Menards Cripple Creek Beam Pump is now available on the Menards website. The oil industry has been a part of this country for more than 100 years. A familiar sight in many parts of the country is an oil beam pump. The beam pump, also known as a pumpjack, horse-head, or several other colorful names, […]
Modeling Topic: Accessories
A rare Lionel prewar No. 840 power station
One night in 1992, I was in Bombay (now Mumbai), India, waiting for a plane. Bombay is about as far away as a person can travel from Little Silver, N.J., where I grew up, and just as far from the Lionel fun factory where my greatest find was manufactured. But because one day I asked […]
Menards Lamont Lanes Bowling Alley
The Menards Lamont Lanes Bowling Alley is a fun O scale accessory for your model railroad. Heck, you don’t even really have to have a layout to enjoy it. Any kegler might enjoy displaying it prominently on a shelf or even a basement bar! Looking for ways to improve the buildings on your layout? The […]
Menards Johnson’s Texaco Station
Menards Johnson’s Texaco Station is the latest structure release from the home-improvement chain. Many of its structures are made of wood and a few out of resin. This one is plastic. It isn’t the first one made of the material; previous low-relief buildings like Dave’s Garage, Ray’s Wreckers, and current-production Sinclair Garage are also plastic. […]
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, […]
The Lionel Sandy Andy gravel loader in action
The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was one of a kind. This 1970s accessory didn’t last very long in the catalog and there might be a few reasons why. On the other hand, it’s an exceptionally engineered product in certain ways and takes full advantage of physics! It’s all plastic and free of batteries […]
The Lionel Sandy Andy gravel loader in action
The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was one of a kind. This 1970s accessory didn’t last very long in the catalog and there might be a few reasons why. On the other hand, it’s an exceptionally engineered product in certain ways and takes full advantage of physics! It’s all plastic and free of batteries […]
Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader
The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was part of the catalog in the late 1970s. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer because it’s among the most interesting products the company ever made. It’s not neat because of what it does; after all, Lionel produced numerous coal and gravel loading and dumping structures over […]
11 easy urban lighting tips for your model railroad layout
Trains.com Director David Popp shares 11 easy urban lighting tips to help model railroaders learn to light their layouts for nighttime operations. As if model railroads aren’t cool enough by themselves, adding miniature lights to the streets, buildings, and automobiles on your layout can make it so cool it glows – literally! Recently, I […]
Woodland Scenics O scale traffic lights hit the streets
Chris from Chris’s Trains and Things on YouTube is back and checking out some new products from Woodland Scenics. He has the company’s much-anticipated traffic light system that looks great on any road. There are three different options, including suspended, pedestal, and mast-arm mounted versions. They are part of the Just Plug system that makes […]
Buying collectible toy train items
Buying collectible toy train items can be enjoyable and rewarding if you proceed carefully and patiently. Be sure to do your homework on them and the person or business selling them. Once you’ve established personal guidelines about what you want, do some research about the item and its value in different levels of condition. Price […]
Menards intermodal cars and containers on Bob’s Train Box 85
Menards intermodal cars and containers are popular with hobbyists who like to enjoy a modern scene on traditional-sized railroads. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine has a look at them along with CTT editor Hal Miller in Bob’s Train Box 85. They also examine the shipping containers that go in the cars, and discuss […]