YEARS AGO, before joining CLASSIC TOY TRAINS magazine, I was an Air Force transportation officer. I found myself on a staff-assistance visit to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and stumbled upon a weed-choked rail yard full of diesels in varying shades of faded Air Force blue. Baldwins, Whitcombs, Plymouths, Alcos, you name it. There they […]
Q: You had a great tip about wiring a push-button switch to an old UCS track section, avoiding the original two-button controllers. Since I have an O-27 layout, I tried this with one of my No. 6019 tracks. When I attached the button switch between the number 2 wire and the transformer, the uncoupling magnet […]
Q: I have a Lionel No. 364 conveyor belt log loader which was received as a gift in the 1940s or early 1950s. The red conveyor belt has disintegrated over time and I would like to know how to service the accessory to get it back into operation. Also, I would appreciate knowing the approximate […]
I’VE HAD A SOFT spot for Cab-Forward steam locomotion since buying a book called Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives about 40 years ago. To me, even the early versions of the locomotive, with a square, boxy cab mounted in front of the boiler looked amazingly futuristic. Though the Southern Pacific adopted the Cab-Forward design to ensure […]
WHEN ASKED WHY TRAIN sets promoting NFL teams, John Deere tractors, or even Sponge Bob cartoon characters were important, MTH Electric Trains honcho Mike Wolf noted in an interview with CLASSIC TOY TRAINS that the paint schemes representing licensed products got train sets into homes that might not otherwise have one. Lionel’s skipper Jerry Calabrese […]
ONE OF THE Goliaths of modern railroading is the Electro-Motive SD70ACe, and it is far more than a tweak of the popular SD70. Electro-Motive designers re-worked its 16-cylinder prime mover to be more fuel-efficient and to meet tougher environmental emissions requirements. Improvments were made in just about every aspect: from crewmember ergonomics to ease of […]
WHILE THUMBING THROUGH the ads in CLASSIC TOY TRAINS, I discovered a diesel that I’d missed when it originally came out: MTH’s version of the Baldwin AS-616 road switcher. Why? For me, the Pennsy is a secondary road name. But when I saw it offered at a bargain price, I reached for my wallet. The […]
I’VE OFTEN THOUGHT that the Reading Company’s presence in popular culture – and in model railroading – was far greater than its actual importance as a railroad. Nonetheless, the Reading, a two-and-a-half-state regional carrier gone now for three decades, continues to attract a fan base so enthusiastic that you’d expect the line was still running. […]
ABOUT 10 YEARS AGO, a friend I knew through non-train circles called me on the phone. He knew of my interest in model railroading, and he said he had a Lionel train set, and could I tell him if it was worth anything. “It’s a bit strange,” he began, “the locomotive is pink. We got […]
Q: Ray, I have a Lionel no. 315 bridge with a red light on top. The light doesn’t work due to the light socket, which rests in a sort-of black square holder that’s corroded. I have checked several hobby parts sites but can’t seem to find the part number for a replacement part. Do you […]
Q: I am trying to familiarize myself with my postwar Lionel nos. 675, 2025, and 2035 locomotives by reading several of the Greenberg reference books. The more I read, the more confused I get. One book states that the no. 675 has Baldwin disc drivers. Another guide lists both disc and spoke drivers. One reference […]
Atlas O EMD GP15 diesel light road switcher Atlas O’s new Trainman GP15 is a scale-detailed, dual-motored light road switcher that lists for $239.95, about $200 less than a Silver Series Atlas O diesel. The model also includes directional lighting and a DCC (Digital Command Control) socket and wiring harness. Rebuilt road switchers. Introduced in […]
