You Are Here.
Jump to other pages.
On30 Model Railroad Equipment for Christmas Villages On30 Trains
O Gauge Christmas TrainsO Scale Accessories
On30 Display Trains

Written by Paul D. Race for and

Bachmann On30 Northern Lights Limited Train Set. Click for bigger photo Bachmann Northern Lights Limited - This Bachmann Christmas set was especially designed to look good with Christmas village buildings. (In fact, one version of this train, in black and dark red, was sold under the Dept. 56(tm) label.) That said, this train is also big enough to look good around your tree and great around your town. The set comes with a power supply and a loop of track. The engine is reliable, and the paint job and details are attractive.
You may notice a similarity between this train and the Hawthorne Village Subscription Trains. That's because all the designers start with the same basic kit, which they prize for its overall quality and reliability. So even if you subscribe to a Hawthorne Village collectible series, there's a lot to be said for getting a whole, solid and charming train set (that you're not afraid to let the kids run) in one single box.

This is a poster Bachmann created to show how well their On30 passenger trains go with collectible village pieces. Click for a bigger picture.Note: In early 2007, I bought the predecessor to this train (North Pole Express) for a project. It was the first Bachmann On30 Christmas train I've owned for a while, and was very pleasantly surprised in a number of ways. This train had exceptionally sharp graphics, a flawless paint job, and other signs of close attention to detail. In other words, Bachmann's continuing commitment to quality improvement has made this a train that anyone would be pleased to own or display.

Click for a bigger-than-life closeup that will show you the details and quality of this locomotive.On the back of the box was a photo of the train running past some ceramic houses and other collectible pieces just to show how well it looks with them - Click on the image to see a bigger photo.

Update for January, 2008 In late 2007, the North Pole Express disappeared from the shelves and was replaced by the Northern Lights Limited; it seems to be identical to the train I own except for a few more color variations on the coaches. According to Bachmann's materials, the new version includes the ability to couple and uncouple the cars remotely for "operations."

For details, pricing, or availability, please click on the "check stock" button.


Bachmann On30 Spectrum Jingle Bell Express Train Set
Bachmann Jingle Bell Express - In late 2004, Bachmann also introduced a charming and reliable On30 Christmas Freight set, called the Jingle Bell Express. For details, pricing, or availability, please click on a "check stock" button.


About Extra Track - The train sets on this page come with an oval of track that is about 38" x 56", although if you order a subscription train, you don't receive all of the track and power supply right away. To get a jump start on your railroad, or to make your railroad a little larger, you may easily add additional track.
  • The Bachmann EZ Track #44501 is an exact replacement for the curves that come with the train sets.

  • Bachmann #44411 matches the straight pieces.


Click to visit Family Christmas Online(tm)













































Bachmann On30 Christmas Village Street Car Set (United Traction) Bachmann Automated On30 Christmas Village Streetcar Set - Sadly, this set is in very short supply at the moment, and none of my suppliers have them in stock. (The last one who did went out of business in late 2008.) I'm leaving this description up, so you'll know what it is, in case it becomes available again. Bachmann's On30 Street Car set is our best-selling solution for Christmas villages that aren't big enough for a loop of track. The weathered "car barn" hides a reversing mechanism, so your trolley can deliver passengers from one end of your village (or your fireplace mantle) to the other automatically. The Bachmann streetcars are models of real streetcars that graced US towns and villages a century ago.

Note for late 2009: Unfortunately our only remaining supplier for this set went out of business in late 2008. Worse yet, Bachmann has either cut production of these sets off or has rolled it way back, so I can't find them anywhere in enough quantity to justify putting up a vendor link. If you would like help tracking one down, or if you'd like to be put on a list of people to be notified if I DO track some more down please contact us. In the meantime, this is a reminder of how fast a popular product can disappear from the store shelves, especially as we approach Christmas. Again, if you want any On30 train you see on our pages, please order early to avoid disappointment.

Note: To extend a "back-and-forth" railroad, you will need to use special track. (Regular HO track, even the EZ track that comes with the trains below, won't work, because of the extra wiring necessary to run the reversing mechanism.)

  • For straight pieces, use Bachmann #44548 track.

  • For curves, use Bachmann # 44549.

If you have questions about this, please contact me and I'll try to help you out.

Note: These sets have been bestsellers every year that we've been able to get them. This year we are using a supplier we don't usually use because all of our regular suppliers are out of stock and not likely to get any in between now and Christmas. In other words, if you are remotely interested in this set, don't wait too long to decide; the supply is definitely limited.


Bachmann On30 Closed Street Car (Christmas). Click for bigger picture.Christmas Street Car - The Bachmann On30 Christmas Street Car is also available separately. It will run on any HO or On30 track, so many folks buy it to give to the model railroader in their family. Unlike some toy wooden streetcars you see in Christmas displays, these models derive their charm from accuracy, detail, and excellent (if not entirely realistic) paint jobs.

For more information about this product or availability, please click on the "check stock" button.

Bachmann On30 Closed Street Car (Hershey). Click for bigger pictureHershey's Street Car - The first time we linked to this product, all of our suppliers sold out almost immediately. At the moment, several vendors who go through Amazon seem to have it in stock, so we're relisting it. Like the street car above, this street car will run on any HO or On30 track, so many folks buy it to give to the model railroader in their family.

For more information about this product or availability, please click on the "check stock" button.


Winter Crossing Gate And Block HO Scale Train Accessory Animated Crossing Gate - The $29.95 Hawthorne Village crossing gate adds charming action as the arms go up and down each time the train passes. This package includes four "block" signals that you may set around your mainline to give a little more detail, as well. This product is available from Collectibles Today. For more details, pricing, or availability, please click on the button.

On30 Trains and Display Villages - You may not really want to know that Bachmann makes On30 trains that aren't painted just for Christmas, and that there are several display villages by Thomas Kinkade and other designers that don't have snow on the roof. Everything on the On30 Trains and Display Villages page will look great with the Christmas Villages and Christmas trains in the rest of the catalog, of course. But many of these pieces are so charming and well made that you'll have serious trouble trying to put them back in the box on January second. Click on the image at the left for more information.


O Scale Accessories Note: The O-Scale Accessories page includes many relatively inexpensive details such as bridges, fencing, and stations, that will bring life to any O-Scale or O-Gauge railroad. Click on the button to the right for more information.


Home Pages
Reading Index Pages
Buyer's Guide Pages
Return to Big Indoor Trains Home page Return to Family Garden Trains Home page Big Indoor Trains Primer Articles: All about setting up and displaying indoor display trains and towns. Garden Railroading Primer Articles: All about getting a Garden Railroad up and running well Garden Train Store: Index to train, track, and other products for Garden RailroadingBig Christmas Trains: Directory of Large Scale and O Scale trains with holiday themes
On30 and O Gauge trains to go with indoor display villages and railroads


Note: Family Garden TrainsTM, Garden Train StoreTM, Big Christmas TrainsTM, BIG Indoor TrainsTM, BIG Train StoreTM, and Trains and TownsTM are trademarks of Breakthrough Communications (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009, 2010, 2011, 2012, 2013 by Paul D. Race. Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically forbidden.
Family Garden Trains is a participant in the Amazon Services LLC Associates Program, an affiliate advertising program designed to provide a means for sites to earn advertising fees by advertising and linking to amazon.com.


For more information, please contact us


Just for Christmas - Collectible Decorations and Gifts - Visit any of the links below
to see quality collectible Christmas gifts and decorations that have been popular with our
readers. Many are designed by Thomas Kinkade and other world-class artists and designers.

Click to see collectible table-top trees, including animated ceramic trees from Thomas Kinkade(r) and other world-class designers. Click to see collectible Christmas wreaths designed by world-known artists. Click to see classic nativity sets, including collections from world-known designers. Click to see collectible Christmas ornaments by world-known designers. Click to see Christmas collectibles with railroad themes - designs by Thomas Kinkade(r).