Christmas Trees and Trains

[JoeyGee]

How many have trains under their trees? I've always wondered why we do that. My parents never had one. I was never interested in trains, but I have always loved Legos. It was a great excuse to buy a Lego train.

I have had a Lego train under my tree (a 6v 3225 for the AFOL's in the audience...) and my kids love it. They are all now old enough that I don't worry about them playing with it without destroying it. I'm thinking of making a matching village for the tree this year .

What is under your tree? I'm sure there has to be some pretty cool setups.

[Jim Frye]

Round & Round...

When I was 3 years old, I received a Lionel Union Pacific diesel freight set for Christmas. It went under the Christmas tree every year. I played with it all year long, but for the Christmas season, it became part of the decorations. Years later, as a teenager, I (stupidly) sold the engines. When my son was 4 years old, we bought him a Lionel Cannonball steam train set for Christmas and it became part of the Christmas decorations also. It is still in its original box for safe keeping. When our Grandson was 4 years old, I purchased an MTH 2-8-0 Steam Locomotive with ProtoSound and smoke, an oval of Lionel FasTrack, and a new transformer for under the Christmas tree at our house. I dragged out some freight cars I had saved from my childhood to use with the new engine. He also received a Lionel Polar Express set from Santa Clause for his house. Our Granddaughter loves to play with the new train (she's almost 3 now). I don't where or when the tradition started, but I'm going to keep it going as long as I can. Yeah, I'm a train nut too.

[Knottscott]

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to pull out my father's 1939 Lionel O gauge train set and put it around the tree. Wow, that things built like a tank!

[Uncle Cracker]

Never had a train... Sometimes didn't even have a tree. For my folks, getting food on the table was the more pressing need.

[cabinetman]

We had a set up of Lionel HO (I think) on a ping pong sized table. There were buildings stations mountains, bridges...cool stuff. I don't know what happened to it.
.

[thestinker]

I started getting the old Lionel trains when I was about 8 or 9. Once my kiddos get a tad older then maybe they can come out to be used as decorations.

Riley

[Richard in Smithville]

We had a train one year running around the tree but the cat kept attacking it. We put a couple of train ornaments on the tree instead. Perhaps I'll pull the train out one of these days.

[BobSch]

My 1950s vintage Lionel O-27 gauge steam freight train is under our tree every year.

A lot of memories in that train of time spent with my dad.

[ironhat]

I have had an O-gauge, Happy Time train(think, cheaper Lionell). My father worked on the railroad so it was a natural fit - for me anyway.

[JSUPreston]

Never had a train... Sometimes didn't even have a tree. For my folks, getting food on the table was the more pressing need.

Cracker, I know all too well what you mean. Fortunately, my kids don't have to worry about what you and I did as kids. That being said, I make sure there is a train under the tree. This year, I may pull Thomas the Tank Engine Lionel set out. Usually we use a plastic battery powered set.

[Thalermade]

My parents never had a train at Christmas time for the family

We have a plastic train that runs on batteries we use, well we did until our dog tried chasing it. So I guess it has been about 8 years since we had a train under our tree.

Not to derail, maybe just switch tracks, this thread - How many communities have a big model train display set up for Christmas? Here is the link to the display in Cincinnati .
The display, one of the largest portable models in the world, measures 36½ feet by 47½ feet long and is authentic "O" gauge in which a quarter inch on the model is equivalent to one foot on a real train. Rail cars, tracks and buildings are 1/48th actual size. The Duke Energy/CSX display includes approximately 300 train cars and 50 locomotives on 1,000 feet of track. During the holiday season, the trains will run over 100,000 scale miles.

Happy Holidays,
Russ

[herb fellows]

One of our favorite Christmas traditions is to pull out my father's 1939 Lionel O gauge train set and put it around the tree. Wow, that things built like a tank!

Wow! That must be totally awesome! Stuff like this is a testament to the American manufacturing of years gone by. It's really a shame that we have lost that.

[herb fellows]

My 1950s vintage Lionel O-27 gauge steam freight train is under our tree every year.

A lot of memories in that train of time spent with my dad.

Once again, I am extremely envious! those memories are worth their weight in gold! And the way prices for good old American made stuff is going, the trains might be worth their weight in gold also!

[herb fellows]

Cracker, I know all too well what you mean. Fortunately, my kids don't have to worry about what you and I did as kids. That being said, I make sure there is a train under the tree. This year, I may pull Thomas the Tank Engine Lionel set out. Usually we use a plastic battery powered set.

Plus 2 on that. We were homeless before it became a part of the language, I think! Some good memories, but a lot of hard times.

[Jim Frye]

Emma &The Train Under The Tree...

No, Emma the boxer is not trying to end it all, Just tuckered out from watching it.