Let's talk about cardboard Christmas houses and accessories

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 5:40 am 
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Will...Paul has outlined everything you need to know...he's the expert...

Start here...

https://bigchristmastrains.com/

And here...

https://bigchristmastrains.com/christma ... primer.htm

And here...

https://bigindoortrains.com/forums/inde ... a11f14ee28

Howard...

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PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 6:27 am 
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Will, Your best bet might be eBay, sorry. I checked the Craigslist around Provo, and the closest reasonable buy was Durango! Ouch.

Here's a new one that is not THAT impressive but would get you started, and you could add different locomotives and cars later (no commercial relationship, in case you wondered).

https://www.trainworld.com/manufacturer ... iesel-set/

Best of luck,

Paul


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PostPosted: Mon Oct 02, 2017 10:04 pm 
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Thanks much Paul and Howard! Yeah, Durango is a jump! lol... I don't really need anything fancy. I want something bigger than the HO, which I think is too small of a set up for my Christmas village. I'll give that link a try and report back! ;)

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PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2018 9:19 am 
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Just "won" an auction for a used Lionel O gauge Polar Express with some of the little people and track missing. I haven't had ANY experience with this train - just the American Flyer S Scale version, and thought if I could get one without paying an arm an or a leg for it, that would be a good investment. Plus I have some ideas for rescaling some of my building fronts that might go well with it. We'll see.


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PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2018 2:32 pm 
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When I put a train under the tree with a village, it's an old late 40's American Flyer my Dad bought for my sister and me. Still runs!


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PostPosted: Fri May 11, 2018 3:19 pm 
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I had AF trains in the 1950s and 1960s. Two rails good, three rails bad. :-)


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:26 am 
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When we put together the annual Christmas display, we typically use one or more of the wind-ups we have. My first train set was a Marx wind-up from around 1961-1962 or so...looking back, it amazes me that they were still making mechanical trains during the 1960s. That set with its little stamped-metal locomotive is long gone, but over the years we've acquired a few others:

Image

Top to bottom, these are Bing, Hornby, Marklin, and Hafner. They all run (some better than others), and we have at least one or two coaches for each. None are pristine; they all have the dings and scratches of play. Most importantly, I recall the folks that I got them from; some were original owners, some were collectors, some were neighbors cleaning out their recently-departed parents' house. It's important to know that someone trusted you enough to leave something pretty special with you.

Good stuff.


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 9:48 am 
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Paul, those are ridiculously charming, especially the first two! They look good with your village structures, too. Thanks for posting.


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 10:49 am 
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Hi new Paul

All I can say about your post is that you have ignited a train lust I didn’t know was there
And suspect may be impossible to satisfy !!
Wow!

Okpat


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PostPosted: Sat Feb 24, 2024 2:10 pm 
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Hi Pat,

Sorry - didn't intend to stoke the fire. Wind-ups are terrific fun and are not too scarce, but finding ones in nice operating condition that won't break the bank can be a challenge. As with anything 90-100 years old, many have accumulated quite a bit of wear and tear (although sometimes you find one that looks like it spent most of its life in a bureau drawer). Watch your local antique shops and the on-line auction sites. Estate sales can be a good place to look as well. Sometimes they turn up in the unlikeliest of places. I also have a dealer that will occasionally reach out to me with a specimen.

Broken springs is the biggest problem with wind-ups. Some are fairly easy to repair, others not so much. A clock shop might be able to fix one. There's also a book out there by James Pekarek, Windup Train Repair, that's pretty handy.

Good luck with the search (if you decide to take it up).

Paul


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Note: To ask a question, sign up for our "Christmas Times" newsletter, or learn how
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Note: All content on this forum is Copyright (c) 2011, 2012, 2013, 2014, 2015, 2016, 2017, 2018 by Paul D. Race
and by the posters who have contributed specific content. All material is for your personal use only. No content
or plans may be republished or sold, nor may any plans be used to make products to sell without prior written
permission from Paul D. Race and the individual who contributed the content or plan in question.
For permissions or for questions about this policy, please contact us using our Contact page.



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