My Christmas train

[Sickie Ickie]

Okay folks... I decided my main Christmas prop for this year will be a giant moving Christmas train.

My plan is to have it move in a circle on a track around the yard with a faux Santa as engineer waving.

This will be a huge undertaking for me as this is only the 2nd year I have decorated for Christmas. heh

I have some 55 gallon plastic barrels I've gotten from work, I'm not sure I'll have time or money to make the cars on the back by then, so I'll be happy just to get the train going. On the other hand this year it may have to be static with just the wheels moving if all goes wrong! LOL

I'm planning on using an electric scooter motor to have enough torque to carry the weight. I'm hoping I can get batteries cheaply to power it without a cord.

Lawnmower wheels are in my plans for wheels, with wood on the inside of the track to keep it on course.

I guess I'm using this as a log as I slowly build during the next 6 months. :D

[putrid]

You mean your not done yet? JK LOL Totally cool idea Sickie Ickie. Even if you don't make it move this year having the waving Santa would be cool.

[Sickie Ickie]

My thought exactly. Last year I was going to do santa dangling from the roof with the lights wrapped from his leg remember? LOL Hopefully I get further this year with the train project.

[Elvira]

Oh! I can't wait to see this. Are the 55 gallon barrels the cars?

[Sickie Ickie]

yepper. and the train. I'm using one barrel for the front of the steam engine, and the others I'll cut in half length ways for cars.

[Elvira]

What a fantastic idea, I can't wait to see it. How will you connect them?

[Sickie Ickie]

I was thinking about a fancy connecting mechanism, then it hit me...I'll just use carabiners. :)

http://www.rescueresponse.com/store/media/OP76S38Q_80.jpg

[Mistress Muffy]

Oh it will be fun to watch you build this!

Muf

[Carrie]

Sickie, go for it! I've seen quite a few people build trains over the years but they have not used barrels..I like your idea a lot. What will you use for track? Or is this going to be trackless?

[Elvira]

When does the big build begin? :D I can't wait to see the pics, because we know you're going to take lots of them for the projects site...... righhhhhhhhhtttttttt??? :D

[Sickie Ickie]

Thanks Carrie. :D

I think the tracks will be made from wood. Don't have an idea on height yet for them. As you know (since we are both from IL) we get snow, so there's some logistics to figure out. heh

[Elvira]

AH yes .... but snow makes it all the more festive! The lights bouncing off the snow, how magical! I have a wire train (kinda like the reindeer idea) all in clear lights with red wheels, I love it, but its so huge I have it sitting on top of my closet (not in the closet) in the livingroom and I always hope and pray no one looks up there when walking down the stairs. LOL

I found this image on the net Sickie, I bet you could get it to look very close to this.

Hmmm... looking at this, I think I want to build one also, the engine part looks like alot of fun, and not to hard to do.

Edited to resize pic -

http://christmasfanclub.com/picture.php?albumid=7&pictureid=53

[Sickie Ickie]

Go for it, Elvira!

You take the high road, and I'll take the low road, and we'll meet somewhere in the middle! LOL

[Elvira]

*gulp* Wouldn't it be nice if we had a train building contest! LOL

[Elvira]

Wheres Ryan I bet he can build this!

[Sickie Ickie]

Naaaaah LOL No train building contest for me. I'm building at my own pace and satisfaction on this one. heh

[Elvira]

Going to be a project that will take some time for sure. I'm certain there will be obstacles when building this one. Lots of trial and error. Hey! Thats my middle name.

[Sickie Ickie]

That's how I learn best. Hands on trial and error. Don't know how far I'll get this year, but the train will be up to view :)

[Elvira]

Oh me to, and usually by the time I finish a project it costs me triple LOL thats ok tho, as long as the next person learns from my mistakes and it saves them money, its all good.

[Sickie Ickie]

Let's face it, it saves us money in the long run, too. Knowledge is great!

[Elvira]

And stupidity is even better! LOL I think it helps to have a sense of HA HA when building anything, lord knows if I didn't I would have given this up a long time ago. I can pretty much look back on anything I have built and said, "holy mackeral, that baby cost a fortune and it looks like its worth all of 2 bucks!" LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

but you were able to use that knowledge to go forward building bigger and better thangs. :)

[Elvira]

uh huh... like the flame thingy. Heres hoping I can actually make it look like that guys in the link you sent me.

[bethene]

Sickie, the train idea sounds very cool, can't wait to see progress pictures!

[Sickie Ickie]

Me either! LOL

[Thomas Steiner]

Sickie, Looking forward to seeing your finished product in photos. I love trains.

[Sickie Ickie]

Need to find my camera my 3 yr old lost first. aaaauuuuugggghhhh!!!!

[Thomas Steiner]

Last time I saw your camera, your 3-year-old had it over in the playbox!!! At least I thought that was the playbox. It may have been the sandbox. LOL............

[Sickie Ickie]

Nope...that's cat litter. :p

[Thomas Steiner]

Now that there is funny. Get 'r done.:)

[Elvira]

*hands sickie the pooper scooper* this should help :D We neeeeeeed pics!

[Sickie Ickie]

I neeeeeeeeeeeeed my camera! LOL

[Elvira]

Try writing santa a letter. :)

[Sickie Ickie]

I'd have to do more than that to Santa to get it before Christmas!LOL

[Elvira]

*gulp* LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

You could take that statement from you Elvira in more than one way. Luckily I have such a clean mind, I didn't even notice the other way. :p

[Elvira]

AHAHAHA, wellllllllllll..... its probably a good thing Sickie! Oh, did I mention I have a BS detector? LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

Big Shot Detector? So, I made it to big shot status, huh? LOL

[Elvira]

You'll have one too, once your kiddies hit 14 or so LOL And you'll be saying... "so thatssssssss what elvira's been talkin about" :D

[Sickie Ickie]

LOL Well, when I married my wife, I got a package deal. She has 2 kids. Current ages 17 and 14. Does that count?

[Elvira]

Oh yes! That counts, you'll experience it soon enough if you haven't already. LOL

[Sickie Ickie]

I have! LOL Gonna have a rope to threaten to tie them up in front of the train! LOL

[Elvira]

Would this be the train that isn't built yet? LOL (alot of good that will do)

[Sickie Ickie]

That's okay I don't have a rope yet, either! LOL

[Elvira]

Have you started this project? :D

[Sickie Ickie]

I can now. LOL My Reaper present is done and sent out, my Santa's present is done and sent out, so Technically I can start this project now. I just hate to do anything without snapping pics from my camera. Still haven't found that yet.

[Elvira]

wow, wonder where your camera disappeared to. Hopeflly it didn't get tossed out. It would be really nice to take progress pics for your project site when you start this project. :( Hope you find it soon.

[Sickie Ickie]

I do too. (sigh)

[NJWilk]

Sickie - I stumbled across the perfect "tracks" when I was building my train. Don't know what they're called, but look in Lowe's or Home Depot in the section where they have the metal studs used for wall construction. You'll see what I mean, they look exactly like train rails, about 10 or 12 feet long.

http://gallery.me.com/njwilk/100092/IMG_8861/web.jpg

[Sickie Ickie]

Wow! Those look really good. I'll check it out. Thanks. :)

[SantaPaws]

How are those pictures going sickie. You are such a tease.

[Sickie Ickie]

Had to stop for this year so far, SP. Finances are short. (sigh)