Menards auto carriers and a look through the Lionel catalog are on tap! Bob Keller and CTT editor Hal Miller have a look at their spectacular traditional sized vehicle transporters then thumb through Lionel’s 2022 Vol. 2 catalog and see what goodies are in store. They also look at a pair of structures including an […]
Scale: O Scale
Richard (Al) Phillips’ O gauge layout
Name: Richard (Al) Phillips’ O gauge layout Dimensions: 11 x 12 feet Track: GarGraves, Lionel (diameters range from 27 to 72 inches) Switches: Lionel Motive power: Lionel (all eras), Marx Rolling stock: Lionel (all eras), Marx, MTH Electric Trains, Williams Controls: Lionel types KW and ZW transformers Accessories: Lionel (postwar), Marx Structures: Lemax, Lionel, Plasticville, […]
Atlas O 68-foot bulkhead flatcar
68-foot bulkhead flatcar Scale: O (1:48) Price: $62.95 (undecorated, $59.95) Era: 1997 to present (varies depending on scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com 62-foot bulkhead flatcar features: Side stake pockets Simulated tie-loops Fish-belly center sill Pull-plates and lift rings Minimum radius: 36” Release date: Available now Road names: New […]
Lionel F3 sets that never were
Lionel F3 sets that never existed are a constant source of conversation among collectors. One area of focus is the late 1940s. Amid the ordinary items produced in vast quantities, there were some advertised that were probably never produced – but maybe they were. Lionel’s first O gauge F3 diesels came in freight sets with […]
Atlas O Thrall articulated auto carrier
Thrall articulated auto carrier Scale: O (1:48) Price: $159.95 Era: 1997 to present Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Thrall articulated auto carrier features: ¼” scale details and dimensions Die-cast metal chassis Positionable end doors Interior deck Modeler-installed articulated diaphragm Separate, factory-applied wire grab irons 70-ton roller-bearing trucks Brake line details Minimum […]
Lionel 1926 Cardinals Train Set review
Lionel’s 1926 Cardinals Train Set was kind of hidden in the pages of the 2021 Lionel Volume I “Big Book” behind the re-release of the 2-10-10-2; the Mohawks and Camelbacks; the Acela sets; and the Asa Packer, New Hope & Ivyland consists. It’s a high-end Legacy outfit that features a newly cataloged 4-6-2 Pacific steam […]
Passenger car fluting style references
Passenger car fluting style references Passenger car fluting style references: Looking for a certain article or video? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is a […]
What is the best way to clean rails and engine wheels?
What is the best way to clean rails and engine wheels? Looking for a certain article or video? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is […]
What is the best way to clean rails and engine wheels?
What is the best way to clean rails and engine wheels? Looking for a certain article or video? Cody answers this question in this video of Ask Trains. Are you looking to learn more about your model railroad, or do you have questions about full-size trains? Send us an email at: AskTrains@trains.com ………………………………… Ask Trains is […]
The Frank Sinatra Lionel collection
The Frank Sinatra Lionel collection and his O gauge layout have fascinated Trains.com and Classic Toy Trains readers for years. Let’s use the photograph snapped long ago by Rebecca Saliture to explore what the “Chairman of the Board” owned and ran. The Frank Sinatra Lionel collection After World War II, Sinatra visited the Lionel showroom […]
The Lionel Acela exposed
“The Lionel Acela exposed” was originally published in the May 2013 Classic Toy Trains. Noted Kalmbach illustrator Rick Johnson produced numerous cutaway illustrations for various brands during his career, but few were this detailed. Along with text by toy train mechanical expert Matt Troester and based on photography by Bill Zuback, this is a […]
Amtrak LionChief 2.0 Genesis shines in traditional O gauge
National passenger carrier Amtrak recently turned 50 years old. To mark the occasion, Lionel has released a LionChief 2.0 version of its P42 Genesis locomotive. These engines will run on O-31 curves and they’re loaded with detail. They feature operating couplers front and rear, a nice pilot with MU detail, ditch lights, headlights, a spectacular […]