The Christmas train started in the summer of 97 when the idea was agreed upon.  The train's founders, Randy Sangster and Carl Thornton worked for a month just sketching out plans and diagrams.  Once the basic concept was outlined and the financial estimates completed,  S&T Railroad was ready to get to work.

 SPECIFICATIONS

    The first thing constructed was a 10' section of track made from 1/2 inch rigid conduit pipe (rails) and short sections of PVC pipe (cross members).  The cross members were riveted to the rails.  Next on the list was the train.  The train started with a PVC pipe frame and was covered with florescent light fixture panels.

    The frame was bolted on top of two swiveling wheel assemblies, each with 4 lawnmower wheels minus the rubber tires.  A "Power Wheels" motor was installed on an axle driving two of the wheels.  An external on/off lever and a battery were added to complete the train for it's testing phase. Sangster and Thornton learned right away that the 1/2 inch pipe was inadequate.  The 10' section sagged about a foot in the middle with the train on it.  The 1/2 inch pipe was traded for 3/4 inch pipe and later traded again for 1 inch pipe which supported the weight satisfactorily.

    S&T Railroad now had a working train and a solid track sample.  The next hurdle was the driveway spans.  Weeks were spent trying to come up with the right material that was light weight yet rigid enough to support the weight.  Everything tested was either too heavy, dangerous, complicated, or expensive.
Luckily one of the track neighbors, Art Reina, owned a machine shop, R&L Technical Machining.
R&L welded up a light weight aluminum truss. The truss was tested with the track and train on top.
The test was a huge success.  Sangster and Thornton knew that with that hurdle overcome it was full steam ahead.  R&L then constructed and supplied all of the remaining driveway trusses.

    The next phase was digging all the holes for the support pipes.  16 driveway truss support holes were dug 3' deep with hand tools.  A three foot section of ABS pipe was cemented into each hole much like a fence post.  The support poles were inserted and plumbed.  A track elevation height of 9' was chosen for clearance of the highest vehicle.  The support poles were measured and drilled for a cross pin which extended over the edge of the ABS pipe and held the pole at the proper height.  Once this truss was set, the remaining trusses were leveled with it using a string.

    Sangster and Thornton next staked out the remaining 40 holes to be dug.  The men got a little smarter and rented a power auger to dig the holes.  About every 4th hole, the auger hit something like roots, sprinkler pipes, etc.  Much of the digging still needed to be done by hand and then sprinkler pipe repairs and rerouting had to be completed.  A total of 56 holes were dug and pipes cemented.  All the cement was purchased in bags and mixed by hand.  When the cement dried, all the remaining track support poles were measured and pinned.  Half moon plastic spreaders were inserted atop all the support poles to hold up the track rails.

    Next on the list was the track itself.  The men worked for about a month building 66 separate sections of track, each custom made to fit its exact location.  The curves were extremely difficult as they were all bent by hand.  The track sections were joined together with tight fitting PVC inserts.  Each section was inserted into the previous and then screwed down to the spreaders.  When the track was completed, a steel cable was used along the entire length to add stability by holding the sections tightly together as a unit and also provided a place to hang decorative white lights.

    Finishing touches were added such as decorating the train engine and installing lights and train sound.  Switches were added to the engine and the track enabling the train to reverse direction upon reaching the end.  A parking and battery charging station were set up and the Christmas train was complete for 1997.

    In 1998 the train was updated with new improvements.  Two roundhouse style Turn-a-Rounds were constructed, one for each end of the track.  This would enable the train to turn around and always go forward.  The train track was electrified with 12 volts of DC power using 3 different 12 volt power supply boxes with a total of 23 Amps.  Sangster and Thornton then built the Santa Sleigh car.  This gave birth to the "Santa Express".  For the finishing touches, the neighbors made up decorative information signs about the train.

    Midway through the 98 season there was a slight mishap as the Locomotive derailed and crashed into the ground.  The men worked all night constructing Locomotive No. 2 and had it up and running the very next night.

    In 1999 the entire track was spray painted white both for rust protection and appearance.  This took approximately 40 cans of paint.  Garland and colored lights were added to all the poles.  The colored lights were permanantly spliced onto the main white lights wire using snap type connectors.  Two additional 12 volt power units were added supplying an additional 33 amps of current.  Decorative lighted signs were installed at the turn around stations.  A Santa's Village was added to one end of the track.

    On New Years Eve 1999, Locomotive No. 2 was retired along with the Millenium.  During the summer of 2000, Sangster and Thornton constructed Loco No. 3, a more realistic version. The new loco sports a cattle guard, working bell, moving steam piston rods and a moving reindeer head.  Loco No. 3 was constructed from a Rubbermaid garbage can, PVC pipe, lawnmower wheels and "for sale" signs.  Several months and $317 were spent building the new loco.

    Another addition this year was the long over due 3rd car.  Sangster and Thornton pondered over the design of this car for some time and then agreed upon a ferris wheel concept.  The men then constructed the Ferris Wheel Car utilizing saucers from the bottom of potted plants, PVC pipe, decorative tin canisters, styrofoam and of course lawnmower wheels.  The Ferris Wheel Car cost $139.00 .

    The addition of the Ferris Wheel Car caused a problem with the length of the turn arounds.  The train would not fit on them.  So both turn arounds had to be redesigned and extensively modified.  In addition to being lengthened, the track portion was raised to allow a safety hook to ride under the rails.  Outdoor speakers were added to play christmas music throughout the court.

    For 2001, Sangster and Thornton changed all the track sections joining connectors from PVC plastic to metal.  After several seasons of exposure to sunlight and freezing temperatures, the plastic joints were becoming very brittle and there was an increased chance of breakage.  The metal connectors vastly improved the structual integrity of the track and also improved the electrical conductivity to power the train.

    In 2002 plans call for improving the automation of the turn arounds and improving the culdsac sound system.  Other possible ideas which have been discussed are holding a design contest to replace the Ferris Wheel Car in 2003, replace the Santa Car with something more realistic and applying imitation snow to the front yards. If you have ideas, we would be glad to hear from you.  You can use the email link on the Comments page.