Lionel heavyweight observation cars make their debut

Drumhead on rear of Lionel observation car

It’s hard to believe we’re just now seeing Lionel heavyweight observation cars from the 2021 Volume II Lionel Catalog. Such are the cycles of production! These models were cataloged alongside brass hybrid Strasburg Rail Road 2-10-0 No. 90. They resemble two different paint schemes on a prototype car that belongs to the Pennsylvania tourist line. […]

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Cheap O gauge train collecting on Bob’s Train Box 88

Showing a cheap o gauge train

Many of us are on the hunt for a cheap O gauge train. On this episode of Bob’s Train Box, Bob and CTT editor Hal Miller are out to save you some money! They’re always looking for deals and will show you a great and inexpensive way to start collecting Lionel trains. They’ll also give […]

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Lionel Vision Line Stock Cars squeal into stores

Lionel Vision Line Stock Cars door and deck detail

The latest Lionel Vision Line Stock Car sets are now hitting the market. You might call them a squeal of a deal. Car sets aren’t new to the orange-and-blue. We were introduced in 2014 to these three-packs with steel-sided reefers. Since then, the train maker has expanded on the theme. In 2020 the train maker […]

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The man behind The Fabelmans and its Lionel trains

The Fablemans Lionel Trains

The Fabelmans’ Lionel trains have been the subject of some speculation lately. You may have recently seen the semi-biopic about Steven Spielberg’s life and wondered about the company that provided them. The movie was recently nominated for a Best Picture Academy Award. The man responsible for the toy train magic is Gary Rushton, owner of […]

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RBP Trains, Trainworld team for custom locomotive

RBP Trains Trainworld custom Katy locomotive

Having your own YouTube channel is a cool thing. Getting your own custom-decorated locomotive is also pretty spectacular. Trainworld, in conjunction with Chris Raines, the creator behind YouTube toy-train channel RBP Trains, is producing a Lionel Legacy ES44AC in a modified Union Pacific heritage Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway paint scheme. RBP Trains, Trainworld make custom locomotive If […]

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Use old transformers with modern toy train locomotives

Use old transformers like this Lionel KW with modern Lionel GP7 locomotive

You can use old transformers with modern O and S gauge locomotives and keep the former from gathering dust under the bed. Many of us still have A.C. power packs from Lionel, American Flyer, and other manufacturers. They are still viable for good reason: durability and plenty of wattage. In addition to supplying juice to […]

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See the Lionel Union Pacific rocket train in action

Chris Montagna with Lionel Union Pacific rocket train

The Lionel Union Pacific rocket train has caused quite a stir in the toy train world! Chris Montagna has another exclusive product review of it for Classic Toy Trains and Trains.com. It comes in a great big, nicely decorated box weighing 24 lbs.! Inside are 13 cars and a modern locomotive. The set, formally known […]

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The first Lionel Conrail cars and engines

Lionel conrail blue gp9

The first Lionel Conrail cars and engines came shortly after the federal government created the railroad in 1976. Fundimensions, the division of General Mills then licensed to manufacture and market Lionel trains and accessories, announced an O gauge boxcar with Conrail graphics in the 1977 consumer catalog. The quick move was actually atypical. Earlier mergers […]

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The Lionel X6454 Baby Ruth boxcar

yellow and brown model boxcar

The Lionel X6454 Baby Ruth boxcar is one of the most basic freight cars ever made. It looks unassuming and familiar, but it’s among the toughest postwar cars to find and own. Lionel cataloged this 9¼-inch model only in 1948. It was one of three new single-door boxcars introduced that year, all of them designated […]

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Lionel Legacy F40PH and ‘Cabbage’ control car

Lionel Legacy F40PH and Cabbage control car

The Lionel Legacy F40PH and ‘Cabbage’ control car represent a locomotive that’s become emblematic of intercity passenger service. In the 1970s, Amtrak was looking for some new power to replace some of its tired fleet. One of the models that came out of that process was this one. It served for two decades and still […]

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