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Christmas Trainset

Lumpammer

master brummie
We visited The Range at Tyburn Road today looking for Christmas gifts. We bought a couple if things and got some ideas for presents, but what puzzles me are the toy trains they sell, in a snow scene. What have trains, American at that, got to do with Christmas? Did Joseph and Mary catch the train to Bethlehem? In the snow? And what about the toy soldiers. What do they have to do with Christmas?
Just a little moan. I love Christmas really.
 
The train set was always a 'big toy' i.e. expensive so Christmas was always the best time to sell them.

Do they still sell them to children? I get the feeling that the toy market has now become 0 - 7 and 35 - 100. The youngest children still get physical toys, the elder children have gone 'virtual' via tablet or laptop. The 35 and up group will probably shrink as children that never had or aspired to toys grow up and don't even know what a train set is. In fact the the 7 and up group will just get bigger as they keep on 'gaming' into adulthood, (will they have time to 'make' children if they live in a 'virtual' world?)

Was an orange and some nuts 'Christmas'? My mum said that was what she hoped for at Christmas, (1930s)!
 
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We visited The Range at Tyburn Road today looking for Christmas gifts. We bought a couple if things and got some ideas for presents, but what puzzles me are the toy trains they sell, in a snow scene. What have trains, American at that, got to do with Christmas? Did Joseph and Mary catch the train to Bethlehem? In the snow? And what about the toy soldiers. What do they have to do with Christmas?
Just a little moan. I love Christmas really.
'I don't believe it ....you cant beat a good moan.:laughing:
 
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I didn’t mean an actual train set. I meant the decorative Christmas scene with a train (American) running through it. I wouldn’t Rod Stewart’s train set though. Even that was American.
 
I didn’t mean an actual train set. I meant the decorative Christmas scene with a train (American) running through it. I wouldn’t Rod Stewart’s train set though. Even that was American.
wow some train set (model railway) bet that cost a few bob..its not as good as the one dad bought me for xmas though
 
Christmas is the biggest retail opportunity of the year and something moving is 'window bait'.

My aunt was in millinery retail and she always said 'put something red in the window'. Red and moving that's got it all!
 
We visited The Range at Tyburn Road today looking for Christmas gifts. We bought a couple if things and got some ideas for presents, but what puzzles me are the toy trains they sell, in a snow scene. What have trains, American at that, got to do with Christmas? Did Joseph and Mary catch the train to Bethlehem? In the snow? And what about the toy soldiers. What do they have to do with Christmas?
Just a little moan. I love Christmas really.
I was hoping someone would be able to explain the American Christmas decoration which includes a train. Over the past twenty years when staying in American owned hotels at Christmas, somewhere amongst the decorations has been a circular decoration usually Christmas tree shaped, the centrepiece of which is a train and I have seen them in all sorts of sizes from table top models to a model 10feet x 10feet square (sorry I don't do the funny foreign money inches and things), floor mounted in the Sheraton at Jumeirah Beach, perhaps one of our American resident Brummies could throw some light on it. Thanks in advance.

Bob
 
Upon opening a toy train set, assembling it to run under the Christmas tree was a natural thing to do. For many. toy trains also evoked sentimental feelings similar to the other emotions associated with Christmas. Christmas was a time when many people traveled long distances to reach home or to see relatives.
 
It is a tradition in many American homes, it seems, to have a model train circling a Christmas tree. In fact the company, from whom most of my garden railway models came from, made a special Christmas themed train and track (1:29 scale) sadly closed their doors in 2013 after 80 years in the model trade.
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Never was into toy trains either as a Christmas present or just a toy. My son when he was a child was completely indifferent to train sets as well. The very best toy that we bought for him was an "Evel Kneivel" stunt motorcycle set. He loved it and played with it for years. That was until he discovered Action Man but that's another story.
 
my dad was founry caster. every time i bought a solder from woolis he would copy it. i had hundred of allsorts.of them cowboys indian cavalers. soldiers horses romans, and he made me a big fort from match sticks for xmas
it was great cowboys fighting romans.army fighting indians.fantastic.
 
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My Dad was a carpenter and he made me a 'tip up' wooden lorry about 3' long. I was so happy I took it out into the street and remember there was a 'pea-souper' fog on that Christmas day.
 
I was hoping someone would be able to explain the American Christmas decoration which includes a train. Over the past twenty years when staying in American owned hotels at Christmas, somewhere amongst the decorations has been a circular decoration usually Christmas tree shaped, the centrepiece of which is a train and I have seen them in all sorts of sizes from table top models to a model 10feet x 10feet square (sorry I don't do the funny foreign money inches and things), floor mounted in the Sheraton at Jumeirah Beach, perhaps one of our American resident Brummies could throw some light on it. Thanks in advance.

Bob
When I was growing up in Handsworth I got a HornbyOO trainset.....electric for Christmas, my earlier one was clock work. neither had anything to do with Christmas. When I came to America and had children, my son wanted a train for Christmas. I don't think the US has the corner on this! Christmas is train time and as someone said the time for big gifts.
I have been in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland around Christmas, they all have some sort of trains.
Bob, unfortunately its not really related to Christmas but more to time to buy big gifts, its become a tradition!
Hope that helps!
 
When I was growing up in Handsworth I got a HornbyOO trainset.....electric for Christmas, my earlier one was clock work. neither had anything to do with Christmas. When I came to America and had children, my son wanted a train for Christmas. I don't think the US has the corner on this! Christmas is train time and as someone said the time for big gifts.
I have been in Germany, France, Italy and Switzerland around Christmas, they all have some sort of trains.
Bob, unfortunately its not really related to Christmas but more to time to buy big gifts, its become a tradition!
Hope that helps!
Thanks, it is one of those things that has puzzled me for years.
Bob
 
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