Merry Christmas from our family once again for 2024! It's been a lot of fun watching this video go a bit viral this year and hearing your own Christmas train memories (and especially hearing from the other parents out there about their kids loving this video like Micah loved watching layouts before I built his)! I'm planning on uploading a making-of video eventually but until then, I wrote an article for Model Railroader about the project here: www.trains.com/mrr/how-to/build-model-railroad/the-story-of-joyful-junction-micahs-christmas-train/
What started out as a small Christmas train set to go under the Christmas tree has turned into one of our family's favorite traditions: pulling out this tiny N scale Christmas layout and running different trains around it by lantern light with the fire flickering away in the fireplace. This year, we're happy to share it with all of you - enjoy, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! - Dave
My Dad got me into the hobby as a kid with carefully selected train show buys and rides on the N&W J611 steam engine during Norfolk Southern's steam excursion program back in the 90's. I figured it was my job to pass it on!
I loved electronics and ham radio in my schoolboy years in the 1970's. That's now turned into evil IT, AI and robotics, so I would not equate IT to artistry.
The original build in 2022 had to be completed in only 6 weeks and I had NEVER built a full layout in my life so I had to scramble to both learn everything and try to apply it. I didn't even know what a "power hub" to distribute power to the detail LEDs was until just a few weeks before Christmas and the final reveal. Underneath is a nightmare spaghetti mess of cables, especially because of the 3-way switch to control the signal light haha. Here's a peek at the underside nightmare: imgur.com/a/G1bnEpb
My favorite Christmas present ever was an N scale train layout built on a styrofoam platform with all the landscaping, houses etc. I will never forget it. This video reminds me of the greatest Christmas ever. The music is awesome too. Thank you.
Thank you so much for making this video… My kids are 2 & 4 years old absolutely love watching this. My dad built a huge N scale installation in a room in his house. He passed away suddenly and the installation was the last item to leave his house. My kids never got to see it. Thank you again for sharing this!
This video was an excellent production. What i appreciated most was how it didnt necessarily focus on overpriced products but more so the heart and soul of our hobby. Thanks and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We have run an HO scale train under the tree and around furniture for years. Sadly, last year we had a Corgi puppy and didn't run it. This year, we have a kitten... We haven't even decorated our tree! I'll be running a trimmed down version on our kitchen counter on Christmas Eve complete with our Christmas Junction warehouse - full of presents. Nothing as extravagant as this but it still brings in that Christmas joy! I love the hand held shake in these videos. It is perfect! Thanks for sharing
My grandfather had this huge collections of model trains dating to the 1940's, he passed 12 years ago and I had no idea what ever happened to it. Well, I recently learned that his collection survives and was recently passed on to my father from my uncle. I miss having model trains, think I'll have to visit the big one here in SD at Balboa Park soon.
I LOVE the Christmas tree lot complete with car loading up and hazards on! LOVE the Merry Christmas train car! There's so much to enjoy about this...the snow effects are amazing.
Brother your attention 2 detail is inspirational, like d little figures, even d wolves and a bus, but most of all u included a church. Best part is your selection of music and when it turns to night. I was mesmerized thanks 4 sharing your beautiful train layout
My son is thrilled to see your Christmas tree video! He’s obsessed with trains. Hope you could make a tutorial on how to do a beautiful set like this! I really want to build him something ❤
Couldn't have done it without you guys! I had no idea what I was doing when I started out on this project - and I only had 6 weeks last Christmas to get it ready - but the tips & tricks videos on your channel came in clutch. Scenic Cement, Flex Paste, some of your building kits and figures and even the Just Plug lighting system... I went from having never heard of this stuff to putting it down on the layout in no time at all. 😆
Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been looking for christmas videos to have on that aren't just AI generated images with a snow overlay. This is so charming and amazing! Thank you!
I am loving this. I'm glad I had saved it in my Christmas music playlist. I'm going to project it to my big screen later when it gets dark. Great combination of your musical selection and trains.
You can tell a lot of love and a lot of hard work went into making this video. Even slightly curmudgeon folks like myself can clearly see and appreciate this ☺️ I will most definitely have this playing in the background on Christmas Day.
WOW!!!! This draws me in and makes my imagination go wild, remembering the thoughts I would have as a child and even as an adult, as I would put together train sets around Christmas time and around the Christmas tree. I would love then, and still love now, letting my imagination go as I imagine what it would be like if this was a real life setting - the people walking around and shopping, the snow, the trains coming and going - it can seem to real, and the music? Stunning! Great job at putting this together! Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
Thank you so much!! It’s Christmas Eve 2024 and I’ve had this streaming to the big screen downstairs while I wrap presents, catch up on paperwork email, straighten up and prepare for guests tomorrow. The music selection is so relaxing and easy to ‘silently’ sing along. It’s absolutely perfect for setting the right mood. Bless you and yours and have a very Merry Christmas!🎄
My favorite child gift was a simple train with simple tracks, just 2 wagons. It was such a luxurious gift I couldn't believe it, as we could not afford it. It was a gift for me in the only christmas celebration my fathers Ministry did for its employees in a luxury hotel, with public money - the ministrer was charged with spending public money, lost his post etc. That was Greece Athens about 1976. LOL I will never forget it, never.
Wow! Your set is absolutely beautiful. My three-year-old is absolutely obsessed with it. You did a beautiful job on it, and a beautiful job filming it! Much love and a very Merry Christmas from a happy little boy who loves your "Chwismis Trains."
Thanks! The snow is a mixture of leaving some white plaster for the terrain base with some white acrylic paint on top and then rocky paint colors dry brushed on top of that for areas like the mountain. The rest of the layout uses white acrylic as a base followed by Woodland Scenics Flex Paste for the rolls, drifts & icicles. I then added a few areas of thin model train grass and underbrush sponge to give the open terrain some visual interest and then finally for the fluffy snow I used SnoFlock which has glue built into it where you just wet it to make it stick. If you want to see the process in detail I have a full build breakdown over on my other channel here: ua-cam.com/video/xf0w2vxiQAc/v-deo.html
Love this layout so much. I have the N gauge bits to make a layout like this happen, but this year the vote was LEGO trains............ a great choice but not the same.
Very nice and well done for n scale...hard for snow to do what you want it to in any scale.....but i must ask...The Music...who is it...great stuff thx for sharing
I remember as a kid I wanted to have my own model train layout. Now I have a few model trains but my interest in them has faded away long ago due to certain reasons and concerns.
Haha yeah we had the same dilemma after the end of the holiday season last year. My next project will probably be to build a moveable summer time layout but for this one if you look carefully at 00:20 you can see it has carry handles. It only weighs about 20lb (would be less but I was new to all this and used a lot of plaster instead of foam) so I built a sturdy wooden storage crate to keep the bugs and critters out of it during summer storage.
Merry Christmas from our family once again for 2024! It's been a lot of fun watching this video go a bit viral this year and hearing your own Christmas train memories (and especially hearing from the other parents out there about their kids loving this video like Micah loved watching layouts before I built his)! I'm planning on uploading a making-of video eventually but until then, I wrote an article for Model Railroader about the project here: www.trains.com/mrr/how-to/build-model-railroad/the-story-of-joyful-junction-micahs-christmas-train/
What started out as a small Christmas train set to go under the Christmas tree has turned into one of our family's favorite traditions: pulling out this tiny N scale Christmas layout and running different trains around it by lantern light with the fire flickering away in the fireplace. This year, we're happy to share it with all of you - enjoy, Happy Holidays and Merry Christmas! - Dave
This is a fantastic layout! It's so intricately detailed. Thank you so much for sharing this treasure of yours.
What an amazing tradition! I appreciate you for sharing it with us.
Thank you and may everyone have a joyful holiday season 💗
I love the snow pushing!
Is this all the same layout in the same place?
So nostalgic and the fact this is live action and not AI or computer generated makes it so much better ❤
My Dad was a train fanatic. This sweet video makes me miss him so much.
My Dad got me into the hobby as a kid with carefully selected train show buys and rides on the N&W J611 steam engine during Norfolk Southern's steam excursion program back in the 90's. I figured it was my job to pass it on!
Wow, I still remember my little mini snowy landscape diorama....
*Chopped garlic peel everywhere.*
The IT nerd in me is interested in the tech side of the setup...cable management, power setup, control. That's where the true artistry lies.
I loved electronics and ham radio in my schoolboy years in the 1970's. That's now turned into evil IT, AI and robotics, so I would not equate IT to artistry.
I kind of want it to have a section where the train engineer lovingly talks through all of the details of the train set and village
The original build in 2022 had to be completed in only 6 weeks and I had NEVER built a full layout in my life so I had to scramble to both learn everything and try to apply it. I didn't even know what a "power hub" to distribute power to the detail LEDs was until just a few weeks before Christmas and the final reveal. Underneath is a nightmare spaghetti mess of cables, especially because of the 3-way switch to control the signal light haha. Here's a peek at the underside nightmare: imgur.com/a/G1bnEpb
The detail and texture is mind blowing. Not to mention the continuity from one scene to the next is exact.
My favorite Christmas present ever was an N scale train layout built on a styrofoam platform with all the landscaping, houses etc. I will never forget it. This video reminds me of the greatest Christmas ever. The music is awesome too.
Thank you.
The part where the little plough train pushed the snow was really exciting
Thanks so much for this, my kids love watching it! So festive and relaxing, just the thing before bedtime 👍
Thank you so much for making this video… My kids are 2 & 4 years old absolutely love watching this. My dad built a huge N scale installation in a room in his house. He passed away suddenly and the installation was the last item to leave his house. My kids never got to see it. Thank you again for sharing this!
Fantastic! I always get my N-scale trains out for Christmas but somehow, I did not do it this year. Luckily, I can enjoy your trains instead!
This is just lovely. 🧡 Such a work of heart and art. Thank you for sharing this with the world.
This video was an excellent production. What i appreciated most was how it didnt necessarily focus on overpriced products but more so the heart and soul of our hobby. Thanks and Merry Christmas to you and yours.
We have run an HO scale train under the tree and around furniture for years. Sadly, last year we had a Corgi puppy and didn't run it. This year, we have a kitten... We haven't even decorated our tree!
I'll be running a trimmed down version on our kitchen counter on Christmas Eve complete with our Christmas Junction warehouse - full of presents. Nothing as extravagant as this but it still brings in that Christmas joy!
I love the hand held shake in these videos. It is perfect! Thanks for sharing
My grandfather had this huge collections of model trains dating to the 1940's, he passed 12 years ago and I had no idea what ever happened to it. Well, I recently learned that his collection survives and was recently passed on to my father from my uncle. I miss having model trains, think I'll have to visit the big one here in SD at Balboa Park soon.
I needed this. 2 year old is OBSESSED with model trains and i love soft jazz
Us parents gotta stick together!
What A Beautiful Train Village, so many memories of my Happy Christmas Memories rush right to me.
Randomly clicked on a youtube video and find something awesome. You can tell a lot of work and love went into this!
This is unreal. You did an amazing job with all of this, including the lighting and camerawork.
Much appreciated!
Simply beautiful. You could write a book or pod cast
Simply beautiful. Love the details.
Wonderful! My little baby just got a much needed nap thanks to this peaceful little train ride!
I LOVE the Christmas tree lot complete with car loading up and hazards on! LOVE the Merry Christmas train car! There's so much to enjoy about this...the snow effects are amazing.
I put this on to read to and my mom came down and shes watching it. She told me to tell you she loves it. ❤
Incredible details and workmanship....truly the stuff of childhood dreams of my generation
Wow, this video is simply stunning! It’s so well-crafted, charming, and entertaining. Thank you for sharing your family tradition with us.
Brother your attention 2 detail is inspirational, like d little figures, even d wolves and a bus, but most of all u included a church. Best part is your selection of music and when it turns to night. I was mesmerized thanks 4 sharing your beautiful train layout
Thanks for sharing! Beautiful and relaxing!
Absolutely charming countryside snow scene with fresh snow on top of the trains. Love the lantern on the table too. Thanks for sharing
My son is thrilled to see your Christmas tree video! He’s obsessed with trains. Hope you could make a tutorial on how to do a beautiful set like this! I really want to build him something ❤
😍😍😍😍😍AMAZING 😍😍😍😍😍
Couldn't have done it without you guys! I had no idea what I was doing when I started out on this project - and I only had 6 weeks last Christmas to get it ready - but the tips & tricks videos on your channel came in clutch. Scenic Cement, Flex Paste, some of your building kits and figures and even the Just Plug lighting system... I went from having never heard of this stuff to putting it down on the layout in no time at all. 😆
@@immersiondepot That's amazing, well done!
An absolute treat. Thank you.
Thank you so much for sharing this! I've been looking for christmas videos to have on that aren't just AI generated images with a snow overlay. This is so charming and amazing! Thank you!
I am loving this. I'm glad I had saved it in my Christmas music playlist. I'm going to project it to my big screen later when it gets dark. Great combination of your musical selection and trains.
"It's my hobby Janice, why do you have to belittle it?"
Okay. But you gotta get over it.
Bobby had the makings of a varsity athlete
Never meant to belittle. Only amazement!!!
Model trains and Christmas. Thanks for sharing. Happy holidays. (N-scale requires much patience, hats off to you).
You can tell a lot of love and a lot of hard work went into making this video. Even slightly curmudgeon folks like myself can clearly see and appreciate this ☺️
I will most definitely have this playing in the background on Christmas Day.
WOW!!!! This draws me in and makes my imagination go wild, remembering the thoughts I would have as a child and even as an adult, as I would put together train sets around Christmas time and around the Christmas tree. I would love then, and still love now, letting my imagination go as I imagine what it would be like if this was a real life setting - the people walking around and shopping, the snow, the trains coming and going - it can seem to real, and the music? Stunning! Great job at putting this together! Thank you and Merry Christmas to you and yours!
AWESOME!!!!! Keep up the good work.
This is really awesome.
Watching on Boxing Day 2024 here in California, Merry Christmas and Thank You! 💙👏🏻👏🏻❄️☃️😌
Thank you so much!! It’s Christmas Eve 2024 and I’ve had this streaming to the big screen downstairs while I wrap presents, catch up on paperwork email, straighten up and prepare for guests tomorrow. The music selection is so relaxing and easy to ‘silently’ sing along. It’s absolutely perfect for setting the right mood. Bless you and yours and have a very Merry Christmas!🎄
My favorite child gift was a simple train with simple tracks, just 2 wagons.
It was such a luxurious gift I couldn't believe it, as we could not afford it.
It was a gift for me in the only christmas celebration my fathers Ministry did for its employees in a luxury hotel, with public money - the ministrer was charged with spending public money, lost his post etc.
That was Greece Athens about 1976. LOL
I will never forget it, never.
This is amazing. Everything is decorated so beautifully and the editing is crisp.
Yay! Yay! Yaaaaay!!!
bookmarked 👍
Beautiful layout great video. Thanks for not talking the whole video and just letting people enjoy the sights and sounds. Great job
This is amazing work ImmersionDepot, Merry Christmas to you and yours and thank you for showing us.
Very beautiful setup
Wow! Your set is absolutely beautiful. My three-year-old is absolutely obsessed with it. You did a beautiful job on it, and a beautiful job filming it! Much love and a very Merry Christmas from a happy little boy who loves your "Chwismis Trains."
Inspiring. Just amazing. Thank you.
calming, nostalgic, perfect music - plan to have this on in the background a lot this holiday season. thank you for sharing, and Merry Christmas! 😄
🎉 Thank you so much, Wow 🎉
Wonderfully done thanks for sharing
Excellent, love the music and the train layout videos!
Now that is down right cool. I would love to know how you made the snow for the whole thing?
Thanks! The snow is a mixture of leaving some white plaster for the terrain base with some white acrylic paint on top and then rocky paint colors dry brushed on top of that for areas like the mountain. The rest of the layout uses white acrylic as a base followed by Woodland Scenics Flex Paste for the rolls, drifts & icicles. I then added a few areas of thin model train grass and underbrush sponge to give the open terrain some visual interest and then finally for the fluffy snow I used SnoFlock which has glue built into it where you just wet it to make it stick. If you want to see the process in detail I have a full build breakdown over on my other channel here: ua-cam.com/video/xf0w2vxiQAc/v-deo.html
BEAUTIFUL. Thank you. Great stuff.
Absolutely incredible! Beautiful! Thank you for sharing!
Love this layout so much. I have the N gauge bits to make a layout like this happen, but this year the vote was LEGO trains............ a great choice but not the same.
Awesome! Hoping to do a set with my son too
that train horn scared the crap out of my dog! 😆
It’s genuinely is so inspiring
Lovely atmosphere 🙂🤍🤍
GREAT SET and LAYOUT! I use thin sewing thread for telephone wire between poles.
Very nicely done. Fun and relaxing to watch. I have always loved trains.
Can't believe I didn't discover this until NYE 🤣
Thanks for Sharing! God Bless you and your Family. Merry Christmas!
Very nice and well done for n scale...hard for snow to do what you want it to in any scale.....but i must ask...The Music...who is it...great stuff thx for sharing
Thanks! All of the music is picked out from the Epidemic Sound paid library.
This is superb. Well done, a lot of time and effort to be acknowledged here.
Wow this is just beautiful. Thank you
fantastic 베리 나이스 짱
Lovely, Thank you for sharing.
This is WONDERFUL !! Thank you for all of the time and effort you put into it !
Thanks so much! It was definitely an obsession project.
TRAINTASTIC!!! Thanks for sharing!
This is beautiful.
So pretty!
So wonderful!! Merry Christmas!🎄
My boyfriend collects these and makes his own tracks.. :) this is a very good layout.
Love trains, love Christmas music, but holy crap you need a camera / phone gimbal to keep the picture steady!
The video is perfect just the way it is. 🙂
Magic....
🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼 beautiful display 🎅🏼🎄🎅🏼
Perfect
Awesome place!
Merry Christmas! 🎄
My nieces husband sent your video to me. It is astounding what you’ve done … and amazing to watch and listen to!! Great job! 👍🏻 Happy Holidays! 🎅🏻🎄
Had a train set like that. Didn’t have the fancy village. Was neat thank you.
The camera work and sound effects are Really Good.
Love it! Merry Christmas!!!
I remember as a kid I wanted to have my own model train layout. Now I have a few model trains but my interest in them has faded away long ago due to certain reasons and concerns.
Amazing😮😮❤❤❤!!!
This is amazing!!! Thank you so much!!
Reminds me of Harry Potter! Now I'm gonna watch it tonight :D
Thank you
this is nice i like it alot
Dude you need to make the pride of concord
So cool and very pretty.❤️
So intricate! Love it!❤
So beautiful...did you have the signs made? (Tree farms)
How easy is this to take down and store? I feel like I’d want to leave it up 24/7 lol
Haha yeah we had the same dilemma after the end of the holiday season last year. My next project will probably be to build a moveable summer time layout but for this one if you look carefully at 00:20 you can see it has carry handles. It only weighs about 20lb (would be less but I was new to all this and used a lot of plaster instead of foam) so I built a sturdy wooden storage crate to keep the bugs and critters out of it during summer storage.
This is so cute ❤