The Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog is here! Sometimes Christmas does come twice a year, in the world of toy trains this celebration is typically associated with a catalog drop. For Lionel, that takes place in January and July. I typically can find something in each catalog that gets me excited for what’s to come. […]
Section: Reviews
A look at the Atlas P42 locomotive
The latest Premier locomotive from Atlas has hit the shelves! The P42 Genesis locomotive was developed from a previous MTH tooling that Atlas O acquired during the MTH tooling sale three or so years ago. This O gauge Premier line model sports some great Amtrak paint schemes The P42 was expected to be announced in […]
First run of the Lionel Pennsylvania RR L1 Mikado
With the release of the Lionel Pennsylvania RR L1 Mikado, it seems that we’ve returned to pre-pandemic manufacturing timelines with the manufacturer. This Legacy engine, cataloged in Lionel’s 2022 Volume II edition, has been delivered in less than a year. This is another product made with tooling acquired from MTH Trains a few years ago. […]
The MTH VO1000 diesel is a solid switcher
The MTH VO1000 diesel is a good-running, heavy, and well detailed model of the Baldwin switcher. The latest run features Protosound 3.0 with freight sound effects, LED lighting, and a fan-driven smoke unit. In addition to the four road names produced by the manufacturer, there have also been several other special runs commissioned. Read more […]
Checking out the 3rd Rail GP9 locomotive
The 3rd Rail GP9 locomotive models the durable first-generation diesel-electric workhorse. The follow-on to the GP7, it was perhaps the exclamation point on the phrase, “Steam is gone and it’s not coming back!” General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division produced a whopping 4,257 including 165 cabless units between 1954 and 1963. GP stands for “general purpose” and […]
K-Line O gauge Amtrak F40PH
The K-Line O gauge Amtrak F40PH has launched fans of the National Passenger Rail Corp. into heaven. Not only are there a host of toy-like Amtrak engines and cars available, there has also been a virtual explosion of scale and semi-scale gear in the colors of their favorite federal program. If the E8 is a […]
Rapido Trains HO scale P-S New Haven County-series baggage-lounge cars
Rapido Trains HO scale P-S New Haven County-series baggage-lounge cars: Rapido Trains has been a great friend to New Haven passenger train modelers, providing icons such as the EP-5 electric passenger locomotive, EMD FL9s, and an ever-growing fleet of HO scale NH Pullman-Standard stainless-steel and lightweight Osgood-Bradley passenger cars. The most recent additions are the […]
The MTH Baldwin VO1000 is a sturdy O gauge switcher
The MTH Baldwin VO1000 switcher has arrived. This Premier line model was announced in mid-April 2022. It’s a solid locomotive for any size layout with wonderfully detailed features. It’s not uncommon for MTH to put smaller locomotives like the VO1000 in its scale RailKing lineup; however, for this run we get a purple box and […]
The Atlas O Multi-Max autorack
The Atlas O Master Gunderson Multi-Max Auto Carrier is out after an almost two-year wait. The company announced the newly tooled cars in its Summer 2021 catalog. For modern operator-collectors with the real estate on their layout, having an autorack train is a virtual must. Before the announcement of these the only scale option was […]
The Lionel Fairbanks-Morse C-Liner rolls out
The Lionel Fairbanks-Morse C-Liner brings a unique look and truck arrangement to O gauge. This Legacy model has plenty of great features and has been released in the following road names: F-M Demonstrator; Pennsylvania; Canadian National; New York Central; Long Island; and New Haven. Check out the control placement! Read more about this engine. Get […]
The Lionel Fairbanks-Morse H15-44
The Lionel Fairbanks-Morse H15-44 is out and ready to pull whatever you can throw behind it! This O gauge Legacy model has been released in a variety of road names including Rock Island; Central of Georgia; Rio Grande; Kansas City Southern; Monon; and Union Pacific. Reviewer Chris Montagna has a custom-run item from Trainworld in […]
First look: The Menards Caboose Coffee Shop is smokin’ hot
The Menards Caboose Coffee Shop accessory has dropped, and it’s going to make your O scale caffeine lovers very happy. I love coffee. I also enjoy cabooses. This accessory mixes both very successfully. Really, what better use for an old crummy than a shop like this? Like a lot of other Menards model railroad buildings, […]