Our 2024 Christmas Train Layout Featuring Lionel's Polar Express

Welll, right now it looks as if I'll be taking a couple of days off of posting. Not just for Christmas, but I do believe I'm catching the cold my granddaughter and oldest daughter have been fighting this week! arrrgh! 😠 Great timing!

That said, here's the finished 2024 Christmas layout and tree. A couple of weeks back I posted it when the cheapo Lionel Harry Potter Hogwarts Express train was running around the tree. Since then I added more details, retired the Hogwarts Express, and added Lionel's Polar Express. Until next time - Merry Christmas! Opa Fritz

The latest YouTube video featuring the layout.

Our postage stamp-sized house is just big enough to squeeze in this 4'x6' board. This year, as well as last year, the board has been raised up, however, the granddaughter is already talking about putting up the large green tree for next year, meaning the board will be on the floor.

Back to Hogwarts: Lionel Hogwarts Express Set #7-1198 (2022) - Pt 1

As a Harry Potter Fan, I've always wanted a Hogwarts Express train and there are a bunch to choose from in the marketplace. One can have a static, non-operating display of the engine, or a train that runs from at least a couple of manufacturers. LEGO has its version pf a battery operated operating train, but they're big and I have no room for one (except maybe a display version of the engine). Lionel makes a 3-rail O-gauge electric version which is awesome, but costs about $400. (I should've bought one years ago before I retired but...).

Lionel also has a version in their 'Ready-to-play' line. It's larger than O-gauge - almost as big as G-gauge but not quite. It's a gauge Lionel uses just for its 'Ready-to-play' line-up of trains which feature battery operation with remote control technology (vs. electricity going to the track). I like it but the oval of track which comes in the set is too large to fit on my 4'x'6' board - the same problem I would have with LEGO's large version.

My last option - and most affordable - is Lionel's cheap-as-they-come (in more ways than one), bargain basement, battery operated Hogwarts Express set #7-1198. The box says it was copywrite 2003, but one YouTube reviewer stated their video was made in late 2022. If you can find these in stores they'll run around $3-$35, but as I refuse to run all over this town, I went on fleaBay and got mine for $60 shipped. Yeah, a bit pricier but still not the $400 for the set I really want!

The set comes with:

-Engine and Tender

-Two coaches

- 65" x 41" oval of track

The set is all plastic and reminds me of something from EZTECH (the trains often sold in Walmart) and the engine runs off of 2 'AA' batteries. There's a switch on the side to turn it on and an option to hear sound or no sound. The sound set is Harry speaking a couple of phrases from the movie over-&-over-&-over again. Sometimes I run mine with the sound on, but mostly it's turned off. While it runs on O-gauge track the engine and cars are closer to S-gauge in size. The engine is a disappointment though in that it is NOT the real Hogwarts Express as the engine and tender are NOT correct for the Hogwart's Express. The real one is a Mills Class 4-6-0 engine but the toy is an A1/A3 class 2-6-2. The toy tender only has two axles and four wheels, while the real one has three axles and six wheels.

I do not like using the plastic track which comes with these sets so I use either tubular track or Lionel's Fastrack. Besides, they run waaay better on normal O-gauge track than they do on the included plastic track. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

TRAIN TIME: Veteran's Day Running Session On The Milwaukee North Western Train Layout

 Every year I try to do something a bit different with my tributes. Most of the time it's simply running cars I haven't run before. Such was the case this year as I put together a load of flat cars hauling Auburn Rubber Co. Army vehicles. Last years run used the same flatcars but hauling Pyro Army vehicles. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

BREWERIANA: Lionel #6-17342 Miller Eagle Beer Reefer (2002)

Ya know, when it comes to railroad cars of any type (boxcars, reefers, vat cars, etc.) as well as vehicles and buildings, the toy and model companies have put out a gazillion products in all scales. I could really set-up an entirely new blog devoted just to that. But I won't. Suffice it to say that this 'BREWERIANA' series can go on for some time just with what I already have in the collection. 

Except every now and then I have to (I mean absolutely have to) add another piece. Case in point is this Miller Eagle Beer reefer which was one of my presents to myself this past Christmas! 😉😄  For those interested, a complete history of the Miller Eagle logo can be found at logos-world. Enjoy! Opa Fritz

TRAIN TIME: My 2022 Christmas Layout with Lionel's Polar Express

As usual I find myself trying to do a million things at once here at the ol' homestead, which means my normal posts will be delayed (unless things low down a bit later). However, this past couple of weeks have kept me busy with this year's Christmas layout which, in turn, has provided enough material for a post or two outside of the regular series I've been on of late.

When we moved into this house back in the '90s there was enough room for a decent train-running-under-the--Christmas-tree type layout.

Within a couple of years though the living room filled with so much furniture that future layouts turned into this:

There have been quite a few years during which there were no living room layouts. There were Christmas layouts set up out in The Cave but none of them were of the "train-running-under-the--Christmas-tree" type.

What changed? Wellll, during the past couple of years we've been slowly getting rid of all the big bulky furniture that took up so much area here in the living room. Enough so that just by moving the couch and small coffee table out of the way, there was room for a 4' (1m21.92cm) x 6 ' (1m82.88cm)  this year. I already had three sheets of 2'x4' particle board out in the shed so all I need was some 1"x2"s for bracing.

This year's layout

Running Lionel's Polar Express