together was on display for her to see.
Through the years of our marriage, Christy got me a train related item every Christmas and for many birthdays as well.
Some were Hallmark ornaments, others were models. We often went shopping together and Christy made note of what interested me — Often what I wanted but would not buy for myself.
Last year, as Christy was losing her ability to leave the house, Christy discovered Bradford Exchange. She made two Christmas related train purchases so that I would have her traditional gift.
Had she been in better health, she probably would have made different decisions BUT the choices she did make were a reflection of her true “child like” nature (the part of her that really brought life to me) AND her love for me. (Sadly, I lost my beloved Christy, my “funny grrlz” in January of this year, 2020.)
Here is a picture of the first gifts Christy and I gave each other.
So far, this is the only Christmas stuff that I have set up this year.
In the doll’s right hand, the hand with the candle, is a small urn on a chain —
The doll is holding what it can of the one to whom the doll was given.
John”
And now on to Gloria and Dave:
“My husband and I bought a Dept 56 Christmas in the City building on every wedding anniversary.
Last year we were up to 30 pieces and decided to incorporate a train. We got excellent advice and service at H&R Trains in Pinellas, Florida and went home with The Polar Express and all the “pieces parts” to run it.
David build a long platform and made shelves to fit into the windows. The back wall is covered in sequined fabric over twinkle lights; I made the elevations and tunnels. He did wiring and lighting.
Our city is vintage New York with Times Square, parks, an airport, New York Harbor, Ellis Island and Lady Liberty.
Our city now has trains, planes, automobiles, trucks, boats and a kid on a tricycle.
We are wishing a happy and safe holiday to each of you.
Gloria and Dave
Orlando FL”
“Hi Al!
Just wanted to wish all your readers and contributors whichever part of the globe they are in, a very Peaceful Christmas and healthy 2021.
This is the Hornby Santa Express, loco and trucks (extra guards van for Santa himself!) fitted out with suitable LEDS, small button cell battery with switch in each, ideal for under the Christmas tree. The Grandchildren love it of course.
Best wishes to all.
Brian, Wokingham, UK”
Now on to John with his Christmas train layout ideas:
“Hi,
this is my Christmas tree table layout in O-27.
I put it up around Thanksgiving, take it down about the end of February. It sits in an atrium facing south getting sunshine for most of the winter.
It takes 4hrs to erect by myself. This past summer I modified the legs and frame with cut-outs to reduce weight and ease assembly. The 2 end panels are fastened to the frame by 8 bolts into T-nuts in the panel bottoms.
The middle panels have the electrical connections to the track and turnouts, wire harnessed to the control panel.
Traditionaly I start running the ore trains, NP and GN, with changeouts to passengers, freight, work, and a Santa special on 23 thru 25 Dec.
It’s a double mainline oval with crossovers and a single siding. The mountains and snowshed help hide the fact that most trains are chasing their own cabooses(i). And give me a place to park the trains out of the sunshine.
Because it is disassembled and stored, I have been slow on landscaping details. Even brown paint for the ground or green for foliage. My river cut is still just layered plywood cutouts.
I run some oversized trains for the tight 27″ radius curved track, the outside main has straight sections for each curved, making for a more gentle sweeper turn.
Kinda clutsy, but it works.
John, Auburn, USA”
A big thanks to both Johns, Gloria and Brian for sharing their Christmas train layout ideas.
If you’d like to share a Christmas story or pics, please just email me.
Or if you’d like to wish John a Merry Christmas or add to the post, just scroll down below to the comments section.
That’s all for today folks, please do keep ’em coming.
And don’t forget, the Beginner’s Guide is here if you want to take your first step towards your own layout.
Daniel’s been in touch with his Christmas train layout.
(and don’t miss Gordy’s Grinch pic below too – loved it).
“1955 was to be a tipping point in our family railroading experience.
As I was only 8 years old, I had no idea about this, but Doug, my 14 year old brother, was wiser in these things, especially since he knew that the deep well of our parent’s art deco wardrobe could hold wonderful Christmas treasures.
For decades I only knew part of this story, but my brother told me the rest of the story a few years ago at the last time we were together, but I had no idea about that, and maybe he was wiser on that as well.
In the late fall of 1955 Doug started scoping out the favorite parental Christmas hiding places, and in the wardrobe he made a marvelous find. A Lionel O gauge F-3 double A unit Santa Fe locomotive, one A unit powered, the other A unit a dummy.
As there was only 1 set, he assumed it was for him, the older son. He said nothing about his find this due to my focus on Santa.
On Christmas morning, at first light, we awoke our parents (I doubt that they had actually fallen asleep) to see what Santa had brought.
My dad was a minister in Salem, N.J., and the Christmas season was very full of church activities, so Christmas Eve preparation left very little time for sleep.
Tradition held that we could not go down the stairs until dad had checked it out and that the tree lights were turned on.
When we came down the stairs, our usual temporary train platform was set up, the gifts were assembled and staged, perhaps as magically as if Santa had done it himself.
My folks anticipated a special Christmas, so they set up the church’s Wollensak reel to reel tape recorder. I did not pay much attention to that as there were gifts to open!
During his tale of that Christmas my brother told me he was anxiously awaiting opening his gift, but as it happened, I was told to open a long square ended box that was quite heavy.
When the gleaming red and silver Santa Fe slid out of the box, a seismometer could have registered my brother’s heart dropping. “I was totally disappointed,” he told me. The folk’s must have realized this so they quickly directed him to the box that held his Santa Fe.
That was to be the last year for the temporary Christmas layout, as we were now into it big time. A permanent layout was set up on the 3rd floor of the Victorian parsonage, only to be moved and enhanced 9 months later in a move to Haddon Heights, N.J.
As we made our way to our new home, the very last item attached to the back doors of the moving van was our train platform.
Many Christmases have since come and gone, with my own sons and grandchildren, but my recorded yell of delight, “Look Doug, a Santa Fe!” still rings in my ears.
Daniel”
Now on to Gordy for his Christmas train layout:
“Good Morning Al… Gordy here and I had an HO layout in my basement, which was fine, but I also had a collection of the Dickens Village houses & figurines which we put up each Christmas.
So I decided to combine them and I made a Dickens Christmas HO Railroad layout….
I am now RVing and have a fifth wheel and I am now putting it up in my RV basement. The layout is 4′ x 8′ so it just fits.
By the way the Grinch’s sled was made from scratch by wood & paper etc. Hope you get this OK, Looking to hearing from you….
Gordy, Naples, FL”
A big thanks to Gordy – and to Daniel for sharing his Christmas tree train layout, I did enjoy his Christmas tale. Loved that he’s stil got the loco.
If you have a Christmas story that you want to share, please mail me or leave a comment below.
