Bob’s been in touch with is Christmas truck, which really made me smile:

“Al…Happy Christmas from Bob in Texas.

It’s been a while since I contributed to your blog…but here is a Christmas contribution that I hope you all enjoy.

If you recall, one of my other hobbies, in addition to model railroading, is restoring vintage cars or, in this case, a vintage truck.

So, in the spirit of Christmas, I decided to combine both hobbies.

A vintage red pickup truck with a Christmas tree in the bed has become a ubiquitous Holiday symbol in the US. One can be seen in any number of made-for-television Christmas movies.

The image can be found greeting cards, T-shirts, Kitchen towels, pillow covers, door mats, and even shower curtains. And…I expect a vintage red pickup truck ornament to adorn most Christmas trees in the US.

I am fortunate to own a genuine vintage red pickup truck…a 1950 Chevrolet Three-Window 3100 pickup truck (we do love our pickup trucks in Texas).

These trucks were mostly purchased by farmers and ranchers who used them for work. When they finally came to the end of their useful lives they were left outside to rust away. Little thought was given to their resale value. If the original owners had known how popular these trucks would someday become they might have taken better care of them.

Fortunately, my truck, which was originally purchased by a farmer in Kentucky, received better treatment. It worked hard but was well maintained.

It was originally powered by a six-cylinder engine that produced about 85 horsepower and it had a three-speed manual transmission. Certainly by today’s standards rather spartan…no power steering, no power brakes, no air conditioner, no seat belts, and no radio.

My truck would now be classified as a restomod…a term used to describe a vintage car/truck restored to closely resemble the original vehicle but modified with numerous upgrades to make it more driver friendly.

It is now powered by a fuel-injected V-8 that produces in excess of 300 horsepower. It has an automatic transmission, power steering, power brakes, an air conditioner, set belts, and a modern sound system…a restomod.

During the Holiday Season, I typically park the truck with an illuminated Christmas tree in the bed in front of our house. And…it does attract lots of admirers.

This year, I decided to substitute a Christmas tree with N scale trains and a lighted Christmas village. I was inspired by the popular Thomas Kinkade Christmas Tree sculpture.

The tree is constructed of foam board, Styrofoam, and paper mache. It measures 4 feet tall, and has three levels.

The top level is 24 inches in diameter and the two lower levels are each 32 inches in diameter. The tree is decorated with garland, miniature trees, and artificial snow. I found the Santa Clause tree-topper in a Christmas catalog. My lovely wife and I recently took a Danube River Cruise and I purchased many of the village structures at Christmas markets in Germany, Austria, and Hungary.

An N scale Bachmann Brill trolley car circles the top level on Atlas Flex Track.

An N scale Bachmann Merry Christmas Express and an N scale Bachmann Spirit of Christmas travel the two lower levels on Bachmann E-Z Track.

I display the tree in the bed of the truck in front of our house weather permitting. And…it also receives lots of attention from our neighbors. Otherwise, it sits on a table in our living room.

I hope your readers enjoy my combination of Christmas icons and please have a VERY HAPPY HOLIDAY. Thanks, Bob in Texas

Thanks,

Bob”

A huge big thanks to Bob for sharing his Christmas truck – hope you liked it as much as me. It really did make me smile.

You can see Bob’s 1951 Mercury coupe here (If you’ve got an old classic please do mail me. I’d love to post it).

That’s all for this time folks.

Please do keep ’em coming.

And if today is the day you blow the dust of your old locos and find some track too, the Beginner’s Guide is here.

Best

Al

PS Latest ebay cheat sheet is here.

PPS More HO scale train layouts here if that’s your thing.

Need buildings for your layout? Have a look at the Silly Discount bundle.