Jean Moore of Mars changes her 250-square-foot train display a little bit every year, depending on how much time she has. Seen here with the display at her Hazel Avenue home Friday, Moore received the tradition of a holiday train display from her parents, and now she passes it on to her family and friends.

MARS — For Jean Moore of Hazel Avenue, a Christmas holiday train display is a family tradition that has been passed down from her mother and father.

Two trains and controls that date back to the 1940s were passed down to her. Those displays were from Jean's childhood home in Blawnox.

More trains were added later to create a five-level model train platform.

The more than 250-square-foot train platform display is even made from steel from the old Blaw-Knox Steel Construction Co., where her father worked.

This year's Christmas train display includes five levels and five running trains, with a sixth train in the home's dining room under the Christmas tree.

There also are two working streetcars in the Christmas village.

The display also includes 83 houses, 53 sleighs, five ships, three trestles, five operating amusement park rides and numerous people, animals and other fixtures.

There are three trestles in this year's display, which Frank Moore said “are his wife's pride and joy.”

The train platform includes several different scenes including a old fashioned Victorian holiday village and even an ocean harbor scene complete with ships.

“The ocean is going to have to grow because I found two more ships,” Jean said.

The Moore family did the display for their children, who have since grown. Now, they continue the tradition for their grandchildren, family and friends to enjoy, Jean said.

The display has grown year by year as she was able to gather more buildings and other display items.

Jean began erecting her impressive 2010 display shortly after the Thanksgiving holiday.

She has been constructing a holiday display at her Mars home since moving there in 1975.

Her husband said they usually also have an outdoor lighting display that compliments the train village.

It includes a lot of handmade displays and materials.

However, because of the early onset of winter, they were unable to put a most of their lighting this year, he said.

Both the Christmas lighting and train platform are altered every year.

“Every year I try to change the layout to make it different,” Jean said. “How much it changes depends how much time I have, because it takes a lot of work to get it done.”

“A lot of people knew about the lights outside, but not a lot of people knew about the platform inside. She really puts a lot of effort into it,” Frank said.

The display likely will stay up until at least the middle of January.