HISTORY OF THE NORTH POLE AND CHRISTMAS IN THE CITY

I received my first Lionel electric train in 1938 which consisted of a engine, tender, log car, box car and caboose. Several cars were added for a few years as well as a Coal Elevator. I still have the original train and transformer, which I occasionally set up under the Christmas tree in a small oval.

In 1986 I was intrigued with the Porcelain lighted houses that Dept 56 had on the market. I first purchased 3 houses of the Dickens series, the fall of 1986 at Meier and Frank Portland. By the time Christmas arrived I had 6 houses and a few accessories. It grew rapidly thereafter, picking up the original 7 houses and many more.

I was displaying this village on a folding ping-pong table. I thought a train would be fun to have, so I purchased a HO European style train that consisted of an engine and 3 passenger cars made by Roco in Austria. The train seemed a bit to small for the size of the buildings. But it did add to the display. The next year I purchase my first LGB set which consisted of the Spreewald engine and 2 passenger coaches. The train track was put on the Ping Pong table, but it was a short run and the train really was too large
for the size of the houses and accessories. From then on I purchased more track and the train was delegated to running around the living room in a large oval.

In 1990 Dept 56 came out with 3 new houses, Santa's Workshop, Elf's Bunkhouse and Reindeer Barn. Thus was born the collection now called North Pole. This soon grew fast in a few years and finally I retired the Dickens Village and concentrated on building up the North Pole to the size it is today. I wanted a train running around through the North Pole so I purchase a Bachmann ON30 passenger train that runs on HO track. The train and buildings seem to be about the right proportion.

Dept 56 also had a Christmas in the City group of houses of which I purchased 15 that I particularly liked. In addition, a trolley running back and forth was later added. I did acquire a 2nd LGB train, engine and 3 freight cars. I run the two LGB trains on the floor with two separate track layouts. The Spreewald train now has 3 passenger coaches, a "sound" box car and a Mail car. The freight
train has the engine and 8 freight cars.

The trains run around a greater part of the living room, into the dinning room, back out to the living room, etc. This has been fun collecting over the years, but there comes an end of space when you live in a condominium as I do. The villages probably will
never get any larger than they are now.

It has been fun collecting and I always enjoy having people in to see the layouts.