Atlas O Trainman O gauge Alco RSD-4/5

One of the complaints heard from hobby curmudgeons is that O gauge railroading is too expensive. And if you mention to them some of the lower priced Lionel products, MTH’s RailKing line, and K-Line’s high-value semi-scale steamers, you often hear the retort: “Well, I mean scale-sized trains.” Atlas O has stepped up to fill this […]

Read More…

MTH Tinplate Traditions O gauge no. 263E reproduction

LIONEL’S PREWAR no. 263E steam locomotive was the last of its kind. The tinplate O gauge 2-4-2 locomotive was everything that its die-cast metal successors were not. It was glossy and bold and featured plenty of smooth sheet-metal surfaces accentuated by stamped rivets, nickel ladders, railings, and domes, with a red cow-catcher thrown in too. […]

Read More…

S-Helper Service S gauge 2-8-0 Consolidation

I’VE LONG THOUGHT that the Baltimore & Ohio Railroad’s E-27-class 2-8-0 Consolidations were some of the most attractive, balanced-looking products the steam era ever produced. They were powerful, sure-footed, and reliable. The B&O at one time had more than 400 of the E-27-class 2-8-0 locomotives. The flexibility and utility of those locomotives led them to […]

Read More…

Toy Train Restoration Parts tools and parts

I’VE OFTEN HEARD that we should be careful what we wish for – even if it is a good thing – because we just might get it. When reviewing a riveting tool set in the January 2006 issue, I mused about having something equally helpful to assist with the repair of old Lionel reversing units. […]

Read More…

The D.E.U. Line

Red Rock Mountain, just southeast of Hidden Valley. On top is the turntable and engine facilities. Scenery was made from recycled packing material. William Zuback The scratchbuilt power house building contains most of the controls for the D.E.U. Line below. Access is through the top. William Zuback It’s a busy day at the Hidden Valley […]

Read More…

Maker of LGB G scale trains transfers ownership

Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk, parent firm of LGB, has transferred ownership of LGB of America to a new firm, U.S.-based G45. “In these changing times you have to keep moving forward,” said Rolf Richter, managing general partner of E.P. Lehmann Patentwerk. “This move forward provides new opportunities for us, for LGB of America, and for […]

Read More…

MTH Standard gauge no. 384 passenger set video

Bob Keller next to a train set

MTH’s Standard gauge no. 384 steam passenger set retails for $599.95 (no. 10-1250-1). It features die-cast metal and sheet-metal construction, two passenger cars, ProtoSound 2.0, smoke unit, track, and transformer. For more information, check out Bob Keller’s review inside the November 2006 issue of CTT, or see your MTH retailer.   […]

Read More…

MTH Standard gauge no. 384 passenger set video

Bob Keller next to a train set

MTH’s Standard gauge no. 384 steam passenger set retails for $599.95 (no. 10-1250-1). It features die-cast metal and sheet-metal construction, two passenger cars, ProtoSound 2.0, smoke unit, track, and transformer. For more information, check out Bob Keller’s review inside the November 2006 issue of CTT, or see your MTH retailer.   […]

Read More…

PDF: Build a 1:20.3 scale dock for a lobster boat

Build a 1:20.3 scale dock for a lobster boat

Download the PDF of this project here.  This part includes the dock for the boat. Note: This PDF is tiled to print on your home printer. Two “overview” pages will print first, followed by the full-size plans. Each page has 1 1/2″ of intentional overlap. Trim the excess paper from each page and assemble the […]

Read More…

Athearn HO SD45-2 is available with DCC and sound

Athearn HO SD45-2 with DCC and sound

Athearn HO SD45-2 with DCC and sound A classic six-axle road diesel is now available to HO modelers as an Athearn Genesis model. It’s Electro-Motive Division’s SD45-2 in a DC version without sound and a version with sound and a dual-mode Digital Command Control (DCC) decoder. The model has a powerful, smooth-running mechanism, and locomotives […]

Read More…