SPECIAL VALUE CARS: Three new cars have been added to the Menards line of O gauge rolling stock. The nos. 279-3178 Chesapeake & Ohio flatcar with die-cast metal concrete mixer and 279-3476 Pennsylvania RR flatcar with excavator. The excavator has lights and sounds that activate with the press of a button. The latest addition to its World War II bomber nose art series is the no. 279-3842 “Take-Off time” boxcar. Each car sells for $24.99 plus shipping. Order online at www.menards.com and select free shipment to your neighborhood Menards store.
A FARMLAND FAVORITE: The latest Built-&-Ready Landmark structure from Woodland Scenics is sure to please the farmers of TrainTown: the no. BR5859 H&H Feed Mill. The O scale mill comes fully assembled and detailed, includes a printed interior, and is compatible with the Just-Plug lighting system from Woodland Scenics. You can adjust the grain chute to accommodate a variety of hopper car or grain truck sizes. The H&H Feed Mill costs $249.95. See your hobby retailer or go to www.woodlandscenics.com for more information.
HARD-HITTING HUDSON: Lionel’s LionChief Plus line of 4-6-4 Hudson steamers adds new road names to the fleet with the nos. 81302 Chesapeake & Ohio, 81303 Union Pacific, 81304 Canadian National, 82964 Milwaukee Road (shown), 82965 Santa Fe, 89267 Burlington Route, and 82966 Lackawanna. The O gauge models feature die-cast metal construction, can-style motor, fan-driven smoke unit, operating coupler on tender (operated by remote controller), speed control, and a LionChief Plus handheld remote controller for $429.99 each. See the locomotive at your Lionel retailer or go to www.lionel.com for more information.
TRANSCONTINENTAL TINPLATE: The Lionel Corporate Tinplate Line by MTH Electric Trains has added the bold colors of the Union Pacific to its O gauge line. The no. 11-6067-1 263E 2-4-2 features the UP’s yellow and gray livery, a die-cast metal chassis and stamped-steel boiler, a synchronized smoke unit, remote-operating couplers, and MTH’s ProtoSound 3.0 command and sound system and costs $499.95. Also available in UP yellow and gray is the no. 11-80069 2600-series passenger set. The four-car outfit includes a baggage car, two Pullmans, and an open-end observation for $429.95. See your MTH retailer or go to www.lionelcorporation.com for more information.
CARS FOR COAL COUNTRY: Two new heritage road names have been added to the Menards line of O gauge hoppers. The no. 279-3857 Norfolk & Western has stylized Norfolk & Western and Norfolk Southern graphics. The no. 279-3854 Burlington Northern has “Great Northern our heritage” graphics on the car. Both cars sell for $19.99 each plus shipping. Order online at www.menards.com and select free shipment to your neighborhood Menards store.
A BARGAIN ENTRY INTO S GAUGE: Lionel’s no. 47958 Pennsylvania FlyerChief Docksider set may be the best bargain ever for someone wanting to get into S gauge railroading. The set features an 0-6-0T steam locomotive, a boxcar, a hopper, and a caboose, along with 12 sections of American Flyer R20 curved FasTrack, a 10-inch straight section, a 10-inch straight lockon, a wall pack power supply, and a FlyerChief handheld remote. The locomotive has a can-style motor, Lionel’s RailSounds system, and a smoke unit with synchronized chuff, and it can be operated with either a conventional AC power supply or in command mode with the LionChief remote (powered by AC or DC). The set costs $319.99. See your Lionel/American Flyer retailer or go to www.lionel.com for more information.
$319.99 for a dinky little S gauge train set? When I made the bold decision to sell my Lionel 027 trains and enter HO scale in 1961 I chose the basic Athearn Hustler set which included the 4-wheel industrial switcher, stock car, hopper car, caboose, circle of Atlas brass 18″ radius curved snap-track (Reg.U.S.Pat.Off.), one section which doubled as a terminal for power hook up, and a small hand held MRC power pack, all for around $20.00! Now that was a bargan, paid for with my paper route wages no less!