Four railroad themed novels for summer reading

Covers of four train-themed books

You might enjoy these four railroad themed novels on your summer travels. Rene Schweitzer details these four works of fiction that you may have overlooked.   The Christmas Train David Baldacci Genre: Fiction First published: 2004 Journalist Tom Langdon, due to an “incident” at an airport, is banned from flying commercial airlines and takes Amtrak […]

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Adding track on the cheap

Pieces of Lionel Fastrack

There is an astonishing (and confusing) variety of track available, and you may wish to “mix and match” brands. For example, you may want to use an operating section for triggering a dump car, but it isn’t available in your track brand. You can transition to tubular track, insert a traditional activation section, and transition […]

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Railfan and train-watching safety

A green locomotive leads a freight train in a rail yard.

Railfan and train-watching safety is key to any successful train-watching trip, whether it be a block away from home or a continent away. One must have situational awareness. Taking the time to know your surroundings, what looks right, what doesn’t look right is essential to ensure you have a great trackside experience. Historically speaking, rail […]

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Menards Cripple Creek General Store review

Menards Cripple Creek General Store cowboy side view

Menards Cripple Creek General Store is the latest O scale structure for the apparently burgeoning fictional burg. Several of the company’s buildings, including a recently released interlocking tower, are “located” there. This one is a little different detail-wise from the others. It has more of an “old West” feel primarily due to the figures that […]

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How to: Install LionChief app on your phone or tablet

Install the LionChief app locomotive and device

Here’s how to install the LionChief app on your smartphone or tablet and get the most out of your Bluetooth-equipped Lionel locomotives. Years ago, there was only one way to run our toy trains, and that was with a transformer. Today, we’re fortunate to have a lot of options to control our trains, including remotes […]

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Railfan first aid kits

Man with hand raised to first aid kit.

Railfan first aid kits might be the furthest thing from your mind when planning a train-themed outing. One, however, might be among the most important — if you have a minor injury or a mild medical reaction to something you come across in the field. Trains.com exchanged questions via email with Robert W. Scott, Operations […]

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7 great Lionel accessories from its golden years

Lionel operating gateman

These 7 great Lionel accessories from the prewar and postwar periods are the ones we think are the tops. This “best of” list is based on quality design, sturdy construction, and general appeal. Don’t agree with our list? Drop us a line at editor@ClassicToyTrains.com, and thanks for reading. There’s more information on many of these […]

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