2015 Christmas Layouts...Let's see your photos!

Sorry, I forgot that the group Christmas Layout thread existed.

Not much of a Winter theme this year.  We instead built a loose interpretation of the Ozzie and Harriet layout in postwar style on a 5x9 ping-pong table.

Painted muslin is the topsheet. The original plan was to have it sit directly on the table top and just fish the wires under the fabric. That quickly proved to be too difficult so the foam sub-bed was added.

We glued sections of 2" thick sheet foam to make a sub layer and added scrap pieces as risers to provide underside airspace for wiring. All wiring was done before moving the foam onto the table.

All tubular track, switches and postwar repro accessories.

Merry Christmas All!

Mike

Still a work in progress but getting a lot closer.

EddieZ posted:

Hi, When we are done with our setup we video it, edit it and add music.  This years edition is now done.  Please enjoy!  The first 7 minutes is the layout.  The last 7 minutes are the Hallmark Musical Animated Figures.   If you go to our youtube channel you can see our video from last year and the one we did for Halloween.

EddieZ

Ecto-1, nice touch!

Here are pics of my Polar Express Layout

OGR Ad Man posted:

SKIP...tell us more about that building!!  The dimensions, etc.    I love it!!  Send it to me NOW!!!  WOW!!

Alan

You will be hearing more about it shortly Alan. It's a selectively compressed cardboard representation of 30 Rockefeller Plaza. It's 42 " tall but close to O scale as far as doors and windows etc.

A few photos of the 2015 layout

Hey PCRR/Dave,  Are you sure you have enough transformers for that layout?  Ha Ha!

Looks great!

Thank you all for posting these great photos of your great Christmas layouts. Sometimes when I have a few minutes to myself, I scroll through all the pages of this thread and I can't help but feel the Christmas spirit!!! Thanks again and keep them coming.

We realized the kids hate opening presents and being whisked off to the next house with no time to enjoy their new toys so the other night we made breakfast for dinner, put the kids in their pajamas and had Christmas.  Now the boys have time to thoroughly enjoy Thomas and Percy!

graz posted:

Sorry, I forgot that the group Christmas Layout thread existed.

Not much of a Winter theme this year.  We instead built a loose interpretation of the Ozzie and Harriet layout in postwar style on a 5x9 ping-pong table.

Painted muslin is the topsheet. The original plan was to have it sit directly on the table top and just fish the wires under the fabric. That quickly proved to be too difficult so the foam sub-bed was added.

We glued sections of 2" thick sheet foam to make a sub layer and added scrap pieces as risers to provide underside airspace for wiring. All wiring was done before moving the foam onto the table.

All tubular track, switches and postwar repro accessories.

Merry Christmas All!

Mike

 

Gorgeous!  This is what Lionel trains really are all about.  The environment is perfect too!

Pete

Thanks Pete. Yeah, the unfinished basement pretty much completes the picture!

It's amazing how much wiring is required for a rather modest size layout with some switches and accessories. 

Here's my small Christmas layout. It's just 3 x 4 feet but i can run most stuff on it . Its mainly a piece of scrap plywood on paint cans with a upside-down popcorn tin supporting the small fiber optic tree with a sheet and batting over it plus a few trees and pre/postwar accessories. Over the years,  simpler is better especially with the feline observers. The Alaska Beep/caboose combo adds to the whole thing ..bringing supplies to a remote frozen land with the 494 tower guarding a nearby airstrip...

Peter

Ok, here's my very, very small contribution.  We just moved into a new house and I've had two eye surgeries in the past month (like GRJ)  so our efforts on trains have been limited.  This first train is under our principal Christmas tree.  The train has been in storage for over twenty years but started right up and is running smoothly.  I know, it's G gauge.  Hope to have a little of O gauge before Christmas.  

Thanks to everyone who has posted here.  You are, all, an inspiration to better things in the future.  Plus, your efforts are most enjoyable during this season.  Merry Christmas to all!

Attached is a video of my Christmas layout this year.  It includes a little bit of everything from original tinplate to a modern trolley; American Flyer and MTH motive power, Lionel & K-Line accessories; standard gauge and Superstreets O gauge track plus other non-train accessories and seasonal scenery.

Enjoy,

Bill

I'm still hoping for my own version of the "Polar Mountain & Warren".  I like the modified 3x around the tree plan but if I make the curves big enough to handle my Lionel Berk, it makes the layout too big for the living room.  We'll have to see.  Time's running out.

Every day is Christmas on the layouts corner module Winter scene!

Ladies & Gentlemen,

    The construction on the PCRR Christmas layout has finally reached it's completion, we are real happy with this years Christmas layout, we completely reverted into the Child like Brick Skirting and Pre-War Wooden colored fencing, and my wife is very happy with her Ceramic  Christmas Village this year.  There is a lot to see in this busy little village, from the Pittsburgh Street Car to a Masonic Double header 1959 Northern Pacific Passenger Train, to a Lionel Scale Legacy Northern Pacific Military Train, and of Course the 263E Work Train, along with our lighted Santa's at the back of the layout under the Pa Tweety & Sylvester bumper Car on the 3rd level.   As usual it's been a pleasure building the Christmas layout and interfacing with all the OGR members.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours and have fun with your layouts!

One final word, we have Military people in Harms Way again this Christmas Season I ask you to remember to pray for them.

God's Speed Gentlemen,

PCRR/Dave

mighty fine Dave!

Here are some photos of our 4-ft by 8-ft O-gauge layout.  The town of Georgewood has lights on some of the buildings including the Municipal / Police Building and the Fire Station.  The three-story condo building owned and maintained by Ms. MacGruder has lights as well.

Our Christmas rolling stock includes a candy cane stake car, Frosty the Snowman with Santa box car, a Frosty the Snowman and Karen gondola car, and reindeer stake car.  See attached daylight and nighttime videos.

Happy Holidays to y'all from the Georgia Jayhawk!

Well, the video was too big for my earlier post.  Here's the daylight version our holiday rolling stock.

They are all great!!  Here is mine.

EXCELLENT job, Dave, and quite unique.  I love that NP military train.  I'm trying to build a military train (WWII era) myself, as a tribute to our military and veterans.  Any chance you'll post a video?  Would love to see you layout in motion.  In any case, thanks for posting.

The 2015 picture....

Ron L,

    Never took a Video with a regular digital camera in my life, probably should learn how. Took thousands of crime scene photos down thru the years, however.  I do have a pair of video sport glasses up in Potter/Tioga that I use for dog Training, should probably bring them down here during the Christmas season, for doing videos of the Christmas layout.  When I get them home here, I will try to put something together for you to see.  Glad you liked the photo's however.

PCRR/Dave

Mark,

   Your Christmas FasTrack layout is exceptionally nice this year, congrats on an outstanding job!

Gilly,

    Love the under the tree FasTrack layout, absolutely classic design!!  Shouts for a Tin Plate Christmas Train to run on it!

PCRR/Dave

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Mark,

   Your Christmas FasTrack layout is exceptionally nice this year, congrats on an outstanding job!

 

Gilly,

    Love the under the tree FasTrack layout, absolutely classic design!!  Shouts for a Tin Plate Christmas Train to run on it!

 

PCRR/Dave

Dave,

Thank you very much!  I am pleased with the results, considering how fast I put it together.  I tried to have the business section of town on the lower front level, then the residential area is on the heights on the left.  We have some smaller scale houses which I put behind the others giving a bit of forced perspective.  The bridge over the skating pond and mountain make a transition to the rural area with the farm and two story log house in the far right pine forest.  I plan to take and post a few more close up photos of the different scenes.

Not an operating layout, but I display my Mom's Lionel Jr.  With my village on the mantle. 

My wife LAN and I have been swamped within our careers this year trying to get our trains up and running but we never give up! She has really taken the ball this time around with doing some awesome weathering of those shiny buildings and spotlights, and her creation of the American band scene and illuminated ice skating rink really take the cake as far as modeling goes, what a great imagineer and so artistic, I think we have finally found something in common in our marriage that we can deeply enjoy together. We just wanted to thank OGR for sponsoring this forum and for all of you train guys out there for sharing you holiday layouts with us, it is truly inspirational and kindles that fire within us to keep moving forward with ours even though the time is running out. We figure since it's so warm this season, taking the Harley to Christmas dinner, feb 14th might be a more realistic completion date and by then the weather will feel more like Christmas. We both want to thank you again for the "likes" and all of the wonderful comments and we want to sincerely wish you and your family's a joy filled holiday season! Many blessings to you ALL. 

Sincerely

John & Lan

RDEAL, Thanks for the reply although I'm still to green in thr forum to understand what the point system means? I'm not here for points, i'm here for the real deal of human acquaintance because this world today is so fake and so unreal. What you said reminded me of my beginning into toy trains thus my drug store window theme of our layout after losing the basement. At Christmas 1965 I was 5 and still didn't have that coveted train set that all the other kids had, and on the eve of that celebration my mom was heavy with a child and had to go to the hospital so my sister and I got trucked over to grandmas with a couple of "C" cells to make it through the evening. As I recollect there were a lot of big packages under the tree at home and as a kid you just have to wonder if it was there this year right? I hope all in the forum can relate!  Actually this would be a good topic "How did you receive your first trains"  lol  So mom went to the hospital, and dad disappeared from grandmas as well, we did our briefe Christmas opening of gifts and all was good, and my little brother was born, what a gift at the time before ultrasound etc... I had a BRO!   lol   and I'm white!!  lol  lol   Dad came back from the hospital late and I was still busy playing with my stupid folded metal tabbed "C" cell rocket with flashing lights and he said "Come with me"...  We went back to our home, he had me open up this huge package that had a HO UP trainset, as soon as I ripped the paper off and expressed the joy, it was back to grandmas and the train stayed home. At that young age in life, after waiting 5 years for a train, in a way it felt like it was taken away from me, even though at the time I didn't understand what it must have been like for dad after a busy day at work and a pregnant wife giving birth, and trying to please his other children must have felt like inside his spirit. As a child I never truly felt ripped off by any means, but yet waiting for the ultimate gift, opening it, then being separated from it does take its toll on the brain cells. Never the less I learned an early lesson in life at a very young age of 5, DON't EVER let anyone take your trains away from you!!!!   lol  What a ridiculous impact it had on my life, my modeling, my train layouts over the years, and who I am today! Thanks Dad and the OGRRForum for listening and please tell us your story..   

Best Wishes

JJB

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Gilly,

    Love the under the tree FasTrack layout, absolutely classic design!!  Shouts for a Tin Plate Christmas Train to run on it!

 PCRR/Dave

Dave, thank you for your kind words. It would have been nice to have seen a train run on it. Maybe next year.

KUNDE,

   Your display of the Lionel JR is fantastic, if you do not have time or the space for setting up a running layout this kind of display is great stuff!

Merry Christmas buddy!

PCRR/Dave

John & Lan,

   Looks like some serious progress has taken place on your your layout, looks fantastic so far, Merry Christmas and glad you two have found OGR, looking forward to more great pictures of the layout, as your careers permit.

PCRR/Dave

Gilly,

   Tin Plate Christmas Train next year!

PCRR/Dave

Per OGR Forum members recommendations, sent out a few of these as gifts.

First picture received back of one.

Merry Christmas

Mark Boyce posted:

They are all great!!  Here is mine.

Mark

Love it.  Especially the night photos.  You did a great job on the reconfiguration.  

Pine Creek Railroad posted:

Ladies & Gentlemen,

    The construction on the PCRR Christmas layout has finally reached it's completion, we are real happy with this years Christmas layout, we completely reverted into the Child like Brick Skirting and Pre-War Wooden colored fencing, and my wife is very happy with her Ceramic  Christmas Village this year.  There is a lot to see in this busy little village, from the Pittsburgh Street Car to a Masonic Double header 1959 Northern Pacific Passenger Train, to a Lionel Scale Legacy Northern Pacific Military Train, and of Course the 263E Work Train, along with our lighted Santa's at the back of the layout under the Pa Tweety & Sylvester bumper Car on the 3rd level.   As usual it's been a pleasure building the Christmas layout and interfacing with all the OGR members.

Merry Christmas from our home to yours and have fun with your layouts!

One final word, we have Military people in Harms Way again this Christmas Season I ask you to remember to pray for them.

God's Speed Gentlemen,

PCRR/Dave

Dave

Defiantly worth the wait.  It looks great.  Hope you have a enough food for all those passenger riding your trains.

BobbyD posted:

Per OGR Forum members recommendations, sent out a few of these as gifts.

First picture of one.

That's great. Can,t go wrong with Thomas.

First...I want to thank Skip for starting this topic....He IS "Mr. Christmas"!

Second...I want to say that every one of these Christmas layouts have something that I like.  They bring back so many good memories.  Thanks to all of you for being in the Christmas spirit and sharing these wonderful pictures!

Here is a picture of our Polar Express layout.  This was a Hallmark production quite a few years ago and we love it!!

Merry Christmas...

Alan