On the second day of construction, the CTT staff installed the track for the Port Terminal & Western railroad. Read the full story in the February 2014 issue! […]
CTT’s Port Terminal & Western RR: Day 2
Section: Restoration Repair
CTT’s Port Terminal & Western RR: Day 1
Follow along as the CTT staff takes on the first day’s work for crafting the Port Terminal & Western RR: benchwork! Get the full step-by-step instructions in the January 2014 issue of CTT. […]
Project railroad: Create insulated track segments
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Project railroad: Cut track with a power tool
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All about the Readers’ Choice RR
The Readers’ Choice Railroad Tailor-made to what our readers said they wanted in a layout We were encouraged to find that many of you are reading and willing to build a layout when you’re inspired by numerous how-to ideas, simple instructions, and intriguing photographs, much like those we’ve included in CTT’s Retro Railroad (2009) and […]
Craft store finds for toy-train enthusiasts
By the letter (and number) Vinyl letters with self-adhesive backing as well as dry transfers can be used straight from the package or as masks to letter structures, rolling stock, and locomotives. Alphanumeric sets are typically located with the drafting supplies. Additional self-adhesive and dry-transfer letters can be found in the scrapbooking supplies. Mark it […]
All about the Cascade & Timber Trail Ry.
The goal of this six-part layout construction series is to provide new hobbyists with a 4 x 8-foot permanent O gauge layout using contemporary tracklaying, wiring, and scenery-making techniques. Since a toy train set can be a wonderful entry point for new hobbyists, the origins of this logging-themed layout stem from a current Lionel starter […]
Building the Reader’s Choice RR benchwork
Our 2010 survey asked what you, our readers wanted in a layout. We compiled all of your feedback and we present this project railroad designed just for you. For the Readers’ Choice RR we chose a lightweight benchwork option that was new to us, and found that the Mianne benchwork system was an ideal solution. […]
Recycling old Lionel track
Let’s say you’ve got a ton of old Lionel track in your basement, or maybe someone is willing to give you a bunch for nothing. You want to build a layout, so you figure you can use this track to do it economically. However, when you get a closer look at the O or O-27 […]
Tips to rejuvenate postwar freight cars
In the September 2010 issue, I showed how I rejuvenated a postwar Lionel No. 2458 boxcar. It’s one of several cars I bought from my local hobby shop’s bargain shelf. Here are photos of a few more cars I worked on, along with comments on what I did to improve their appearance. Sunoco tank car […]
FasTrack Formulas
The data found in this table, compiled by CTT reader Steven Bergerson, is a useful layout design tool in creating unique track plans. It was first published in the October 2009 issue, in the Tips, Tools, & Techniques column. FasTrack Formulas […]
Why does my American Flyer rolling stock have white residue?
Q: Can you suggest how to safely remove the white residue that builds up on the bottom of my American Flyer rolling stock? – Bruce K. Davis, Youngwood, PA A: We receive this question several times a year. For some reason this white residue problem is more common with American Flyer S gauge trains of […]
