If you dont remember what the train table looks like …well, here ya go 
Well I have had three extra switches and several pieces of extra track almost since the beginning. It became a problem early on that there was too much “train” and not enough “track”. So from Caleb’s ever expanding and creative brain he came up with the idea of adding a switch to the inside of the double oval (why didn’t I think of it) to park the engines that are not in use. However I had decided that Santa would bring enough additional switches and track to almost double the size of the current configuration. Now this was completely Caleb’s idea. I parked all the engines for aesthetics… 
Now it was my intention to add another oval to make a kinda crude figure 8 short n fat and do what he did and make where he put the switches into a town or something (not sure yet) and make the other oval into a train yard for engine service and parking of all freight cars. The only thing I have to my advantage is the new steamie Santa is bringing is a 2-10-2 and can not negotiate and curve smaller than 22″ radius which means it needs a 4ft diameter circle or any part there of to get along w/o derailing. the current set up has to roll out into a 18″ radius curve….btw the new engine comes with sound.Now Rach told me that he has been talking about a round house for all the engines ( currently 7 motorized…8 after Santa) to park.Well for a round house of that size it will have to have a turntable, and the only one I can find on-line that will carry a 2-10-2 retails for about $350 and that is a little steep. So at this point I have decided to scratch build a turntable that would suit the current need and any possible future needs…more on this subject to follow …after the holidays at least.
It all started Saturday morning about 9:30. We stopped by Hardees on the way out of town to get the weekend biscuit. A friend told me about a tree farm in Stuart Va, and said they had Frazier Furs…come to find out after talking to the man there, they did not in fact carry any Fraziers. So after a call to Rach and a little internet searching (thanks to the Droid) we resolved to journey a little farther to retrieve our prize. Our trek took us a little farther north and a good bit farther west to Hillsville Va. Contrary to what the lady said GPS dialed us right in.
Their prices were more than reasonable…$40 for any tree up to 8 ft and $10 more a foot there after. Asking where in their grove of trees would we be able to locate our prize, the nice lady there said up on the hill are the Frziers 8ft and under. Now UP on the hill was an understatement, fortunately there was a tractor pulling a trailer that would take us part way. She handed me a saw and off we went.
Upon looking Up the hill we were thankful for the tractor. However it only took us up to this point. We were instructed once we have chosen our beloved tree to bring it down to the orange fencing and the guys would retrieve it and bring it to the shaker/bailer 
So monkey and I began the hike up the hill cause he says the best one are at the top. Again UP is an understatement but anywho after searching Caleb conceded he wanted a skinny tree that was a little lacking in the needle department and I told him we needed a (fat) tree because the bigger it is the more Santa can stuff under it. So we decided on this one (sorry I missed the precut picture)
Here is a look down from the top…
Fortunately after a good shaking and a quik spin through the bailer… it fit in the car…didn’t wanna take a chance of losing it on the trip home. Once we arrived home we had a very late lunch and if you know Caleb… then you know what was for lunch. After a quik recut of the base to get it to where it would absorb water and a hole drilled so the tree stand would go on a little easier I decided to bring it inside before cutting its binding. and here it is, in all its glory
Unfortunately after two trips for lights and decorations and Caleb a shower we realized there was something… rather someone, missing… Charlie. Well we searched hi and low through out the house and truck, to no avail. I told Caleb to get dressed and we would run to Wal-mart and see if he was there , then it dawned on me that I had not seen Sir Charles since this morning and decided to call Reed Island Farm…well they did not answer but it was about 9:30 at night and even Christmas tree people have to sleep. After getting Caleb ready for the trip to Wal-mart and starting out the door, the phone rings and its the nice lady that sold us our prize tree earlier…..sure enough Charlie was there , he had been left on the table 
when Caleb bent down to pet the two dogs that were there 
Needless to say Sunday we did a return trip to the Reed Island tree farm to retrieve my best friend’s best friend
Tomorrow Caleb and I will begin a tradition of cutting our own Christmas tree…pictures to follow. Coming soon the train table will trade places with the tv and couch because it is gonna double in size after Christmas…pictures also to follow
Grab a Button
Search
Homeschooing Resources & Useful Websites
Preschool: Links
Magazine
Things we love
Archives
- February 2012
- December 2011
- November 2011
- October 2011
- September 2011
- August 2011
- July 2011
- June 2011
- May 2011
- April 2011
- March 2011
- February 2011
- January 2011
- December 2010
- November 2010
- October 2010
- July 2010
- June 2010
- May 2010
- April 2010
- June 2009
- May 2009
- April 2009
- March 2009
- February 2009
- January 2009
- December 2008
- November 2008
- October 2008
- September 2008
- August 2008
- July 2008
- June 2008
- May 2008
- April 2008
- March 2008
- February 2008
- January 2008
- December 2007
- November 2007
- October 2007
- September 2007
- August 2007
- July 2007
- June 2007
- May 2007
- April 2007
- March 2007
- February 2007
- January 2007
Admin
Try the Visual Archives
Category Cloud
This site is best viewed using Firefox
Things may not display properly using Internet Explorer. Click the graphic above to download Firefox. You may also want to read about Internet Explorer security issues.