Intermodal equipment If you’re trackside, odds are you’re going to see an intermodal train. Intermodal made up 49% of the 34 million units of freight carried by U.S. railroads last year, more than four times higher than coal, the next largest commodity. Odds are that intermodal train will mostly have railcars owned by TTX, a […]
The Atlas O Spring 2024 Premier catalog was recently published on the manufacturer’s website. Highlights include three locomotives, assorted 60-foot heavyweight passenger cars, four freight cars, a snow plow, pedestrian walkways, and an upgraded 24”-diameter turntable. All of the models are scheduled for release in the fourth quarter of 2024. Steam and diesel locomotives The […]
Lionel No. 151 Semaphore signals made their debut in the cataloged lineup for 1947 and remained popular members right through 1969, the final year of the post-World War II era of production. During that two-decade span, Lionel must have produced tens of thousands of the out-of-proportion trackside accessories. Collectors and operators of O-27 and O […]
Lionel Catalog Volume 1 for 2024 is filled with plenty of treasures. What’s there? How about fantastic locomotives loaded with tons of special effects and realistic details as well as lots of superb pieces of scale rolling stock and entertaining operating cars of all sorts? And plenty of spectacular and enjoyable train sets for modelers […]
Nobody can say the Menards doesn’t push the envelope in their line of O gauge structures. From power plants, to hotels, and office buildings, the company doesn’t just take an old design and slap new signage on the exterior. The Vehicle Showroom (275-9281) counts as a spectacular design and and an innovative way to construct […]
I’ve had a lifelong fascination with trains, stemming from my father’s near 40-year career on the Santa Fe (and later BNSF) railroad. Some of my fondest childhood memories included trips to the train depot in Fort Madison, Iowa where I would see freight trains come and go. When I was 8 years old, I’ll never […]
Lionel’s perfect postwar train set features a classic steam engine and a whistle tender pulling five different and very colorful freight cars or five streamlined passenger cars. How, you may be wondering, do we at Trains.com and Classic Toy Trains know this fact? Because a good number of loyal and experienced readers, familiar with the […]
Locomotives & rolling stock MTH has a series of Halloween items as part of their RailKing line. The O gauge ES44AC Imperial Diesel Engine (20-21237) has Proto-Sound 3, 2 handpainted cab figures, illuminated LED number boards and ditch lights, O-31 operation, and more. Price: $439.95. Also available is a Bump-n-Go Trolley (30-5243), which features LED […]
We’re always adding new content to our website. Here’s some recent items you may have missed. 4 components to consider before building a layout You’ve learned a few things about toy trains, and maybe even bought a few items or pieces of track. You have a spare room and would like to build a layout. […]
In the toy train world, there is no mightier locomotive than the New York Central Hudson. Subscribers can see this locomotive in action by watching the streaming video below. […]
The SD40 could well be the most recognized face of second generation diesel power. Whether in the original version, or the Dash-2 with the extended front and rear pilots, or the Dash-2T tunnel motors with their extended body for air flow, they could be seen just about everywhere coast-to-coast. The Lionel Legacy No. 82276 SD40, […]
Electrification of railroads North American freight trains are powered by diesel locomotives. Before the diesels, steam engines did the work. Electric trains have a niche hauling passengers in the Northeast. Everyone knows this short history of motive power development, but it’s not quite the whole story. Early electrification of railroads “Diesels,” of course, are properly […]
