Crossbones

I have not seen the movie yet, but that doesn't stop me from loving this MOC. Well done!

Thanks! And thanks for the questions - fire away if you have more. Yes, the tracks actually do not move much if at all. They move a little if I run the train at full speed, but then it derails on the curves anyway so it's a moot point! :) Actually, the surface is not drywall, it's MDF (Medium Density Fiberboard) I got it at the Home Depot. It is VERY smooth so it does look like drywall in the pictures (the flash washed it out so it looks whiter than it is - it's actually a light brown). I'll probably do something similar when I do a more permanent layout in the basement, but I'll likely want to use Lego baseplates at that point.

Merry Christmas to you as well! Thanks for sharing, that's a very cool train.

Very nice - I've always loved that car!

As mentioned in the introduction thread, the kids and I have been able to get the Winter Village sets over the past several years, and can put together quite a nice little town for Christmas. (Much nicer than the Dept. 56 buildings, IMO .) Last year, we added a loop of track around the village, which sat on a 3'x4' board. It was a little tight, space-wise, so this year we decided to expand! After a shameless land grab in the middle of the family room, we were able to place a 6'x4' board. This allowed us to add a smaller, nested loop, inside the outer one. The frame for the 4x6 table. Since i have a small car, I used three 2'x4' boards for the top. The downside of using separate boards, caulking the gaps and the screw holes. Next time I'll borrow the van and grab a larger board. I used a textured spray paint to cover the whole surface of the table. It took several cans, but I just don't have enough white Lego! In its place of honor in the center of the family room, with the track laid. I picked up the 60051 High Speed Passenger Train (aka the Candy Cane Express) to run around the outside of the village. That's what connects the Winter Village with the "big city." The inner loop, and the switches, are 9v track. We have the 4535 Lego Express Deluxe running around the inside as a "tourist train." I think next year, we're going to tray to make that into a tram, as the full train is a bit much. I love Miro Dudas' Winter Village Tram. We chose to have a small mountain in the corner, to give us an elevated area to set up Santa's Workshop at the North Pole, and because I love tunnels! I laid out a template for the "mountain" before building it. The mountain still needs to be painted, and a slope built to cover the hole facing the village. That's being built up out of styrofoam sheets, and will be added to the display soon. I'll have an updated photo to show that. The old and the new, side by side. I was recently fortunate enough to win an ebay auction for a set of Lego Super Chief cars and a Santa Fe locomotive. I like the look of this much better than the high speed train, so that will replace that train on the outer loop. But first I'll need to convert one of the locomotives (I already had a pair bought from Lego when they first came out) to ruin off PF, or get enough 9v track to make the outer loop electric. Right now, I have enough to do one or the other loops in 9v track, but not both. (Here's a short .) I still need two more of the original cars, and I'd love to add an MOC dome car and B-unit locomotive... maybe for next Christmas.As mentioned, we're combining the 9V and plastic track, and it works as long as we can throw the switch fast enough that the steamer does not get sent to the unpowered track! This video shows my daughter handling the . One of the hazards of railroading with Lego. This NEVER happened on my old N-scale layout. We are by no means "theme purists" and often mix and blend - in fact, I think the Empire has scheduled a stormtrooper raid on the village to control the scourge of hobbits (they love to pilfer goodies from the bakery) later today! Merry Christmas everyone!

Beautiful trains! This year, I am hoping to get into trains in a big way, and build a smallish basement layout. I have the Super Chief and some train cars, and I hope to add to them, including a dome car. I'd also love to build some first-generation diesels - maybe a Southern Railway RS3 and a GP9 in Central of Georgia or RF&P colors.

Thanks Paul. I'll post some more photos and a video of my daughter managing the switch in its own thread later this evening.

Hi all, I've been building with Lego on and off since the early 70s when I was a child. In that time, I've gone from Lego fanatic, to interested fan, and back to full fledged maniac several times, based on my supply of free time and money. I've also been involved in model railroading (N scale) as well as military miniatures wargaming. My Lego train collecting began in the 9V era with 4560 Railway Express. After that I picked up the 4535 Lego Express Deluxe and an additional blue passenger car. Then Lego came out with what I thought was a must-have: the 10020 Santa Fe Super Chief. Since I've always been a fan of multiple locomotive consists, I picked up two of those. Unfortunately, due to financial constraints, I was not able to get any of the passenger cars. My enthusiasm for Lego trains waned, as I took up other hobbies and raised a family (busy, busy, busy). In the past several years, the kids and I have been collecting the Winter Village sets, and this year we combined it with a small train set up. I picked up the 60051 High Speed Passenger Train (though we're calling it the Candy Cane Express) to run around the ourside of the village. We pretend that connects it with the "real world." Meanwhile the Lego steamer runs as the local around the center of the village. We're combining the 9V and plastic track, and it works as long as we remember to throw the switch so the steamer does not get sent to the unpowered track! This has rekindled my passion for trains, and Lego trains in particular. I am hoping to build a modest layout in the basement. I do not feel the need to have a massive collection of trains, just a few that I really enjoy. I was lucky enough to pick up a lot from ebay that has another Super Chief and three of the cars that should be arriving any day now. I'd love to be able to complete a five-car train. And I'd love to have some of my favorite real-world railroads represented, so I am going to focus on MOCs that are top-notch, and dedicate myself to that. One thing I've noticed, is that a lot of the online resources for trains have dried up in the past few years, and there are a lot of dead links. Also, the local LUG for North Georgia seems to be kaput. Have I missed the boat? Is the hey-day of trains behind us, or is there a future for them still? Lastly, any thoughts on where to find plans/instructions for early diesels (GP9 or RS3) would be greatly appreciated. Thanks in advance! Henry (Crossbones)