Building Your First Christmas Layout - Part 2
In Part 2 (view Part 1 here) of Building Your First Christmas Layout I offer up some suggestions about starter sets with a few short video clips of some sets I own and touch on layout and scenery design. When all is said and done you should be ready to take on your first Christmas layout project.
Click on the link below to read on
O Gauge Starter Sets
Which starter set would I recommend? For my first O Gauge Christmas layout (2005) I purchased Lionel’s Pennsylvania Flyer Freight set with the passenger car “add on” set. I paid $159 for the starter set (you can find it cheaper) and $89 for the “add on” set. I chose the Lionel Pennsylvania Flyer Freight starter set for several reasons:
- I love the tradition of running a Lionel set under the tree and wanted to continue the tradition by having a Lionel of my own running under the tree.
- A good value for the price. The set includes a locomotive with a headlight, puffing smoke and air whistle. It lists for $199.99 but can be found for much less.
- I have small children under the age of 5 and the inexpensive Lionel starter sets have locomotives and cars without a lot of separately applied details that can easily break. The more expensive Lionel and MTH starter sets were much nicer but I didn’t want to worry about the kids breaking the more expensive trains. Be sure to keep in mind O Gauge trains are meant for children 8 years of age or older. Sure, younger children can operate them and my kids do but never without my supervision.
- I liked the idea of the “add-on” sets Lionel produces to compliment their starter sets. For around $100 you can get additional track, some accessories and additional freight or passenger cars. Lionel offers 2 add-on sets for the Pennsylvania Flyer. I purchased the passenger add-on set to run my starter set as freight train or passenger train.
- I stayed away from the Christmas themed sets because I knew there was a good chance I would want to run trains after the holidays. If you get hooked on O Gauge model trains and want to set up a layout sometime after Christmas, you’ll find yourself wishing for, and most likely buying, a set of non-Christmas themed trains. It’s no fun running a Christmas set in June. I did eventually purchase a holiday set.
There are many varieties of O Gauge stater sets on the market. Most all hobby shops will carry starter sets produced by MTH, Lionel and other manufacturers. Here are some sets I’m familiar with that you may want to consider.
Lionel Starter Sets. Lionel makes a number of starter sets. The lower priced sets like the Pennsylvania Flyer set are great sets for beginners. They are sturdy basic sets and most include locomotives with working headlights, puffing smoke and an air whistle. Lionel also offers sets with digital sounds. Sets with Lionel’s TrainSounds feature include electronics that recreate the sound of the locomotive and the crew running it. Lionel also offers sets with their high end RailSounds and Train Master Command Control (TMCC) digital control system but I would consider the price of these sets to be beyond the top end of what a typical beginner would want to spend.
Lionel’s Polar Express Set - In part 1 when I mentioned the reasons for the increasing popularity of O Gauge trains I failed to mention the Polar Express movie. This set depicts the train in the movie and has been a big seller for Lionel and helped introduce many people to the O Gauge hobby. The set has an MSRP of $279.99 but you should be able to find it cheaper. Although the movie centers around Christmas, you can get away with running the train after Christmas because it’s not decorated in traditional holiday colors. Lionel produces several add-on cars including a baggage car, dining car, “Hot Chocolate” car, Elf hand car and additional figures.
Read a detailed review of Lionel’s Polar Express here.
View a video of Lionel’s Polar Express
Lionel’s New York Central Flyer Set - More expensive than Lionel’s Pennsylvania Flyer set (MSRP $279 but you can find it much cheaper) because it includes TrainSounds. The TrainSounds feature recreates the steam engine sounds and some crew chatter. 2 expansion packs are offered for this set and you may see a few different versions as the previous year’s set is a bit different. In addition to TrainSounds, the locomotive has a headlight, whistle and puffing smoke.
Lionel’s Thomas the Tank Engine Set - This is a great set for children that are fans of Thomas. Children who like playing with the wooden Thomas trains will love this set. If they are anything like my kids, they’ll want to handle the train and push it on and off the tracks (just like the wooden ones) so adult supervision is definitely recommended. The set includes Thomas, Annie and Claribel all of which are sturdy and will stand up to some handling from small children. The set also includes three figures (Sir Topham Hat, Engineer, Conductor) and a set of interchangeable faces for Thomas. No headlight or puffing smoke for Thomas but he does have a whistle. There are 2 expansion packs offered for Thomas plus Lionel offers James and Percy sold separately.
Lionel’s Holiday Tradition Special Set. A very nice set if you want one with a Christmas theme. The set includes a musical box car which plays snippets of Christmas songs. A nice touch but the novelty of hearing the Christmas songs over and over grows old real fast (you can turn the music off). The set also includes an animated gondola car with an elf and reindeer running around the car as it moves. Lionel also has a North Pole Central set that includes the musical box car and animated gondola. The locomotives in both sets have a headlight, puffing smoke and Santa as the engineer. Lionel’s 2006 Christmas catalog is filled with add-on cars and accessories to compliment both sets.
MTH “RailKing” Starter Sets. Like Lionel, MTH makes a number of starter sets. MTH entry level starter sets are more expensive than Lionel’s Pennsylvania Flyer or New York Central Flyer sets because the locomotive and cars in MTH sets have a higher level of detail and they all have digital sound capabilities. All MTH locomotives in these sets come with working headlights, digital whistles/horns and puffing smoke (in my opinion, MTH locomotives have the best puffing smoke on the market). Most all MTH sets on the market now days will come equipped with the Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS digital sound and control system. You may also see some sets with the less expensive Loco-Sounds. For the beginner, the most important difference between Loco-Sounds and Proto-Sounds 2.0 is Proto-Sounds 2.0 offers more sound capabilities than Loco-Sounds. With Loco-Sounds you just get digital bell and whistle sounds. With Proto-Sounds 2.0 you get additional passenger station announcements or freight yard chatter and such. Also, locomotives in the sets with Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS have a speed control function which works to keep the train at a constant speed through curves and up hills. Proto-Sound 2.0/DCS equipped locomotives can also take advantage of MTH’s Digital Command System (DCS) which, like Lionel’s TMCC system, is something you may want to consider purchasing if you get real serious about the O Gauge hobby. As a beginner I’m sure you will like the sets with Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS because of their sound capabilities. Watch the video below and see for yourself. Keep in mind that the trains included in both Loco-Sounds and Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS sets will look physically identical with the big difference being the electronic “guts” of the locomotive. The less expensive Loco-Sounds sets are very nice for a beginner layout but I would recommend, if the budget allows, a set with Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS. MTH starter sets equipped with Proto-Sounds 2.0 will have a MSRP around$349.95 but I’ve seen these sets priced as low as $279. Loco-Sounds sets have a MSRP of $279.95 but you should be able to find them priced well below the MSRP.
MTH’s Pennsylvania Passenger set - I own the Proto-Sounds 2.0/DCS version of this set and have been very impressed with it. The locomotive and passenger cars have realistic details and I was hooked on the sounds as soon I saw it running at my local hobby shop. If your budget will allow it, this is a great non Christmas themed set for under the tree. You may also find a freight version of this set. Railroad names like Baltimore & Ohio, Santa Fe and others are also available.
MTH’s 4-6-0 Christmas Set - This is a nice Christmas themed set and is offered in both Proto-Sounds 2.0 and Loco-Sounds versions. Unfortunately there are no animated cars or musical boxcars with this set.
MTH’s Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer Set - This is a strange one to me but if you’re a fan of the Rudolph The Red Nosed Reindeer show it may appeal to you. The Proto-Sounds 2.0 version plays clips from the show.
What’s that smell? You may hear this question when running the puffing smoke feature on the locomotive from your new starter set. Most all of the steam locomotives included in the MTH and Lionel sets will have a puffing smoke feature. This feature can be turned off but it is much more fun to run a toy train when the engine is puffing smoke. The engines use a special fluid that is dropped in the smoke stack of the locomotive to produce smoke. Some people may find the smell of the smoke offensive. Fortunately, there are alternative smoke fluids that have scents like vanilla, peppermint, cedar and others. Most hobby shops will carry the scented smoke fluid so you may want to purchase some if you plan to run your trains with the smoke feature on. One company, JT’s Mega-steam, produces a wide variety of scented smoke fluids and their products are usually available at better trains shops. If not visit the Mega-steam website.
A few words about size. To be thorough I should mention the differences between “traditional O-27″ or “semi-scale” size O Gauge and “scale” size O Gauge trains. As a beginner all you need to know is that traditional O-27/semi-scale size O Gauge locomotives and cars are smaller than scale size. This fact is important to know if you are going to buy additional passenger or freight cars for your starter set. Most all Lionel starter sets below $300 and all the Lionel sets I mentioned above are traditional O-27 size. To confuse matters, MTH’s interpretation of traditional O-27 size is different from Lionel’s. Locomotive and cars included in MTH “RailKing” stater sets are semi-scale which is a little bigger than Lionel’s traditional O-27 size but smaller than scale size. To make it simple, if you buy a Lionel starter set and want to buy addition cars for it, buy Lionel traditional O-27 size cars. If you buy an MTH starter set, buy MTH RailKing semi-scale cars as additions. MTH RailKing semi-scale and Lionel traditional O-27 size cars can be run together but don’t worry about that until after you become more familiar with the hobby. Stay away from scale size cars because most will look too big running with Lionel traditional O-27 or MTH RailKing semi-scale cars.
Track
If you decided to keep it old school with Uncle Fred’s hand me downs you may still need to purchase new track, especially if Uncle Fred stored the set in a damp basement and the track has become rusty. There are way more choices of track than you might think. For beginners I would only recommend a few – Lionel’s O-27 track, Lionel’s O Gauge track, Lionel’s FasTrack or MTH’s RealTrax.
Old School. Lionel’s O-27 and O Gauge track is considered “old school” 3-rail tubular track. FasTrack and RealTrax is the modern evolution of the tubular tracks. Lionel’s O-27 track is very inexpensive ($1 or so a piece for basic straight or curved pieces). Lionel’s O Gauge track is different from their O-27 track in that it has a higher side profile, is sturdier and the quality of the track switches is better. Both types of track are a more difficult to assemble and disassemble than their modern equivalents but if you’re looking to recreate the feeling of a traditional layout, Lionel’s tubular O-27 or O-Gauge track is the best choice.
Modern. Lionel’s FasTrack and MTH’s RealTrax were specifically designed for easy assembly and use on any floor surface because both have a built in “road bed”. Basic FasTrack and RealTrax pieces cost about $3 to $4 each. One big difference between FasTrack and RealTrax is the smallest radius curve offered in FasTrack is 36″. If you are looking to build an oval in a space less than 36″ or so wide you will want to opt for RealTrax or one of the Lionel “tubular” tracks because curves are available in 27″ radius (Lionel O-27) or 31″ radius (MTH RealTrax or Lionel O Gauge). All O Gauge trains (traditional O-27, semi-scale or scale, Lionel, MTH or others) will run on the tracks mentioned above but some locomotives and rolling stock (none of which would be part of a starter set priced below $300) may require larger radius curves to operate.
I’ve had basic experience with both FasTrack and RealTrax and would recommend FasTrack if you are just going to have a small layout around the tree each year. If you think you may eventually expand your railroad to more than just a small Christmas layout, FasTrack is still a good choice. Regardless of your choice, you should be able to find simple pieces (straights or curves) of any of the aforementioned track at most train shops and on-line model train retailers.
One thing to note is the track types I mentioned are not easily interchangeable with one another. If you want to use FasTrack or RealTrax with traditional O-27 or O Gauge tubular track you will need to buy special adapter tracks. I’m not aware of adapter tracks that will allow Lionel’s FasTrack to connect directly to MTH’s RealTrax.
Also, if you already have a starter set with track and want to expand the track layout, just buy track that matches the track from your starter set.
For my 2005 layout I chose Lionel’s O-27 track because the track and switches were inexpensive and it fit the theme of an old time layout I was looking to recreate. I have since decided to convert to MTH RealTrax because I was able to pick up a batch of used RealTrax on eBay for a good price, RealTrax has solid rails (Lionel’s FasTrack are hollow) and RealTrax is available in smaller radius curves. I do think Lionel’s FasTrack is easier to assemble and disassemble and is a better choice if you plan to assemble and disassemble the track often.
Layout Design
The amount of space you have available under the tree will dictate your layout size and track plan. The good news is even a small layout of just 4′ x 6′ can be built with an interesting track plan and be loaded up with plenty of scenery items and accessories to make it fun. If you opt for a simple oval around the tree using the track that came with your starter set directly on the floor you don’t have to put much thought into layout design.
The Platform. Platforms are good because you can fasten the track to them and wires can be hidden underneath them. If you choose to build a platform to place the track and scenery on, the fastest and easiest way to get started is to use a 4′x8′ piece of 3/4″ plywood placed directly on the floor under your Christmas tree. If you need anything smaller, like 4′x6′, home improvement centers will be happy to cut down a 4′x8′ sheet for you. Most all plywood you purchase will be bowed and not flat. Be sure the bow or arch in the wood is facing toward the floor so the weight of the Christmas tree will flatten it out.
When planning the size of your layout platform remember you will need enough room to store it after Christmas. You may have space under the tree for a 4′x8′ platform but no where big enough to store it when Christmas is over.
The Track Plan. You might think your track configuration options are very limited if you use a 4′x6′ or 4′x8′ space but that’s not really true, especially if you have the budget for track switches. Check out these links for some examples:
4′x6′ Track Plans
MTH RealTrax Track Plans
O Gauge Holiday Track Plans
When designing your track plan remember you will need a space for the tree stand on your layout. Also, in most cases, MTH RealTrax can be substituted in plans that call for Lionel “O Gauge” tubular track. For my 2006 Christmas layout I picked a few plans and will try modifying them to accommodate a tree stand. When designing the track plan, place the tree stand on the platform about where it will be so your tree is in the proper position on the layout to fit in the area of the room where it will be displayed. Once you have the stand in place, mark its position and build the track plan around it. One advantage of not using a platform is you can be a little more liberal with track design because you’re not confined to the defined space of a platform.
For my 2005 layout I needed to center the tree in a window so I placed my platform on the floor where it was to be located for Christmas. I estimated how far away the stand would need to be so the tree wouldn’t hit the wall then centered the stand in the window and marked its position. If you use a tree stand with legs as opposed to one with a solid circular base you will pick up some area between the legs to place small buildings and/or scenery. Tree skirts also eat up precious space under the tree and are unnecessary when there’s a beautiful train running under the tree.
Once you have the track laid you could fasten it to the platform with small screws (not nails) as all track will have screw mounting holes. For my 2006 layout I will be laying my MTH RealTrax track on my platform without fastening it so I can easily remove it after Christmas. I will use the platform after Christmas and like to change the track configuration. If you don’t think you will be changing the track configuration on your Christmas layout from year to year or want to store the platform with the track then fastened the track to it using the small screws.
Scenery
In my opinion, transforming a lifeless layout of track into a lively village or town is the best part of building a layout. For my 2005 layout I opted for a non-winter scene with simple scenery.
To get started, if you are using a plywood platform you will want to cover it with something. I covered my plywood platform with green indoor/outdoor carpet. I chose indoor/outdoor carpet because it’s durable, reduces the noise of the trains running on the track and looks good as the base for a toy train layout. Also, if your trains will be running under a real Christmas tree, pine needles are much easier to vacuum up from carpet. I bought my carpet at my local Home Depot and spread it over the platform and attached it to the underside of the plywood using a staple gun. If you are looking to create a winter theme you could use white carpet or heavy duty felt. You can also use a roll of the cotton like Christmas “snow” but be careful because the fibers from the fake snow may get caught in your locomotive. If you want a snowy look and you’re using a platform go with white carpet and supplement the scenery with tufts of the cotton like snow and snow that can be sprinkled. The cotton and sprinkle snow are also good choices for layouts built directly on the floor. Hobby shops also carry “grass mats” to cover a platform but I chose not to use them because they can get a bit messy and worn over time (grass mats are just sheets of paper or vinyl with grass material glued to them) and they don’t absorb sound very well. Paint is another option for a platform but you will loose the sound deadening qualities of carpet. O Gauge trains tend to be noisy when they run on track laid directly on hard surfaces.
For buildings you can choose inexpensive snap together “Plasticville” buildings available at most train shops. I used them for my 2005 layout because Plasticville buildings are a bit smaller in size than many O Gauge buildings on the market and are perfect for smaller layouts. Another nice thing about Plasticville is that its been around for over about 50 years so you may be able to find a few used buildings from 40 or 50 years ago still in good shape for reasonable prices to give your layout a nostalgic feel. If you have a bigger budget, Lionel, MTH and others make very nice pre-assembled O Gauge buildings. If you already have a collection of ceramic buildings like those from Department 56 you can use them on the layout because they’re perfectly sized for O Gauge layouts.
To bring your layout to life be sure to add trees, roads, cars and people. Your local arts & crafts store can be a great place to find small trees and such for your layout. Inexpensive die cast cars can be found at dollar stores and toy stores. Look for cars and trucks labeled 1/43rd or 1/48th scale. There is a neat product for recreating roads available at most hobby shops, just ask for “road paper”. It has the consistency of roofing paper and comes in rolls and is cut to size for O Gauge layouts complete with painted street lines.
I added lights to light up the buildings on my first layout but I had past experience with wiring a layout. I would recommend you skip adding lights and powered accessories to your first layout especially if you’re pinched for time or not using a platform. You can always add them after the holiday season plus it’s fun improving the layout year after year.
If you’re using a platform and daring enough to add lights and powered accessories to your first layout, you’ll need to do more planning. Since you need to know where to run the wiring for the lights and accessories, place your lights and accessories in position on the layout platform (after the platform cover and track is in place) and mark where you’ll need to drill holes in the platform for the wires. Remove everything, drill the holes then run the wires. One nice thing about using carpet as the covering for a layout platform is that the carpet piles will hide the holes if you decide to move a light or accessory in the future. Just be sure to drill small holes just big enough for the wires to fit through. New lights or accessories will have instruction manuals explaining the simple wiring required to power them. If you need some wire visit your local Radio Shack and tell the salesman you need wire for a train layout. As for more complex wiring techniques, people have written many advanced articles and books about the topic. Check out Layout Wiring Techniques for more detailed information on complex wiring.
The Next Step
I covered a lot in this post but you should now be armed with enough information to take the next step and get your Christmas layout started. Building a layout should be fun. If you don’t have enough time or money to do everything you planned don’t worry. There’s always next year. A small oval of track placed on the floor around the Christmas tree can still be very enjoyable, especially for kids. The important thing is to get a train running under the tree.
I have enjoyed the hobby of model railroading every since my father first set up trains under the Christmas when I was a little boy. I have great memories as a kid playing with the trains and laying on my stomach with may father next to the layout watching the trains go round and listening for the ”clickity-clack” sounds. I still love laying on the floor taking in the clickity-clack sounds but now I do it with my children. My hope is someday they will continue the tradition with their families.
Almost every little boy and many little girls I know love toy trains. Setting up a train set under the Christmas tree is a fantastic tradition the whole family can enjoy year after year.
Good luck and Merry Christmas!
Related Posts:
Building Your First Christmas Layout Part 1
Share Your O Gauge Photos
O Gauge Track Plans
Related posts:
- O Gauge Layout Plans - Lionel FasTrack Figure 8 for 4′ x 8′
- O Gauge Layout Plans - Twice Around the Tree
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3 Responses to “Building Your First Christmas Layout - Part 2”
Superb article. Just came into my Dad’s post-war 027 lionel set. I knew there wasn’t time to get things together this Christmas, but I plan on using your articles to peck away at a nice layout for Christmas ‘10.
Posted by: Les H. | Dec 13, 2009 at 11:22 PM
Great Les. Nothing like an old Lionel set under the tree.
Posted by: dhartmann | Dec 15, 2009 at 9:22 PM
I have a fastrack starter set and want to incorporate some of my dads older accecories but don’t want to have to buy a bunch of track pieces. any ideas
Posted by: Bryan | Dec 23, 2009 at 1:38 AM