Hand-Built Electric Trolley Heads to Auction as a One-of-a-Kind Christmas Find

A one-off electric trolley that once carried a department-store Santa around a Christmas tree is now up for sale, listed on Facebook Marketplace out of Sugar Valley, Georgia, with an asking price of $4,800.

The seller traces the machine’s history to a machine shop where it sat largely forgotten. According to the listing, the trolley was purpose-built for a 300-pound Santa performer, which suggests the chassis was engineered well beyond typical toy-grade loads. It left department-store duty roughly 15 years ago, and the seller reports that it remains in very good condition despite the years of storage.

Construction is where this build stands apart. The body is hand-crafted wood, giving it the look of a display piece rather than a ride-on, while a steel frame sits underneath with functioning spring suspension. A padded bench seat tops the assembly, and the equipment list includes an electric horn, a manual bell, and a working headlight. The package also comes with more than 60 feet of track — two straight sections and four curved pieces — enough length to run the trolley up to its quoted top speed of 3 to 5 mph. The seller cautions that outdoor use works best with the track laid on gravel, since grass alone can cause derailments.

Propulsion comes from a 12-volt DC traction motor fed by a rechargeable setup charged from a car battery, which drives a chain below the frame. The seller points out that this mechanical simplicity makes repairs straightforward and running costs low, with no processors or computer chips involved.

One practical caveat: the seat height makes the trolley a poor fit for smaller riders, and the seller suggests it suits children over five. Adults, of course, are another matter entirely. Beyond backyard use, the seller sees potential for businesses or events that need an attention-grabbing attraction. Whether it ends up circling a living-room tree or drawing crowds at a seasonal display, this is a build unlikely to be duplicated.