January fun with Christmas trains

I always wondered what went on in those houses where Christmas trees remained visible in the windows many weeks into January.   Well, now we’re one of those houses.   So I can share the secret inside our house that keeps the Christmas tree up so long.  

(Psst!)  I’m a small time railroad hobbyist that sets up multiple O-gauge trains under the tree in a display that takes up half the living room.   I can’t bear to take the whole thing down right away!   It is a three level display that includes a Christmas village, farm scene, bridges and tunnels, and the Christmas tree is built in.  It can’t come down until I move enough train stuff so we can reach the tree.   Thankfully, my wife tolerates, maybe even enjoys just a little, my affection for model trains and associated Christmas villages; so she doesn’t object too much that I take up some floor space for two months of the year.   

But that is only one-half of the story.  The other reason for the display staying up so long is this.  The most fun comes when I invite children over to play with the trains.  And everyone is far too busy for that to happen in December, so we wait until January.  All during the month, JoAnne and I invite children from church to view and play engineer with the trains.    Well, yes, it is a little dangerous to the train cars and parts and model vehicles because there are wrecks, but it is so much fun to watch the boys and girls having fun that it is definitely worth the risk.   JoAnne bakes cookies and I get down on the floor, give instructions in how to operate things, take pictures, and try to keep the trains running.   It is the best part of the hobby.   

So now you know.  In case you still don’t believe me, here are a few photos for evidence.   But now it’s February tomorrow and I really do have to take down the Christmas tree…