A 2022 holiday toy train photo gallery is just the thing to get you in the Christmas spirit. Please enjoy this selection of holiday-themed photos of toy trains from Lionel and American Flyer in O gauge, S gauge, and Standard gauge (with some bonus N and large scale trains). If you have a photo you’d […]
The wait for the Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward has taken a little longer than the company’s normal 4-6 year re-release cycle. The TMCC version of the AC-12 was released in 2005 followed by a repop with whistle steam and Legacy control in 2014. In 2022 we’re receiving the latest version, first announced in the […]
Giving your trains a permanent home starts with building a train table. Here are two popular construction types: butt-jointed and L-girder. We’ll show you how to build a simple 4 x 8-foot train table using both techniques. Modelers have been using these method since the early years of the hobby. In fact, the information and […]
For the past several years I’ve enjoyed building a small toy train Christmas layout for the holiday season. I challenge myself to develop a new track plan every year. By using O-27 tubular track, I’ve been able to come up with a variety of interesting track plans that fit nicely under my Christmas tree. This […]
Menards Santa Fe diesel program launched a little more than a year ago with its first beta test. The company has released several more iterations of its F units, which it markets as “Santa Fe Diesel Locomotive,” soliciting customer feedback. The latest iteration, beta 4.0, is an A-A set in Santa Fe’s “bluebonnet” paint scheme […]
About halfway through the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog we found this post-transition-era workhorse: the EMD SD45. A model previously released by Lionel in 2016, the return of the SD45 is a welcome sight for those who model the early high-horsepower diesel years. A solid seller The prototype was built by the Electro-Motive Division of […]
CTT is providing 20 tips to improve your layout. Hobbyists in O and S gauge are always looking for ways to make their displays better. These are simple and anyone can use them. Looking for a track plan for your next layout? 20 tips to improve your layout 1. Learn about the new technology in […]
The Lionel Disney Frozen II train set is a great way to make new memories. But let’s look at some old ones first. When you think back, what was the impetus that got you into this hobby of model trains? Usually, those stories begin with a family member, perhaps grandparent, dad, uncle, or brother that […]
Menards intermodal cars and containers are popular with hobbyists who like to enjoy a modern scene on traditional-sized railroads. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine has a look at them along with CTT editor Hal Miller in Bob’s Train Box 85. They also examine the shipping containers that go in the cars, and discuss […]
TCA Fall York 2022 is a jumble of letters and numbers to the uninitiated. But to Classic Toy Trains and Trains.com readers, it means something specific and fun. The York Train Show hosted by the Eastern Division of the Train Collectors Association is held bi-annually in April and October on the York, Pa., Fairgrounds. The […]
The Lionel Hallow’s Eve Limited set is here, just in time for the Halloween season! It’s a ready-to-run LionChief outfit traveling the “Graveyard Route” with everything you need to get up and running in one very well-decorated box. The equipment in it is built with plastic bodies which allows it to withstand some less-than-delicate handling […]
The 2022 Lionel Legacy SD40-2 is no stranger to the train-maker’s catalog. The most recent release is the first since 2018. For this round, announced in 2022 Volume 1, Lionel offered four road names and five paint schemes each with a powered and non-powered option. The railroads offered were Burlington Northern; BN in a Spirit […]
