# Making a "Santa's Sleigh Pylon"



## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

I'm interested in Lionel's "Santa's Sleigh Pylon" but it is not exactly what I want. 











Does anyone have any ideas about how I could make my own? What I need is the pylon to be a tree, not a tower. I know I could just make the pylon into a tree easily, but I figure since I am altering one thing why not the whole thing and in the end, isn't this just a tower with a little electric motor twirling a stiff wire?

I don't want to re-create the tower, but reather put the flying santa in a place, or on something I already have in the layout. Basically, everythign but the tower is what I'm interested in, but I don't want to shell out $150 (msrp) for only it's parts.

Does anyone have any links to sights about making small gadgets with elec motors that might spark some ideas for me?


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## Reckers (Oct 11, 2009)

I think what is missing is some description of the environment in which Santa will be displayed---what do we have to work with? Any way to use rafters overhead and suspend Santa from a nylon line instead of mounting him on a post? I realize you said you wanted a tree, but you needn't have any base at all in some settings.

Okay, that done, you can go buy what I used to rotate a diner in a suitcase train. You've seen these clear plastic paperweight things with a drawing of wolves or similar etched inside them? Well, you can buy a rotating base to mount them on---go look here: http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=10384 look for post #24.
If you attach your Santa's wire to the mirror-like top, it will rotate and have mulicolored lights. To attach, find a small block of wood, drill a hole for the end of the wire and glue the wire in. Either glue the wood block to the mirror-surface or do what I did with the plastic magnets. Now, wrap it with a Christmas tree and free Santa!

Best wishes,


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## Xnats (Dec 5, 2010)

What about something along these lines, using a stepper motor and straight shaft. This would replace your little Christmas tree on the layout with a bigger one 







http://www.allelectronics.com/make-a-store/item/ACM-200/24-VAC-4.1-RPM-GEAR-MOTOR/1.html


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## seabilliau (Dec 12, 2011)

Thanks for the ideas. Gets me thinking in the fit direction. Right now I'm leaning towards keeping Santa on the ground by the tree and having the derigible that carries the bag of presents rotating arbors the tree. We'll see.


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