Weekend Photo Fun 12-22-23-??

Normally, I don’t have any Christmas or toy type train photos to post. But  this year I do. I actually celebrate Hanukkah but several years ago I purchased and set up a little toy train around the Christmas tree for a friend of mine. They set it up every year and here is a picture of it. I thought you might all enjoy seeing it!

A very, very unexpected gift.

Happy Holidays y'all

www.youtube.com/trainbros89

And for this holiday season, I thought I would post my all-time favorite image of my layout, which I confess, I have posted here occasionally in the past. It is a picture of Port Royal station as it appeared in 1957. By this time it was out of service, but still standing. I just love this picture, because of the composition and the mood. This is one of the best skyscapes I have ever painted as well with all the distant clouds and haze. I never get tired of looking at this picture, and even though it is not a holiday picture, I hope you enjoy it. Happy holidays to all of you!

Neal,

I agree, I also like looking at that shot.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Joe, I totally agree, that shot is terrific.  Neal, that is a tremendous job on the color of the sky and the clouds, I really love looking at clouds.  I got a charge out of your tree with the train around it, when you said you didn't normally celebrate Christmas, my wife is the CFO of a Jewish Middle School and she is Catholic and I'm Methodist, I don't have a train around my tree but she told me the other day that it was hard not being able to have any Christmas decorations in her office.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Not quite ready to start posting images for "A 2023 Christmas Layout memory".  So here are two 9-second videos showing 2 "activities" on this year's 2023 Christmas layout.

- walt

Controlled using insulated rails and a relay

occupancy light changing

also Controlled using insulated rails.  watch the Santa shed, NOT the train

Santa shed

This one is controlled using a timing device that turns the lights on for 'x' seconds and then off for 'y' seconds.  No video obviously

My new Lionel Legacy I1s at work:

@Norm Charbonneau - Absolutely beautiful Norm.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Scott Smith

@Norm Charbonneau posted:

My new Lionel Legacy I1s at work:

Wow! You got those weathered fast Norm. They look great! And I’m sure they were much easier to do than the mikados now that the color has been corrected.

@walt rapp posted:

Not quite ready to start posting images for "A 2023 Christmas Layout memory".  So here are two 9-second videos showing 2 "activities" on this year's 2023 Christmas layout.

- walt

Controlled using insulated rails and a relay

occupancy light changing

also Controlled using insulated rails.  watch the Santa shed, NOT the train

Santa shed

Very interesting thread, Walt. Just like you, I use relays to control my signals. I started doing it when I was a teenager, and though my system has become much more sophisticated since then, the basic principal remains the same (allowing the wheel sets to ground the two outer rails) because you cannot do that with two rail trains. This is in large part why I went back to three rail after a decade in HO. They are a real pain in the neck to signal.

@NJCJOE posted:

Neal,

I agree, I also like looking at that shot.

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Thanks for your nice comment along with all the other comments you’ve made on my posts in the past. Have a merry Christmas!

@J. Motts posted:

Joe, I totally agree, that shot is terrific.  Neal, that is a tremendous job on the color of the sky and the clouds, I really love looking at clouds.  I got a charge out of your tree with the train around it, when you said you didn't normally celebrate Christmas, my wife is the CFO of a Jewish Middle School and she is Catholic and I'm Methodist, I don't have a train around my tree but she told me the other day that it was hard not being able to have any Christmas decorations in her office.  Have a great weekend everyone.

Hey thanks for the interesting story. I was actually quite excited to set up a train around my friend’s Christmas tree. And the starter engine in the set was quite nice. I actually got my first Lionel set in 1960 and my dad set up a platform for us every year and the basement for Hanukkah! And not surprisingly I still have that set after all these years though it doesn’t exactly fit with my current layout, now does it? LOL

Week 3 at the Great Big GreenHouse continues to be a blast!

Many people have seen this picture before.....of MAX's cousin Winnie helping out with the MAX FOODS advertising campaign. The next picture is from 2019, followed by a picture of the current placement. Winnie was here last Saturday signing autographs (with her paw) and seeing Santa and getting a picture....

Have a great and safe Christmas & Holiday weekend, everyone!

Peter

Custom build Boom Car.  Did the laser work myself.  The crane is a Pat's Trains special that was also my project.

@MichRR714 posted:

Custom build Boom Car.  Did the laser work myself.  The crane is a Pat's Trains special that was also my project.

Well done!

Peter

A few short videos from last weekend.......

Have a great and safe Holiday, folks!

Peter

I installed an MTH end of train device yesterday that I bought from a Forum member:

@Putnam Division posted:

Week 3 at the Great Big GreenHouse continues to be a blast!

Many people have seen this picture before.....of MAX's cousin Winnie helping out with the MAX FOODS advertising campaign. The next picture is from 2019, followed by a picture of the current placement. Winnie was here last Saturday signing autographs (with her paw) and seeing Santa and getting a picture....

Have a great and safe Christmas & Holiday weekend, everyone!

Peter

Gosh Peter,

This was a tough one this weekend. I would have to say the non-train photos won me over today. The baby has a striking resemblance to photos you have shown of your son when he was just a boy.

Dave

Thanks Scott to for getting us started for this holiday weekend!    Tis the season and it's bizzzzzzie!!!!   Wishing everyone a Merry Christmas!!!

Railway Express Agency workers are super busy unloading/loading last minute gifts so they will arrive before Christmas Day.  Off course Otto the truck driver is taking a break as he leans against the front bumper of his delivery truck.

Lots of packages!!

Meanwhile on the Free State Junction Mountain Division MOW workers are battling the remains of fierce winter storm that moved through yesterday through last night.

The flanger is getting a good work out.  That's for sure!!

It's Christmas weekend.......many of us have memories of getting their 1st train at Christmas, and many of us still have their 1st train.....if you have a picture or a video of your 1st train, please share it on Photo Fun this weekend.....

Here is mine. The New HAven AB F3 freight set from 1958.

Peter

What is left from the set Santa brought ud my Dad and Me Christmas 1947.

From which IT all started!

Ron

Wishing all joy, peace, and good health this Christmas.

At Peter's request here are some pics of my first locomotive .. a Lionel 2065 Hudson just as Santa brought it to me on Christmas morning 1957!  The 2065 still runs great and the set that came with it ... operating milk car, operating log dump car, operating NYC Pacemaker boxcar, Sunoco 3 dome tank car and Lionel Lines lighted caboose all are in great working order too.  

This pic shows the nose of the 2065 and also the front half of my second locomotive ... a Lionel Santa Fe ALCO FA number 218.  This unit came with an unpowered " dummy " A unit.  

Here the 2065 sits on my current layout.  

Here's a few more from my 2023 Christmas/Holiday layout:

Rob

@scott.smith posted:

Scott Smith

Scott, that restoration/repaint is top notch!

Peter

@trumpettrain posted:

At Peter's request here are some pics of my first locomotive .. a Lionel 2065 Hudson just as Santa brought it to me on Christmas morning 1957!  The 2065 still runs great and the set that came with it ... operating milk car, operating log dump car, operating NYC Pacemaker boxcar, Sunoco 3 dome tank car and Lionel Lines lighted caboose all are in great working order too.  

This pic shows the nose of the 2065 and also the front half of my second locomotive ... a Lionel Santa Fe ALCO FA number 218.  This unit came with an unpowered " dummy " A unit.  

Here the 2065 sits on my current layout.  

Very special.....thank you, Patrick!

Peter

@trumpettrain the pictures that  you posted this weekend are perfect to go along with my question that I asked you in the 'winter layout' thread

walt

New to me, a 40 foot flat car

running with the SGMA at Winterthur yesterday…

Hello PRRMiddleDivision and group. I finally just got around to reading last week's, Weekend Photo Fun 12-15-23?? and saw your post about PA 45. I always enjoy seeing your post as it brings back memories of when I drove truck over the road. I used to drive a Food Grade Tanker and many a time I picked up a load of milk from a dairy farm off of Pa 45 near Spruce Creek next to the Gun Club on Gun Club Lane.

You are so right, it's such a beautiful area. As Bob Hope would say: Thanks for The Memories.

russ

Wishing all of you a safe, healthy and Merry Christmas.

@Putnam Division posted:

It's Christmas weekend.......many of us have memories of getting their 1st train at Christmas, and many of us still have their 1st train.....if you have a picture or a video of your 1st train, please share it on Photo Fun this weekend.....

Peter

Great idea, @Putnam Division, Peter.

Here's is my original 675 that my WWII US ARMY vet Dad bought in 1947 or 48. It's pulling some Polar Express cars on the club's travelling layout. I enjoy telling folks how it runs beautifully at 75 years old!

@Pingman posted:

Great idea, @Putnam Division, Peter.

Here's is my original 675 that my WWII US ARMY vet Dad bought in 1947 or 48. It's pulling some Polar Express cars on the club's travelling layout. I enjoy telling folks how it runs beautifully at 75 years old!

Special and beautiful, Carl!

Peter

From my shelf “layout”

@Trainbros89 posted:

Really great, Greg!

Peter

Merry Christmas!

Photo is mine.

custom made cars