Don Klose’s O gauge Bellevue & Schenectady Railroad layout

Gauge: ODimensions: 20 x 32 feetTrack: GarGravesSwitches: Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power: K-Line, Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, Weaver, WilliamsRolling stock: K-Line, Lionel, MTH, 3rd Rail, WeaverControls: Lionel type-ZW and MTH No. Z-4000 (4) transformers, with MTH Digital Command System and Lionel LegacyStructures: Ameri-Towne, Downtown Deco, MTH, scratchbuiltVehicles: Corgi, Diecast Direct, Ertl, SolidoFigures: Arttista, Homies, Model Power, […]

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The history of Heritage Fleet column and toy trains

black background with red and silver model locomotiv

The history of the “Heritage Fleet” column is an interesting one. This regular feature in Model Railroader magazine between March of 1987 and March of 1990, helped toy train enthusiasts and scale modelers discover classic miniature locomotives, cars, and more designed and sold in the first 50 or so years of the 20th century. In […]

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The Lionel F40PH

Lionel F40PH Panama Canal front end

The Lionel F40PH is a great model of a locomotive that has quietly become one of the true diesel success stories in railroad history. The F40PH saw construction in various phases by General Motors’ Electro-Motive Division between 1975-92. Its purpose was initially short-haul passenger service for Amtrak. This mission was quickly revised to add long-distance […]

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March/April 2023

Th march/april cover of Classic Toy Trains magazine

Also in this issue: EDITOR’S DESK, pg. 4 LETTERS, pg. 6 MODERN ERA NOTES, pg. 8 PHOTO ALBUM, pg. 10 NEWS & PRODUCTS, pg. 14 Menards Fury Motors; an Atlas O reefer, a CTT truck, books, and more. QUESTIONS & ANSWERS, pg. 20 S GAUGE NOW AND THEN, pg. 22 VIEWS FROM THE UNDERGROUND, pg. […]

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Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader

Lionel Sandy Andy Gravel Loader box

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 […]

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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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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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MTH announces Christmas 2023 RailKing releases

MTH RuggedRails Christmas Caboose 2023

MTH Electric Trains announces its Christmas 2023 RailKing releases, and there promises to be something to get many O gaugers in the holiday spirit. At the top of the list is the RailKing Imperial ES44 diesel (No. 30-21157-1; $439.95) with sounds recorded from a prototype ES44AC. It features two flywheel-equipped motors, all-metal wheels and gears, […]

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