Tracks in the Snow

Seeing Ed's cardboard fireplace and Wills deformed coach, I thought I would post a couple of pics of part of the xmas decorations I have been putting up at home.

I always try and make a simple tableau somewhere in the house, using bottlebrush trees, small wooden figures and other accessories, but this year I decided to include a kind of Polar Express theme, with a small train running along the mantel.

Supported on my Hot Wheels Sizzlers Track Bridges, is a small tinplate clockwork streamliner by French manufacturer JEP. The Aerodynamique, as I think it's called, brings to mind the fabulous art deco style engines built for speed and power. This little beauty, given to me last Xmas by Paul V, is a clockwork engine with a detachable tender, a litho printed coach and a mail coach at the rear. The set comes with a simple tin tunnel, a tiny station and a water tank flat. The gorgeous wooden Signal Box is a different brand, but was kindly included by Paul to complete the set.

 The little plastic houses are German and courtesy of Woodsy's car boot foraging and the trees are standard Xmas decorations, but made in the classic ‘bottlebrush’ style, so common in the sixties.

Using the fairy lights around the walls and some crepe paper, I tried to make quick tabletop diorama with a Northern Lights feel, but alas my head cold is draining any enthusiasm I have and it’s not worked as well as it might.

Here are some pics of the Aerodynamique, its rolling stock and my other Japanese battery tinplates.

The brown Brick wagon with load is a Hornby Dublo wagon, the blue Gondola is Triang and the stake car with logs is an unknown brand. Some of the Bandai models have had the bogies swapped out for plastic OO/HO ones, so they will run on standard track, but I’ve so far been unable to find any originals to replace them.

The yellow Shell tanker is an odd Trix model that I won in a larger set, but decided to resell.

The Bandai Caboose is almost identical to the B&O one, but smaller and simpler.