Rail Road for Christmas Tree

thingiverse

I've always dreamed of having a track big enough for my favorite Christmas train made from programmable building blocks, and now thanks to 3D printing, I finally have them. To build it, you'll need 12 prints of both inner and outer rails. Printing them separately will keep them smooth, but you'll still need to sand the ends to remove imperfections and ensure a snug fit at the joints. With my settings, I found the joints a bit too tight, so I tried making the rails thinner, but this made the joints look sloppy. You'll also need 24 cross ties - 12 to connect the track segments and 12 to stabilize them in mid-track. Printing six at a time worked well on my printer, and you may need to sand them slightly regardless of whether they're printed individually or not. I didn't post another version of the cross tie, but these provide more stability. As with all Christmas designs, remember that printed plastics don't mix well with unconditioned attic spaces during summer months. While higher-melt-point plastics like PETG might get away with it in your area, PLA will definitely warp. If you're willing to invest time in printing this set, consider storing it in a closet or with the building blocks used for your train.