Locomotives & rolling stock MTH Electric Trains, 7393 Washington Blvd. Ste. 101, Elkridge, MD 21075, is Norfolk & Western J Class 4-8-4 locomotives as part of the Premier line. The engines will be available in five different cab numbers, feature O-54 operation, Proto-Sound 3.0 and have a quillable whistle 20-3947-1, 20-3948-1, 20-3949-1, 20-3950-1, 20-3951-1, shown). […]
Magazine: Classic Toy Trains
LCCA announces custom Lionel set and Brakeman car
LCCA announces custom Lionel set and Brakeman car: The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) announces some Lionel custom-run products. The LCCA announces a custom-run Southern Pacific train set with “Black Widow” livery (No. 2401200). The set includes an FT diesel and three passenger cars, (coach, dome, and Hopkins observation). Requires O-31 curves for operation. Price: […]
Display layouts and showrooms
Also in this issue: Showroom out west Rare Lionel photos from 1940 take us inside First decade at the Gilbert Hall of Science The company thrilled New York City in the 1940s Tribute to a forgotten showroom display Where Lionel ran accessories in 1945 Lionel builds a hub for the Midwest The Chicago showroom handled […]
Lionel Legacy Alco S2 switcher
Hidden in the back of the Lionel 2023 Volume 2 catalog — behind large Legacy steam and diesels locomotives, plus a few heavyweight passenger cars — was the small yet proven Alco S2 switcher. The S2 was one of Alco’s most reliable and successful locomotives. Powered by a turbocharged inline 6 cylinder engine, it pumped […]
Meet Michael Tylick
My first train set (or locomotive) was…? When I was quite young, my parents bought me a secondhand Christmas train set. My best recollection is that it was probably a Marx set with strange couplers and lithographed tinplate sides. There was a small 0-4-0 steamer, a silver Gulf Oil tank car, a tan baby Ruth […]
An interview with Scott Griggs of Trainz.com
Trainz.com Founder and Chief Engineer Scott Griggs took time out of his busy schedule to remotely drop by for a Q&A interview with Trains.com Staff Writer Lucas Iverson. Through these inquiries is a behind-the-scenes look at the past, present, and future of this growing company. Watch the video of this interview on Trains.com Video Q: […]
Atlas O Fall 2024 Premier catalog
Atlas O has released their Fall catalog in late October 2024, which features Premier line locomotives and rolling stock in the Master and Premier lines. All items have an estimated delivery of the third quarter of 2025. New locomotive releases The Atlas Premier GP30 locomotive is new to the line and will be available with […]
Build a multi-level shelf layout
Not every hobbyist has a spare room in which to build a layout. You may have limited space for a layout or need to share a room that’s used for other purposes (like a family room). That was my situation, so I decided to build a multi-level shelf layout. Benefits of a shelf layout You […]
How to lubricate O gauge postwar steam locomotives
“Less is more,” as the saying goes from the article, How to lubricate your O and S gauge trains. The same applies to regularly lubricating postwar equipment that has stood the test of time. For steam locomotives, that means regular oiling and greasing. Some disassembly required In Classic Toy Trains’ January 2019 issue, Joseph L. […]
10 helpful layout tips
Through many years and experiences, I’ve come to appreciate the wide range of interests our hobby has to offer. I’ve repaired and restored vintage Lionel locomotives, custom-painted entire train sets, and even researched the history of Lionel’s Super O trackwork. Although these activities are still exciting, they don’t compare to the thrills I’ve had operating […]
MTH RailKing EMD FP45 diesel locomotive (2024 version)
The FP45 diesel was a passenger locomotive first produced in 1967 at the request of the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe. Only 14 units were made, nine for AT&SF and five for the Milwaukee Road. By the early 1980s, all but one were out of service or scrapped. Six survive in museums today. The first […]
LCCA announces custom-run Lionel products
The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) announces some Lionel custom-run products. To celebrate Lionel Trains’ 125th anniversary, the LCCA is releasing a VisionLine 4-6-4 Hudson locomotive. The engine features operation via Legacy, TMCC, or conventional mode with a standard transformer. It also features Bluetooth control and Lionel Voice Control. Minimum curve requirement is O-54 […]