Woodsy,
Every year I try to do something a bit different with the holiday layouts. This year I wanted two things:
- I wanted a Hogwarts Express
- I wanted to try and use some of my larger buildings, just to see how they would fit on the small 4'x6' table I have
The Hogwarts Express turned out to be a fail. I bought Lionel's cheapest, bottom of the line, battery operated set and it just wasn't suitable for what I had in mind.
While the engine and cars were able to ride on 3-rail O-gauge track their bodies were more compatible with the smaller S-scale trains. Also, Lionel's cheapest version is also not an accurate copy of the real Hogwarts Express.
The toy is an A1/A3 class 2-6-2 with 4-wheel tender while the real one is a Hall class 4-6-0 Pacific with 6-wheel tender. Lionel makes a good O-gauge electric version of the Hogwarts Express but at ca$400 for the set, I had to pass it up this year.
Instead, I opted for my trusted Lionel LionChief Polar Express. I have the early LionChief version with black roofed cars (vs. the simulated snow-covered roofs of later versions). Also, the fireman figure in the early version sets is missing his l-o-n-g red beard as seen in the movie.
Later versions of the set corrected this error. I also acquired the last car Lionel made for this particular series. The boxed set included an engine, tender, and three cars plus Lionel offered four separate sale cars making for a 7-car consist. I was missing the diner car - aka the hot cholate car - and now I have it.
The larger sized buildings worked great and look just fine with the O-gauge train. I was going to add a couple of German Schreiber Bogen large playhouses (cardstock kits) but never got around to assembling them.
The left side of the layout is a happy mixture of North Pole, Polar Express, Grinch and other figures and accessories as well as the large buildings.
The right side of the layout is a forest. It could probably use some figures to make it more of an enchanted forest but for now I'm okay with it.
Quite frankly guys, The Cave has so many Christmas decorations I could turn the entire living room into a Christmas train display!
In past years I used poly fiber batting as snow ground cover. As nice as that stuff looks as 'snow', it's next to impossible to get small figures, tress, and accessories to stand up on it. This year I covered the board with a plain white tablecloth - works just fine!
From The North Pole Vegas Annex
Ed
Enjoy!
A beautiful display, which brings back many fond memories. SFZ
ReplyDeleteMany thanx Zigg! It's funny but even though my dad loved trains and he bought me an American Flyer train set, we never had a train running around the Christmas tree.
DeleteI'm loving your bigger scale buildings, and that black and white shot gives the layout a real 'old Hollywood movie' vibe, like a Christmas feel good film from the 1940s.
ReplyDeleteFabulous !
Thanx Mish! Yeah, the larger size buildings is a look I'm happy with as well and maybe I'll get off my keester and build the Schreiber-Bogen kits I have so as to expand the village.
DeleteStunning Christmas layouts Ed! Really quite beautiful I agree. My fave shot is the first with the loco turning through the crystal fir forest! Very polar express!
ReplyDeleteThanx Woodsy! That photo has turned out to be a fav on the fb groups as well. I r--e-a-l-l-y like the acrylic LED tress!! When they're all turned on and the colors changing (on most of them), it really is a wonderful light display.
DeleteLovely stuff! Childhood Christmases were blown glass, incandescent bulbs. Today, most displays are multi coloured LEDs. They have a brighter, crisper feel, but also a magic all of their own.
ReplyDeleteTo see them pulsing away en-mass, still creates a wonderful Festive feeling!
Thanx Lewis! When growing up, our light show was provided courtesy of those bubbling lights - the kind with a bulbous plastic bottom and tall, thin glass bulb. It worked on the same principle as bubbling water towers from Lionel and Marx.
DeleteYour Christmas railway layouts really are magical. Love them.
ReplyDeleteMany Thanx Paul! I love doing them as well - and am always thinking of different ways to highlight some of my collection.
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