Does Anybody Have A Setup For Under The Christmas Tree More Complicated Than a Simple Loop?

This is the one that I use, this thread lists what you need for fastrack but it can be done with other brands of track. Its still relatively simple but much more interesting than a basic loop.

Twice Around the Christmas Tree

If you have the space this is what I do with Fastrack. Keeps it interesting with reversing loops and elevation changes.

You might say that mine is a bit more than a loop .  This is one from 2011.  AND you'll notice - there IS a tree!

- walt

Last year I had the configuration on the left with remote Thomas.  This year I will have the arrangement on the right with Thomas and one of his friends (of a different frequency) so both grandkids can run trains at the same time. 

A note to grandparents of young kids.  Very young kids (3-5) can run remote Thomas and learn to put derailed trains back on the track, but they don't seem to be able to master the couplers.   You can convert the couplers on remote Thomas, etc., to the magnetic ball couplers as used on Brio and other wooden toy trains, as shown here: which the kids can master and already know how to use.  The standard Brio ones need to be augmented for the heavier pull of O gauge (button neodymium magnetcs behind the ball magnets) and work fine for trains up to four cars long.  The conversion time now saves countless interruptions on Christmas afternoon - countless.

Nothing wrong with that.  Old school traditional.  I prefer it simple and old school.  I may even run my old Lionel train set when I was a kid under the tree this year, just to add to that old school charm instead of running a Premier Big Boy under the tree.

Several years ago I did a figure 8 that I used for a few years. Mounted with 0-27 track on a 4x8 board pained white and tree on top. I used one of the old transformers that has 2 different power out puts from the one transformer handle control of volts what was it a KW??

I wired so one train would stop (at a station) just before the X crossing track on a dead isolated section of track. I wired the centre rail on this section of track to the higher voltage trasformer output, and a few tracks after the X crossing with the higher voltage output. Outside rails to common but insulated from the rest of the track.

So train #1 would stop at station when outside rails went dead.

Train #2 would run around the other loop running on the lower power output from the transformer to the centre rail, run across the X crossing and when totally clear of the crossing would enter a section of track with one outside rail insulated from the other. Wheels would bridge the gap for this long section of track that would provide power through a wire connecting the dead outside rail wired to the dead section where train 1 was stopped.

As train #1  started it would have the higher power from the middle rail to help it get going, it would take off across the X crossing while train #2 followed and stopped at the station.

I wired in a couple of signal lights as well that would change color as the trains started and stopped.

When the kids were young this was great fun. With junker cars that the kids help decorate with bright Christmas Stickers and presents and candy canes and such on the freight cars the kids loved it.

Added a covered tunnel behind the tree where the presents would sit on top of.

Lots of figures, buildings and lights made for lots of action.

Have not been able to fit in the board and figure 8 in later years due to more furniture in the front room, perhaps this year will have to revive the design.

Really makes for a simple active Christmas train theme.