For as long as I can remember, we’ve had a train around the tree. Growing up, it was my dad’s Märklin set. Turnouts. Signals. Fully automated.

Now I’ve got my own loop. It gets a little bigger every year. A few years ago, I found a Lionel HO-scale Polar Express engine on sale. That’s the Christmas train now. The track upgraded to 22-inch radius curves so it runs smoother. The old 18-inch curves just didn’t cut it for the bigger engine.

Before the Polar Express, I used whatever I had on hand. Engines waiting to be converted to DCC for my main layout. A Bachmann Harry Potter steamer. An old Fleischmann Baldwin diesel.

I didn’t put much time into it this year. But I’m thinking about adding lightweight scenery next time. Maybe some simple paper mâché hills or snowbanks. It would give it more charm without being too heavy or fragile. Something to look forward to next Christmas.