The tree stands on a piece of plywood. The lights and decorations are done and now comes the best moment for dads and grandfathers and kids all across America.

It’s time to set up the Christmas train!

I wondered who began this wonderful tradition and so I went to a website called “Wonderopolis” (Yeah, that’s what it’s called) in order to find out. Here’s what they had to say.

“No one knows for sure how the tradition of toy trains under the Christmas tree got started, but historians believe the tradition dates back at least 100 years. In fact, it probably got started in the early 1900s, around the time when manufacturer Lionel began to produce the first electric toy trains.”

The website Sykesville Online posted a different explanation. “It started with the Romans, but mostly it’s a German thing. Originally the Romans brought an evergreen bough into the home to bring the family good luck at winter solstice. Eventually, the tradition grew from branch to a complete tree, and the tradition carried on from Roman times to Christian Europe, and of course, to Germany.

“Germans are noted woodcarvers, and began placing small wooden and paper buildings and animals under their trees to represent their villages. Sometimes this would include a wooden, tin, or cast-iron train, but it was the village that came first.”

What’s better than to see a Lionel locomotive circling the Christmas tree pulling a coal tender and six or seven freight cars with the signature red caboose at the end? Oh, and then comes the thrill when the steam engine puffs white curls of smoke into the air!

In America, Lionel is the preferred name with trains under the tree. Their rival was American Flyer with their classic blue engine, but they stopped making train sets when they declared bankruptcy in 1967. In England, it’s the Hornby, and in Germany, it’s the Marklin train sets that join holiday celebrations.

Sykesville adds, “The number of train makers continues to shrink, but the tradition itself lives on. Many of us have fond memories of tinsel and trees and piles of presents and little plastic towns with plastic diners and fire stations and churches and American Flyer or Lionel trains chugging around the tracks under a big tree on Christmas morning. The trees were great. But the trains were better.”

A wonderful scene of Americana is a father down on his knees next to his wide-eyed little boy or girl flipping the switch to start the train chugging along the track. An extra thrill is when he tells his child to push the button that blows the authentic sound of the whistle.

Wonderopolis describes the nostalgia. “For many Americans, toy trains also evoked sentimental feelings similar to the other emotions associated with Christmas. Christmas was a time when many people traveled long distances to reach home or to see relatives. Most of these journeys would involve a train ride. Likewise, the nation’s railroads were a primary means of transporting packages around the country at Christmastime.

“Over time, many families added to their toy train setup year after year. What might have started out as a simple circular track around the tree with a few train cars could eventually become an elaborate layout with multiple tracks, as well as buildings. Some families began constructing entire holiday villages under their Christmas trees soon after Thanksgiving.”

There has been a decline in the interest in toy trains in recent years. Children are captivated by the graphics of video games rather than trains that go around circular tracks. Recently, Roadside America, an 8,000-square-foot miniature train attraction in Hamburg, Pennsylvania, closed after 85 years of delighting visitors from all over the country.

Wonderopolis reports that some experts believe a resurgence of toy trains might happen with the continued popularity of modern entertainment that features trains prominently. From Thomas the Tank Engine to the Hogwarts Express of the Harry Potter books to “The Polar Express” movie, trains have made a comeback in the public’s imagination.

The movie, “The Polar Express” has grossed close to $170 million since its debut in 2004. There has been a public demand, even in the manner of written petitions, for a sequel with of course, the voice of none other than Tom Hanks. Every time I watch the movie, I crank up the TV volume to hear that big black locomotive chugging steam everywhere in a screeching and hissing stop.

Some might say the Christmas tree train never goes anywhere. It moves around a circle and ends up where it began.

David Baldacci, author of “The Christmas Train” wrote, “It’s not getting from A to B. It’s not the beginning or the destination that counts. It’s the ride in between. … This train is alive with things that should be seen and heard. It’s a living, breathing something - you just have to want to learn its rhythm.”

To the fascination of the enthusiast who sets it up every year, the train journeys through the imagination and into the heart of childhood. You can get on board for free as long as you believe.

Rich Strack can be reached at richiesadie11@gmail.com.