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Written by Paul D. Race for  and  |
Order Some Really Big Fun for the Holidays! Large Scale is the name garden railroaders give to trains that are made to be run in outdoor railroads. These trains are two to six times the size of trains people usually use indoors. They are sturdy, and they are big fun. Don't plan on setting a Large Scale railroad up on your coffee table, though.
The trains on this page are included simply because I've owned versions of each of them and think you would like them, too.
Note about Availability and Pricing: Although I try to keep an eye on things and to recommend products that are reasonably available, the model train market does fluctuate, and any product on this page may change price or become unavailable without prior notice. (In fact, I've caused a "rush" on several products just by listing them on these pages.) When I have access to more than one source, I provide multiple supplier buttons to give you a better chance of getting the trains you want (as long as you don't wait until mid-December to make your choice, in which case all bets are off). In many cases, the Amazon button will give you a choice of vendors as well. For more detailed information about why Large Scale railroad products seem to come and go and why I have stopped listing prices for certain products, please see my article "About Pricing and Availability." 
Announcement for November, 2011 - Some of my favorite Large Scale Christmas trains are in very short supply this year, due to shipping delays of the new stock. This means that there will be huge demands on the remaining product lines. In fact, one Bachmann set that was widely available in September, 2011 has disappeared from the shelves, and the AristoCraft trains are almost entirely unavailable, even in the stores. The good news is that Bachmann has reintroduced their popular Christmas-themed passenger train, currently called the White Christmas Express. That said, if you have your eye on a particular product for Christmas this year, it's better to get your order in early to avoid disappointment.
Note about Suppliers: While we try to give you get the products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose to provide your trains or other purchases are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier should any problems occur. (They almost never do, but you want to be on the safe side.)
Bachmann Large Scale Christmas TrainsBachmann is one of the world's largest manufacturers of model railroad equipment. Their large scale line is relatively inexpensive, but provides excellent value, in terms of accuracy and reliability. Although the Christmas paint job may not be realistic, the trains themselves are accurate models of real railroad equipment of the past. One way they keep the price down is that their track isn't made to be used permanently outside. If you're just planning on a temporary railroad, or if you're just planning on running these trains indoors, this shouldn't be a problem for you, though. Also they WILL run on AristoCraft track, so you can use the trains outside if you have the right track.Since we began featuring these trains on our pages, they have consistently grown in popularity. Unfortunately, Bachmann doesn't always make enough to keep up with each year's growing demand. So if you think you would like one of these trains this Christmas, order early to avoid disappointment. Note: If you'd like a look at similar trains that aren't decorated for Christmas but would still look great around your tree or in the back yard, check out the Bachmann Garden Trains page.
Although the Bachmann track is best kept indoors, the trains themselves run reliably and look great inside or out.
Note: If you like the idea of having a really big train, but you want something in a paint job that you can use all year round, you might consider other Bachmann Large Scale trains.
 In addition, Lionel is currently making some battery-powered toys that will run on Large Scale track, so they are marketing them as Large Scale trains. They ARE toys, not model trains. And if you order a set, be sure and pick up some extra alkaline batteries - the ones that come with them have no shelf life to speak of and in most cases won't even start the train. Six alkaline C cells will get you started. Twelve is better. That said, these trains have great play value for youngsters and are far better made than most plastic toy trains. For a review of these trains, click here. As the review says, they are fun, even though they are almost 100% plastic and much smaller than the electric trains on this page. I'll give you a couple links if you want to take a look. Please don't judge all Large Scale trains by these toys, though. Clicking on any of the links below will take you to an Amazon page that shows you the train:
What if this stuff looks TOO big? If you don't already have any Large Scale equipment, and you are looking mainly for something to use with a Christmas Village, Bachmann On30 Christmas Trains may be a better choice - for one thing, they're half the size, and they're made especially to look good with Dept. 56 or Lemax buildings. |
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Note: Family Garden Trains™, Garden Train Store™, Big Christmas Trains™, BIG Indoor Trains™, and BIG Train Store™ are trademarks of Breakthrough Communications (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are
Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by Paul D. Race.
Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically
For more information, please contact me
.
This set uses the same molds as the Christmas-themed set above, but with more muted colors that might look especially at home with antique or Americana-themed surroundings.
Bachmann Large Scale Christmas Street Car - Santa
is driving the trolley on this accurate model of the short-
wheelbase trolleys that were used in hundreds of North American cities and
towns over 100 years ago. This car is certain to get attention outdoors, as
well as indoors - it's over 15" long and nearly 7" tall. If you want a
Christmas trolley to run indoors and you don't already have any Large Scale
railroad equipment, you might consider an 
Bachmann G Night Before Christmas Train Set - This
train is big and colorful. It is based on the Bachmann Big Hauler series of trains, whose slogan used to be "Any bigger and you'd have to buy a ticket." In spite of the Christmas lettering, the locomotive pulling this train is an accurate model of a Baldwin locomotive that ran on many American railroads between 70 and 140 years ago. For other information about this train, or to check on pricing or availability, please click on a "check stock" button below.
AristoCraft Christmas Train 
Note about the freight version, October, 2008:
In addition, the AristoCraft Christmas Eggliner is pretty much "missing in action" this year. It's a four-wheeled passenger carrier that is a lot of fun as it zips around under its own reliable power. Again, please 
