Charlie Bailey is passionate about toy trains. He collects Standard gauge (modern reissues from Lionel and MTH) and takes pride in the wonderfully detailed and expertly wired O gauge railroad filling much of the lower portion of the home he shares with his wife, Jane. We’re thrilled to be able to tour Charlie Bailey’s 42 […]
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 […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? I’ll answer this one in two parts: locomotive and set. You may have already read on Trains.com or the Winter 2023 issue of Classic Toy Trains that my first model train locomotive was a Lionel Santa Fe Alco. That’s right, just Alco, with no model designation. The […]
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. […]
Model Railroader After Hours | March 26, 2024. After Hours is an informal livestream hosted by Trains.com staff members… after the “work” of the day is done, there’s aways something else fun! Host David Popp is back with a Bryson Sleppy on a special Tuesday night edition. After encouraging Bryson’s efforts to complete his N […]
Model Railroader After Hours | March 26, 2024. After Hours is an informal livestream hosted by Trains.com staff members… after the “work” of the day is done, there’s aways something else fun! Host David Popp is back with a Bryson Sleppy on a special Tuesday night edition. After encouraging Bryson’s efforts to complete his N […]
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, […]
Mountains have long been a popular scenic feature on model railroads. Sometimes they’re incorporated to accurately re-create a prototype location. Other times they’re used to help conceal a tunnel, helix, or turnback curve. Regardless their purpose, there is no denying mountains are dramatic and add visual interest to a model railroad. All of the methods […]
The Canadian Pacific ES44AC graced the cover of the Atlas Fall Premier catalog and was delivered in March of 2024. Atlas cataloged eight versions of the ES44AC, along with two CSX ES44CD models. These Premier models are former MTH tooling and feature DCS Protosound 3. They can be operated conventionally, as well. Atlas also offers […]
