A visit to John Staschak’s O gauge layout

Overview of John Staschak's toy train layout with superimposed cover of September 2021 Classic Toy Trains

John’s layout appears in the September 2021 issue of Classic Toy Trains. It features tremendous trackwork and wonderful scenery (see the plan here), in addition to some spectacular modern trains. Watch and hear freight and passenger consists work their way around it. […]

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Frank Sinatra’s O gauge railroad

View of Frank Sinatra O gauge layout

Frank Sinatra’s O gauge railroad included many collectible pieces as well as everyday items. They were all colorful and fun to the legendary singer and his family. As noted in the November 2015 Classic Toy Trains, members of the Sinatra family believe he was introduced to the hobby by visiting the home of big-band leader […]

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Meet the Modeler: John Hudak

Photo of Joh Hudak’s layout with car parked very close to it

What was your first train set (or locomotive)?  My first train set was the Lionel 1434W Burlington GP diesel with three passenger cars from 1955 or 1956. Being a passenger set, it had limited play value for me. I also had a no. 52 fire car. My trains are primarily from this era (i.e. prewar, […]

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The Automatic Gateman

A trackside shed next to a railroad crossing sign.

Although Lionel has come out with a multitude of fantastic products over the years, one of the most amazing and important accessories that the popular manufacturer ever created was by far the Automatic Gateman. The Automatic Gateman is a structure that features a gateman emerging from his trackside shed to warn motorists of passing trains. […]

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Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad To begin, Neil created his layout, which covered approximately 1,000 square feet on his ranch in northern California, to run through an assortment of natural landscapes outside his home. That’s right – the unforgettable three-rail display was built not inside an immense train room but instead filled in space among […]

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How to clean old, rusty, and dirty track

Hal Miller in the workshop

Bought or inherited a load of tubular track? CTT editor Hal Miller shows his method of cleaning it up and getting it ready for trains to run properly on. This technique will help get rid of dirt and light rust, and help modelers avoid a few pitfalls that could be detrimental to operation. […]

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