Lionel No. 6464 boxcar history

color vintage catalog page of Lionel boxcars

Lionel No. 6464 boxcars made their debut 70 years ago. Over the past few decades those near-scale replicas of modern single-door boxcars have become some of the most popular and appreciated members of the postwar cataloged lineup. Collectors at every level – from beginner to advanced – hunt for examples of the 29 models offered […]

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Transcontinental sleeper transfer

Chesapeake and Ohio Railroad 0-8-0 moving Surprise Valley sleeper car

In October 1950, a Chesapeake & Ohio 0-8-0 moves sleeping car Surprise Valley through the interlocking at 21st Street, Chicago. The car arrived at Grand Central Station on Baltimore & Ohio’s Capitol Limited from Washington in the morning and departed from Dearborn Station on Santa Fe’s Chief to Los Angeles later in the day. Wallace […]

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Guide to HO metal wheelsets

Group photo of metal wheelsets from different manufacturers.

For many years, HO scale modelers debated whether to use plastic or metal wheelsets on freight cars. That discussion has quieted down over the past two decades, largely because most new models come with metal wheelsets. However, as evidenced by the number of offerings available today, there’s still a strong demand for aftermarket metal wheelsets. […]

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Minitoys No. M-54 road signs

Minitoys no. M-54 road signs

Minitoys No. M-54 road signs Manufacturers and store owners in the toy train business reached the same conclusion, especially in the years after World War II, when so many folks were trying to squeeze their way into the market and grab a few dollars. Several small companies sprouted up in the late 1940s and early […]

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Eastern Seaboard Models N scale mill gondolas

Color photo of three N scale freight cars in brown and Deepwater Green paint.

The Pennsylvania RR class G26 series of mill gondolas has returned to the Eastern Seaboard Models Corp. product lineup. The G26 car, last released in 2009, is now joined by class G26A and G26C gondolas, as well as Norfolk & Western class G3 cars. All of the ready-to-run gondolas have screw-mounted draft-gear box covers, Micro-Trains […]

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Hershey Transit: a 1946 Christmas memory

Two trolley cars parked on street in front of brick hotel

Readers of the Mileposts blog hardly need be sold on the close connections between the holiday season and trains, especially in memory. From traveling home by train to see loved ones to seeing snow flying outside the window of a dining car to watching Lionel trains race around a department store window, this season is […]

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Lionel No. 3459 green dump car

green model dump car: Lionel No. 3459 green dump car

Take a look at the Lionel No. 3459 automatic dumping ore car, cataloged from 1946 through 1948. The most common version of this model came with a black-painted frame and black metal tray with “Lionel Lines” heat-stamped on both sides in white. Lionel offered this variation for all three years it cataloged the 3459 and […]

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Lionel’s perfect postwar train set

vintage toy train catalog art

Lionel’s perfect postwar train set The perfect postwar Lionel train set should have a great locomotive, exciting and attractive pieces of rolling stock, and maybe an operating accessory. There would be plenty of track, too. Which engine and cars would you choose if you were able to assemble a perfect outfit from the post-World War […]

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ScaleTrains S gauge hopper

Color photo of S gauge freight car painted black with white and red graphics.

A two-bay, fish-belly hopper with peaked ends is the first entry in the ScaleTrains S gauge product range. The manufacturer, who acquired the S gauge tooling from MTH Electric Trains in February 2021, is marketing the cars under the S-Helper Service banner, complete with green and yellow packaging similar to that of the former manufacturer. […]

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Broadway Limited Imports HO EMD GP35

Title screen from Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD GP35 Product Review video.

The Broadway Limited Imports HO EMD GP35 visits our Wisconsin & Southern staff layout in this Product Review video. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he talks about the features on our Paragon4-equipped Chicago, Burlington & Quincy sample. Learn more about the sound and light functions on the four-axle road locomotive, see it […]

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Broadway Limited Imports HO EMD GP35

Title screen from Broadway Limited Imports HO scale EMD GP35 Product Review video.

The Broadway Limited Imports HO EMD GP35 visits our Wisconsin & Southern staff layout in this Product Review video. Join Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as he talks about the features on our Paragon4-equipped Chicago, Burlington & Quincy sample. Learn more about the sound and light functions on the four-axle road locomotive, see it […]

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American Flyer No. 23780 Gabe the Lamp Lighter

American Flyer No. 23780 Gabe the Lamp Lighter

Lionel wasn’t alone in making landmark accessories after World War II. Colber and Marx brought out great ones. Above all, the A.C. Gilbert Co. developed outstanding S gauge accessories for its American Flyer line. One of the most significant and collectible was the No. 23780 Gabe the Lamp Lighter. The 23780, arguably the last great […]

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