All Aboard: Your Ultimate Guide to Christmas Tree Trains

by Linda Trzyna

Everyone knows someone whose hobby has evolved from a simple pastime to an all-out passion. That’s how my husband is with model trains, which he started collecting as a kid.

He cleans them when they are dirty, fixes them when they break and repairs them when they are damaged. And I can personally confirm that he still spends hours and hours playing with them.

So it should come as no surprise that we typically have a train running around our Christmas tree. In fact, the question each year isn’t “Should we put a train around the Christmas tree?” but “Which train should we put around the tree?”

Over the years, I’ve learned a thing or two about Christmas tree trains. Yes, they attract kids (and men over a certain age) like magnets. Yes, the dog may bark at it and chase it. And yes, some model trains – particularly classic electric train sets – are heavy, fussy and expensive.

The good news is, you don’t have to rob a train to be able to afford a toy train. Today’s Christmas trains are lightweight and easy to set up and run. Plus, you can find a festive-looking Christmas train set, complete with engine, cars and track, for a very reasonable price.

Toy trains have been a part of Christmas for more than 100 years. When they first appeared in the early 1900s, electric model trains quickly became one of the top wished-for Christmas presents, particularly among young boys. Later, savvy model train manufacturers began creating train sets designed to run around Christmas trees.

While model trains may have reached their heyday in the 1950s, toy train sets in various forms continue to entertain children and adults alike, at Christmas and throughout the year.

You may think setting up a Christmas train is more trouble than it’s worth. But, unlike Grampa’s heavy (and likely expensive) model train, today’s Christmas train sets are lightweight and easy to put together and run.

Plus, you can find a colorful Christmas train set, complete with engine, cars and track, for a very reasonable price.

Best of all, having a train around the Christmas tree is fun! Toy train sets are colorful and add light and animation to your Christmas tree decorations. Many Christmas trains feature working headlights and realistic engine and whistle sounds. They may even play music as they chug along. Running a train set is another good reason to gather around the Christmas tree.

Rather than buy the first toy train you see, I suggest you ask yourself some important questions to guide your purchase.

“Under the tree” is the obvious answer, but that might not be the most practical choice. If space is tight (or if it might get trampled underfoot by kids or pets), consider the convenience of a nearby end table, coffee table or buffet.

Open floor space works too, but experiment with your surface. A bare wood or vinyl floor shouldn’t present a problem, but I’ve found that model train track can sag or separate when placed on carpeting or uneven tile. This will make your train run off the track and that’s no fun.

Smaller children could find it hard to line up the train on the track. Frustration could cause them to abandon the new toy quicker than you can say “Cauliflower for dinner.”

One solution we’ve used is to stand the tree on a large piece of plywood. The board provides a flat, level surface for your train track. Just be sure it’s large enough to accommodate the circumference of your track.

Before buying a Christmas tree train, know the size of the space you want to fill. Pay attention to the track length and diameter listed in the product description and measure ahead of time to be sure it will fit.

If in the grips of nostalgia you have your heart set on buying a vintage model train, track and transformer, I won’t stop you. (My husband might even have some for sale.)

However, since this may be your first experience with train toys, I recommend starting with something simpler. Battery-operated train sets are easy to set up and operate. 

Also, you won’t have to worry about kids plugging in electrical cords or pets chewing on wires. A battery-operated train turns on and off with a simple switch -- no confusing controllers in sight.

I suppose there may be a few people who put a train around their Christmas tree with no intention of running it. Buying a Christmas train purely for looks means you don’t have to worry about function. Those who do want to play with their Christmas trains, however, should consider a few operational details.

Train track that snaps together easily is a must, especially if you have kids. Choosing a train set with track that easily connects helps eliminate umpteen requests a day to put it back together.

Shape is important, too. Track that forms a figure eight won’t work under a tree, for obvious reasons. Some sets offer flexible track arrangements that can be enlarged from circles to ovals.

Don’t forget the bells and whistles – literally! You can find trains with working lights, whistles, clanging bells or even Christmas music. Sure, the noise might drive you a little crazy (In a good way, right? After all, it’s Christmas…) but Christmas trains with sound effects are much more fun!

Train sets are low-tech toys that encourage children to use their imaginations as they play. Christmas trains are incredibly nostalgic and a great way to bring generations together around the Christmas tree.

In fact, don't be surprised if you find Grandpa on the floor playing trains with the kids!

(And give me a call. I’ll send my husband right over!)

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