The Lionel-GE locomotive history arguably goes back more than a century. The first General Electric models made by the toy train manufacturer in electric and diesel profiles were separated by about 60 years. The internal-combustion model came almost a decade-and-a-half after GE started making that type of engine. Lionel GE locomotive history General Electric entered […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. The Gold Hills Central was a layout built live by staff and MR contributors at Model Railroader’s 50th Anniversary Conference, held in Milwaukee in 1983. The original story and plan ran in […]
On May 1st, 1971, the National Railroad Passenger Corporation, or Amtrak, was formed. On this 52nd anniversary, I thought we should take a look at small Amtrak trains from the start. If you want to learn about how to model modern short Amtrak consists, check out my previous article. Instead of focusing on two individual […]
Adding water and smoke to an O scale garden railway While picking up my supply of filtered water, I was “amazed and mystified” by the counter display—a faucet floating in mid air, spouting a stream of water that never quite filled a bucket. When the owner showed me the clear plastic tube that had been […]
Q: I have acquired a vintage Suydam “Purina Chows” feed mill kit. What would be contained in the silo part of the building (grain or feed) and how did those feed dealers receive grain? Dumping grain from a boxcar seems a bit messy, and covered hoppers were not in use until the mid-1950s. I model the […]
The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was one of a kind. This 1970s accessory didn’t last very long in the catalog and there might be a few reasons why. On the other hand, it’s an exceptionally engineered product in certain ways and takes full advantage of physics! It’s all plastic and free of batteries […]
Lionel prewar locomotive parts are readily available these days, allowing you to return your vintage motive power to the job. One of the great things about old Lionel engines – even really old ones – is they generally will run, even after decades of disuse. This prewar 252 electric, made in the early 1930s, is […]
Built by Others is an article series showcasing layouts constructed by modelers using plans and projects from the pages of Model Railroader magazine. Neil Maldeis built the small N scale layout here to be able to take it to shows. It is based upon the Whiskey Barrel & Grimy Gotham N scale plan that appeared […]
Roger Carp is Senior Editor of Classic Toy Trains and the author of numerous books about the toy train collecting hobby. What toy train locomotive means the most to you? My favorite toy train locomotive is the Lionel No. 2065 steam engine. This small Hudson isn’t the biggest, heaviest, or most expensive, but everything desirable […]
Admit it: Do you know what railroad signals mean? Do you panic when you shown up for an operating session at a strange layout and see it has working signals? Railroad signal aspects aren’t as simple as traffic lights. In addition to stop, caution, and go, railroad signals can mean stop and then go, keep […]
OK, time for a show of hands. How many of you enjoy ballasting? That’s what I expected. Ballasting isn’t an aspect of the hobby most modelers enjoy. However, I’ve ballasted parts or all of several Model Railroader project layouts over the years, and I’ve come to enjoy adding those tiny granules to layouts. When I […]
Hypertufa recipe and techniques How have you made structures and walls with hypertufa or similar cement products? Two reports show four different applications for hypertufa. Ray Turner shows a picture of his helix mountain still unpainted for us to study; the final photo shows a magnificently finished set of bridges spanning the cement-product valley backdropped […]
