Bill,
That came out fantastic. What an awesome looking display. 
Very Impressive! Well done! Perhaps an article in a magazine with details?
Looks amazing great job
Bill,
Just one week? Wow! Your Christmas Tree is a really impressive! I hope you'll be posting video of the operation soon.
That turned out really nice. Looks great! I would have thought you started in like August or something, doing that all in one week makes it even more impressive. Looks like a LOT of work too! Great project, I hope all who get to see it really enjoy it and appreciate the work you went through to create it.
That is amazing! Where and when in the display going to be set-up? I gotta get pics of this!
--Greg
I would love to see the drawings of the schematic in greater detail. This would be a really fun project to build for my town fundraiser train exhibit.
Originally Posted by Ray of sunshine:
Truly one of the best, if not the best train project ever developed. Deserves to be fully covered in OGR MAG...
I sent an e-mail to Bill early this morning to explore just such a possibility. The construction and final result would make a fine multi-page article for the pre-holiday season in 2015.
A big thanks for all the kind words. I found the whole idea to be a challenge that I just couldn’t resist. Gotta put that architectural design degree to some use. Thanks goes out to my father, Harry and John D. for burning the midnight oil with me during one of several long evening/mornings, and Mike H. and my son Billy Jr. for help setting it up at the display location.
The Henning’s Christmas Tree Layout is on display in the front window at the Lansdale Holiday Trees Display at 810 West Main Street Lansdale, PA. Open from November 28 – December 21, Thursday & Fridays 5:30pm – 7:30pm, Saturdays 10:00am – 1:00pm
I did document much of the construction for the purpose of sharing it as a future OGR magazine article, assuming it all worked correctly. Which it appears as it does. In the article I will give the plans and detailed information to build the Christmas Tree Layout. And I’ll share the problems and solutions that arose during construction. I can tell you this, it sure uses a lot of Lionel FasTrack.
I’ll get a few finished pictures and a video clip up shortly.
Thanks again, Bill
Below is from the Lansdale Holiday Trees Display program booklet.
Attachments
Images (1)
Originally Posted by Bill Henning:
I did document much of the construction for the purpose of sharing it as a future OGR magazine article, assuming it all worked correctly. Which it appears as it does. In the article I will give the plans and detailed information to build the Christmas Tree Layout. And I’ll share the problems and solutions that arose during construction. I can tell you this, it sure uses a lot of Lionel FasTrack.
Excellent! Outstanding, in fact!
It will make a great pre-holiday feature for 2015! I will schedule it to run far enough in advance for folks to take advantage of the information to build one for themselves.
Heck, I may even try to make one myself if my plans for a holiday fundraising effort materialize for next year (didn't work out this year because I have been spending nearly all of my "off time" volunteering with an animal shelter). I'm up to my ears in curved sections of FasTrack, so that part won't be a problem. All that might mess me up will be my lack of woodworking skills (and proper tools).
I kind of remember TW TrainWorks doing something like this for a holiday layout a couple of years ago. But the difference is that this is their job, they get paid to do it, and they are skilled at it. So the fact that you could just whip something like this out is very commendable. Just figuring out the helix itself is hard enough to do but then to build all of that too within a week is just incredible.
The problem with this is how in the h*** are you going to top yourself next year? You have no one to blame but yourself for that problem! Great job.
This is great!!!!
The Trainwox has 3 levels, not up and down. Don't get me wrong, the Trainwox tree train is great, I may get one later.
This tree layout is wonderful, up and down WOW
Brent
You got er done! You da man!
Originally Posted by Bill Henning:
... I decided I would tackle an idea I had always wanted to attempt. To have a train not only circle the tree but to climb it as well, and then come back down.
...Bill, outstanding job!!! As the acronym goes... PFM. Pure (don't ask) Magic. Kids and Adults are gonna LOVE it!!!
Can't wait to see this in person. 
David
Bill you really outdid yourself on this one,unbelievable amazing workmanship. Lionel thought they had something with their dealer displays you outdid them all.
Bill,
That is so cool it ought to be illegal. Wish I lived closer to be able to see it running.
Ed
Nice work!
al K.
As said by many, this is absolutely amazing! That is a tremendous amount of work, time, and money to go through for a Christmas tree display. I'm impressed.
I only hope I can get to Lansdale to see this engineering feat!
Love it! I'd pay for the plans to that.
Can't say much more than already has been said.
Absolutely Outstanding!
-Dave
Wow - what a fantastic Christmas train display, Bill! Congratulations on a fine job. This will make the 2014 Christmas experience for many people - young and not so young - one that they will remember for a long time. I understand the amount of planning and effort that went into making it happen, and very much appreciate that you are willing to share the plans. And for Alan, I appreciate your saying you will run it early next year in OGR.
[I wish I lived closer to see it in person.]
What a wonderful display you have created! You should be quite proud of you accomplishment!
Al
I loved it, a very clever, classy way to do a Christmas layout!
Living in a modular home, with limited living room space this layout would be perfect. Any chance of getting plans? ��
Yes Bill "Yu DA MAN". Just for all us folks that live all of the US, and other parts of the world. Could you make a "You Tube" of it running where ever you are going to have it set up?
I want one of your plans so I can build one for my wife's class room where she teaches school.......We all commend you on your Christmas layout, that even beats the one from my memory of a model train running in the downtown Sears & Roebuck Store in Louisville, Ky way back in the late 40's and 50's......Thanks for sharing........ Brandy!
Superb idea...beautifully executed.
I could see this being done as a ready to assemble kit and also scaled down for smaller gauge. A Z scale version would make a great tabletop centerpiece. 
Great!!! Can't wait to see a video
Video added, see first post.
I hear music.....black screen.......me only????
Hmmm? Not sure.
I think it takes a little longer for ShutterFly videos to load and buffer than what people are use to on YouTube. A little patience pays off though.
Marvelous Bill, I've always been fascinated with helixes and spirals, you've engineered and built the best of them all. Can't wait to see the article in the magazine; if I read no other, yours will make the full years subscription well worth it.
I'd love to know what was going through your mind as the Polar Express made its first descent down the inside helix.
Are you using any type of speed control?
Simply using two Lionel transformers, one for going up the hill and one for going down. Easy way to be able to adjust each individually for just the right speeds.
Originally Posted by Bill Henning:
Simply using two Lionel transformers, one for going up the hill and one for going down. Easy way to be able to adjust each individually for just the right speeds.
That's sorta what we're doing; using three channels off a zw one to activate a relay, one set at 18 volts for the ascent and the other at ? for the descent. I keep trying to push the voltage up for the descent so far I'm up to 14v. but than our descent is only twice around and half of that is on O48.
I thought it was fantastic before I watched the video. Truly awesome.
Joe
fabulous, outstanding!
Ingenious! Very well done. I can't say that I have ever seen one so clever.
That is such a fantastic way to display a Christmas tree train. Well played sir.
Frank Spor
Bill, as outstanding as the photos were of the fabrication and static display once finished were, the video w/ soundtrack is over-the-top GREAT!!!
Lionel and Dept. 56 should establish a cross-marketing program next Christmas using your "TREE" as the focal point.
Well, I can only add my 2 cents worth, and the only word that comes to mind is:
supercalifragilisticexpialidocious!!!!
