#176 The Big Train Project Status Report: 2023 Christmas Layout

November 27, 2023

The Halloween and Christmas holidays are the busiest time of the year for EnterTRAINment Junction (EJ).  To provide visitors with added incentives to come, EJ sets up special attractions prior to Halloween and prior to Christmas in its Display Area.  One of the biggest challenges for the EJ employees and volunteers is the change-over from the Halloween walk-through display to the Christmas displays.  Each year, the G-gauge layout is the centerpiece and most complex part of the Christmas displays.  In the past, this layout had been built from scratch, taking a lot of time and manpower to construct in the time between Halloween and the opening of Christmas at the Junction in mid-November.  To reduce that time and effort this year, the layout structure was constructed in advance of modular pieces, which could be much more quickly assembled like a kit.  Figure 1 shows the assembled structure.

Figure 1.  Main Layout Structure
Figure 2.  Main Layout Side View

Figure 2 shows a side view of the completed layout with its distinctive dual mountain peaks, scenery, bridges, buildings, and other details added.

The layout features seven separate sets of operating tracks, six of which are shown in Figure 3.  The first track is on the lowest level, on the floor, as a point-to-point trolley line.  It is shown to the left of the truss bridge at the left in the picture.  The second and third loops of track circle the mountain on the second level.  The fourth loop of track circles the entire mountain on the third level, and the fifth loop inside the fourth circles only the higher of the two peaks on the third level.  The sixth loop is a single track which circles the lower of the two peaks on the fourth level, very near the top of the peak.

Figure 3.  Low Mountain End Left

Prominent between the two peaks is the aerial tram, with one of its two cars shown near the upper station (Figure 4).  This is a new feature this year on the central layout.

Figure 4.  Aerial Tram

Figure 5 shows the right side of the layout from the low-mountain end.  Note the trolley on the fourth level track in front of the building near the top of the low peak.

Figure 5.  Low-Mountain End Right

Figure 6 shows the layout for the high-mountain end.  The seventh track loop is on the second level, circling the town inside the cave just left of center in the picture.

Figure 6.  High-Mountain End Right

Noteworthy on the high mountain are the animated skiers schussing down between the two chalets shown in Figure 6.  This is another new feature on the layout this year.

Figure 7.  Animated Skiers

The advance planning and construction of portions of the central layout paid great dividends in getting this layout up and running in time despite its greater complexity than previous layouts.  As in past years, this is not the only layout on display, and visitors can enjoy it along with several other smaller layouts and displays, most of which are described in last year’s report (Number 175).  Access to these displays is at no cost to EJ visitors.

The results are a tribute to the enthusiasm, dedication, and hard work of EJ staff and volunteers who have consistently provided these high quality displays for the enjoyment of EJ visitors and have continued to improve them from year to year.  All of us at EJ invite you to visit EJ and share our joy in the holiday season.  We wish all of you a very merry Christmas and happy holidays.

© 2023 Tom Bartsch

MVGRS Big Train Project Coordinator