The first model train platform made for elder daughter Taylor was a “shelf platform,” made to fit a little space carved out of her and her husband Chris’ tiny first apartment. There was a single and quite short freight line that cut through a mountain pass as it encircled a quaint little village situated around a small lake.

But the kids’ first house, moved into this fall, offered much more space. And as any model railroading aficionado understands, more space is an open invitation to build a larger train platform. Taylor and Chris took delivery on just that — a three-line, tri-level N-scale platform — from a proud papa last weekend.

There’s a Santa Fe passenger train on the outside of the oval. A Pittsburgh & Lake Erie switcher cuts through the wooded mountains as it ferries coal cars one level up on the second tier. And on the top level, on a small mountaintop plateau, there’s a small village with a community Christmas tree (perhaps to be trimmed on Dec. 24?) in the center. A City of Los Angeles trolley — complete with power standards and pole-to-pole catenaries — runs along the periphery.

It all sits atop four 30-inch legs, first thought high enough to deter a very ornery Zola the Cat from exploring. The thought, of course, was naive; Zola’s explorations have forced the trains and the trolley to be removed when not running and a guard to be posted when they are.

Sans the cat attacks, the new platform should have a long and happy life and offer many years of Christmas memories — not to mention another opportunity for dad to make annual upgrades. Nod-nod, wink-wink.

— Colin McNickle

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