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Magazine: Classic Toy Trains
MTH announces Christmas 2023 RailKing releases
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, […]
Use old transformers with modern toy train locomotives
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 […]
The first Lionel Conrail cars and engines
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 […]
The Lionel X6454 Baby Ruth 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 […]
Meet the Modeler: Longtime CTT author Peter Riddle
CTT author Peter Riddle has been a fixture in the magazine over the years, and now on Trains.com. He has also authored a number of books and is proof a love of toy trains can truly last a lifetime. We’ve asked him a few questions. My first train set (or locomotive) was…? It’s likely that […]
O and S gauge building flats round-up
Classic Toy Trains’ O and S gauge building flats round-up showcases manufacturers producing low-profile structures. These building flats mimic a full-size building but are generally only an inch or two deep. They may fit against a backdrop, or, if large enough, may actually be the backdrop. Modelers can use these at the edge of a […]
Classic Toy Trains 2022 annual index
CTT 2022 annual index […]
Riding the rails with the Lionel Hobo Sound Boxcar
It’s time to go riding the rails with the Lionel Hobo Sound Boxcar. Initially offered in the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog, it was confined to half of page 47. Perhaps uncertain of how the product would be received, the manufacturer only offered it in two road names: Erie (pictured, No. 226010); and Rock Island […]
Artwork or nuisance: Graffiti on O gauge trains
Graffiti on O gauge trains typically has a polarizing effect: One either loves or hates it. But there’s no denying the painting on model subways, rolling stock, and even diesel locomotives can make contemporary equipment come to life. Items produced and marketed by Lionel, along with some developed by Atlas O and MTH Electric Trains, […]
LEGO pieces on an O gauge layout
From CTT’s editorial page to Collectible Classics, I’ve spouted on about how the world’s greatest hobby, model railroading, has and will continue to influence my life and leisure. Unfortunately, that influence hasn’t (yet) extended to my young son, Theo. Instead of toy trains, he’s currently consumed by all things LEGO – those interlocking plastic building […]
Menards Fury Motors, new O gauge test track on Bob’s Train Box 87
Welcome to the first Bob’s Train Box of 2023! On this episode, Bob and CTT editor Hal have a look at a variety of new products including Menards Fury Motors, an Atlas O Schlitz Beer boxcar, a Classic Toy Trains delivery truck, and an O gauge test track from our friend Gary at Gooddealsdcc.com. Bob […]
