December, 2011 Update from Family Garden TrainsTM
Note: This is the web version of a newsletter from the Family Garden TrainsTM web site, which publishes information about running big model trains in your garden as a family activity.
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In this Issue
At years-end, 2011, we are still getting more signups than ever for our newsletters, as the same time that certain "experts" are once again mistaking a general downturn in the economy as a sign that the "fad" of garden railroading has run its course. To me, we have a lot of room for growth - we just have to be smart about it. As always, Family Garden Trains' writers and editors are continuing to look for ways to make the hobby affordable AND practical for everyone. Thanks to all who've stayed along for the ride. And welcome to all who've just come aboard! As we continue to come up with ways to get folks involved, and to increase the enjoyment of folks who are already here, we will continue to let you know.
It may seem strange, but the vast majority of folks we've helped get into Garden Railroading have never met us face to face - the very nature of a web site like ours is that we not only think globally, we also act globally, for the most part at least. I wish we could afford to travel to a TENTH of the places where our readers have broken soil. But each year we try to
"act locally" at least once, usually in conjunction with an annual club event. On that note, we are glad to report that our fourth annual Christmas-themed open railroad gave a bunch of families some early Christmas cheer this year, and hopefully encouraged a few to take a closer look at the hobby.
Our report on that event, and a unique building project that helped us get ready for it, is contained below. Once again, we have several other articles in the works, but we wanted to get this out in time to wish you the very best Christmas.
Finally, please accept our warm wishes for a great holiday season. And please especially enjoy any time you can spend with your family in these precious days.
Topics discussed in this update include:
At this writing, the Race family has survived its fourth annual Christmas-themed Open Railroad on the New Boston and Donnels Creek (Paul's outdoor "garden" railroad). We got up the lights, baked cookies, popped popcorn, got out the trains, put on the music, and welcomed guests. One surprise was how much the kids liked a new, relatively inexpensive addition - a battery-powered toy Polar Express train from Lionel.
To see the article and lots of photos, please click the link below.
This is a follow-up on an earlier article about reusing the plastic form those fluted-plastic signs that fly-by-night businesses use to illegally trash up your neighborhood. In this case, I needed some temporary buildings to set out for our open house, so I made a bunch using those signs and some weatherproof laser printer labels. Now that I have them, I think I know how to cheaply decorate public displays, and to keep my permanent railroad from looking so "abandoned" after I take in my houses this January.
To see the article, please click the link below.
Are you hanging onto things you don't really want because you think they might be worth something? Or are you just curious about the cash value of some heirloom you wouldn't dream of selling anyway? Either way, this article gives you some things to think about. New for 2011!
To see the article, please click the link below.
For over a century, trains brought people home for Christmas - literally. Nowadays they put us in touch with our best memories of our best Christmases. Why is there such a strong connection between trains and Christmas, anyway?
To jump to the article, click the following link:
For folks who actually get winter, this is a good time to finish up winter stuff and start planning for spring. You could inventory and repair your buildings while you have them inside.
 You could put backgrounds on your storage shelves or inside shelf railroad to provide a little better appearance. If you want to add a business district, you can easily download some storefront photos from our Building Front Photos page.
Click on the following link to see what we mean:
 Building a building flat for your indoor railroad. - As an example, our affiliate site, Big Indoor Trains has a simple project based on using a downloadable log cabin photo to make a 3/8"-deep building that really looks 3D from the front. Click the following link:
And you might consider reading our planning guides one more time:
People have been putting electric trains and little towns around Christmas trees for over a century. It's great to live at a time when we have so many choices. Trainwise, you can choose from:
- Really Big Trains, such as the Bachmann Big Hauler train sets that look great on display railroads, around really big trees, or in really big rooms.
- Medium Sized Trains, such as the Lionel Christmas trains, including a very nice Polar Express train, that look nice around Christmas trees or Christmas villages.
- Village-sized trains - such as the Hawthorne Village and Bachmann On30 trains that were designed specifically to look great with Christmas villages.
Every fall, I take a look at what is available - I try to keep up with removing descriptions of discontinued trains and towns and adding descriptions of new trains and towns. The one universal this year is that very few new products were introduced in 2011, and many of the products that were introduced before 2010 are now sold out.
I especially like the passenger trains, because you can see them run when you've turned out all the lights in the room. If you want a really big passenger train in Christmas colors, you're in luck - Bachmann has reintroduced the red version of their Large Scale Christmas passenger train, and it's a jaw-dropper.
If you want a medium-sized passenger train, the O Gauge Lionel Polar Express train is a great train, even if you haven't seen the movie (although you really SHOULD see the movie some time).
For a passenger train that will look especially good with your Christmas village, consider the Hawthorne Village Thomas Kinkade Christmas Express. It's been the most popular On30 Christmas train ever, but it IS a limited edition, so there may soon come a time when it is unavailable. Bachmann, who makes the frames for the Thomas Kinkade train, usually has their own passenger set, but this year the "old" set sold out before the new set hit the stores. The new version has red cars and will be # 25021, but it may or may not reach the stores before Christmas. If you want to keep an eye out for it, go to Amazon.Com and search for "Bachmann 25021."
What ever kind of train (or town) you'd like this year, if you see one you want, order it now. If you DON'T order before December 15, all bets are off. I used to spend many of my hours between December 15 and 24 helping people track down trains (and towns) that were available a few days earlier but were suddenly gone from the shelves across the country. But I've made the decision that after December 15, my family and friends (including internet friends) come first.
For more information on really big Christmas (Large Scale) Christmas trains, click the following link:
For more information on medium-sized (O Gauge) Christmas trains, click the following link:
For more information about Hawthorne Village On30 Christmas trains (and towns), including the Thomas Kinkade Christmas Express, click the following link:
For more information about Bachmann On30 Christmas trains, click the following link:
Keep in Touch
As always, we have more articles in the works, and we are constantly updating our existing articles, so please check back often. Also, if you search for Family Garden Trains on Facebook, you'll see some more nice photos folks have sent me.
Also, please let us know about your ongoing projects. Ask questions, send corrections, suggest article ideas, send photos, whatever you think will help you or your fellow railroaders. In the meantime, enjoy your trains, and especially enjoy any time you have with your family in the coming weeks,
Paul Race
FamilyGardenTrains.com
To view the newsletter for October, 2011, click on the following link:
To read more, or to look at recommended Garden Railroading and Big Indoor Train products, please click on the index pages below.
| 
Report: Fourth Annual Christmas-Themed Open Railroad
New Article: Temporary Building Fronts from Recycled Plastic
New Article: How Much is My Collectible Worth?
A Classic Musing: What do Trains Have to do with Christmas?
Train and Town Availability Update
