Making a Christmas train from 79111

[Andy D]

I bought the The Lone Ranger Constitution Train Chase (79111) with the idea of making a Christmas train from it.

I'm not much of a train person, but I do want a Christmas train and I need ideas of how to "Christmas the 79111 up".

Has anyone seen any photos of a Christmas train made from the 79111?

Thanks

Andy D

[dr_spock]

This is probably better answered over at the train forum.

For starters, you should get rid of the gatlin gun and replace with gifts. The prisoner wagon can be converted to a passenger wagon. Remove the prison cage and dynamite. The engine and tender can be decorated with Christmas light, garlands, reefs, etc. Add some Christmasy colors to the whole train. That would be some of the changes I would make to it.

Here is a picture of the old LEGO Holiday Train to give you some more ideas.

Merry Christmas.

[Rick]

This is probably better answered over at the train forum.

I think so too. Topic moved.

[AgentRick]

Colorwise the Constitution is fairly muted with greys and browns. The dark green on the Train is already a good start for making the train Christmasy. I'd say start by adding more white to the train by swapping out the brown windows.

As for the two cars it comes with, the most obvious thing to change is getting rid of the gatling gun . Add some trees to the flat car for a new load. The boxcar is probably the weakest part of the set that could be made festive, so I'd just scrap it or rebuild it from the ground up. Add some passenger cars and maybe a caboose and you're set as far as cars go. Spread out some greens and reds and some white through the train and it should look and feel fairly festive.

[TheLegoDr]

Keep the gatling gun while playing some weird Al in the background. The night Santa went crazy!

[Andy D]

Thanks for the replies. Certainly gives me something to contemplate.

BTW: I thought I posted it in the train forum (senior moment)... Silly mistake. Where was it?

Andy D

Edited November 16, 2014 by Andy D

[detjensrobert]

Looks like it was moved from the Town forum.

[phoenix42]

Keep the gatling gun while playing some weird Al in the background. The night Santa went crazy!

Too funny - of course now the tune is playing in my head :)

[fred67]

Or it could be Robo-Santa from Futurama.

I have the Constitution, too... I removed the "play" elements and added a caboose, based roughly on the old MOT caboose, but with different colors (stuck with dark green) and curved roof pieces to match the studless, smooth roof on the other cars.

I think the engine is a good choice for a Christmas train - it's actually my favorite engine from TLG, even more than the Emerald Night, as it has a more classic styling, but I would try to find a way to add wreaths and other Christmasy things to it to brighten it up. Except for the wheels, I'd pretty much throw away the other cars and build new ones.

I will say this, having missed out on the 10173 that dr_spock mentions above, I bricklinked my own. I had tons of train pieces already, being big into trains, and had to compromise on a few parts, but it's definitely worth taking a look at for ideas on cars and how to decorate them. Definitely don't skimp on the things on the trains - presents, bikes are good additions as gifts, if you can get a hold of a number of the molded pine trees (or make your own small ones somehow). I think you'd want at least one open car showing off all the goodies, at least one passenger car, and a train like that is not complete without a caboose... a very decorated one, of course.

I'd even go so far as to maybe try some lifelites.

Have fun! Now that I'm an adult, my LEGO Christmas setup is one of the major things I look forward to every year (because I don't have a permanent layout)... set it up with my other Christmas decorations Thanksgiving week (which I always take off from work).

Edited November 17, 2014 by fred67

[dr_spock]

I was looking at YouTube videos the other day and came across a Christmas train using what appears to be a Constitution Train engine. I don't think the creator is a member of EB.

[ecmo47]

^ Nice set-up but I hope you are not prone to motion sickness! That video made me woozie especially the side camera shots.

Here's a thread over at Brickset that has pictures of a couple trains based on the 79111.

http://www.bricksetforum.com/discussion/comment/280029#Comment_280029

[Gideon8]

It was funny how this topic came up right after I decorated my Constitution Train for Christmas last weekend! Dr. Spock was right to direct you to the original Holiday Train. I got the ideas for my train's decorations from that set too. It was cool to see what other LEGO fans have done with their Constitution Train around the internet!

I have made a quick video of my train for you:

Hope it will give you some ideas too. :)

Edited November 18, 2014 by Gideon8

[Younge]

I think you could borrow some ideas from the Winter Christmas Village series. For example, on the latest 10245 Santa's Workshop, there is a string of lights that runs along the roof of the workshop. I think something like that would look great snaking along both sides of some train carriages.

Edited November 18, 2014 by Younge

[fred67]

@Younge, that reminds me of the lights I bought last year; I recommended lifelites in my reply, above, but last year I also got some lights like these:

(not my picture).

Google "copper led lights." I got both white and red-blue-green-yellow Christmas-y colors. You can get them with a battery pack that could easily be put in a train (mine has 3 AAA batteries, the second picture shows one using large watch batteries). I'd put up my own picture, but they were last minute buys and I didn't have a chance to really incorporate them into my Christmas scene; if I do better this year I'll post more pictures.

I found them both at WalMart and JoAnns, I'm sure you can get them at Michaels, or any number of crafts stores like those.

[Andy D]

Wow! Thanks for all the great replies, it certainly gives me something to chew on.

Andy D