News & Products for the week of July 7th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 7th, […]
Rene Schweitzer: I’m excited to be sitting in Howard Hitchcock’s office at Lionel Trains’ headquarters. Thank you for meeting me today. Howard Hitchcock: Welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it. RS: You’re nearly halfway through your 125th anniversary celebration. How is it going? What have you heard from your customers? HH: It’s going […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
We are working on a new special issue! Classic Toy Trains’ next special interest publication features 14 layouts you can visit across the United States, from the The Choo Choo Barn, the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Illinois Railway Museum, and much more. Plus, find a handy reference map and […]
Locomotives & rolling stock The Train Loft, 4007-B Country Club Rd., Winston-Salem, NC 27104, is selling a custom-run MTH Boxcar as part of the RailKing line. The car features holiday Cheerwine graphics and O-27 operation (30-71259). Expected delivery in October 2025. Price: $69.96. Website: trainloft.com Atlas Model Railroad Co., Inc., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ […]
In this Trains.com exclusive, Lionel LLC CEO Howard Hitchcock fields interview questions from Classic Toy Trains Editor Rene Schweitzer at Lionel’s headquarters in Concord, North Carolina. Howard and Rene discuss the brand’s 125th anniversary, new products, NASCAR die-cast products, custom-run products, the future of the American Flyer line, and much more! You don’t want to miss […]
If you’ve ever experimented with garden railroading, one of the first hurdles you’ll probably encounter is getting reliable connectivity between track sections when using track power. Especially in outdoor settings, weather and terrain are going to present inevitable challenges to maintaining track performance. Track installation techniques and track hardware are the most obvious factors to […]
Jim Gates, founder of the Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA), celebrated his 90th birthday on June 25. Jim began working on the real railroad as a senior in high school in 1953. He worked after school on the Milwaukee Road coal train that ran from Perry to Madrid, Iowa. He finished school at 3:15 […]
Roger Carp’s book, Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! A Photo History of an American Icon, has won several awards. The title won Gold for Best Coffee Table Book from the National Indie Excellence Book Awards; Silver for Best History from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA); Silver for Best Coffee Table Book from IBPA, Silver for […]
Atlas O Premier EMD GP38-2 Scale: O (1:48) Price: $659.95 Era: 1972 to present (varies based on paint scheme) Manufacturer: Atlas Model Railroad Co., 378 Florence Ave., Hillside, NJ 07205; 908-687-0880; shop.atlasrr.com Atlas O Premier EMD GP38-2 features: 1:48 scale proportions ABS body Detachable snow plow Digital Command Control/Digital Command System decoder Die-cast metal truck […]
Tony Koester, author of the popular Trains of Thought column in Model Railroader magazine and editor of MR’s annual publication Model Railroad Planning, was one of four recipients of the 2025 National Model Railroad Association Pioneer in Model Railroading award. The citation on his award read, “Author of regular articles in the hobby press and […]
In this episode, David shares a proven technique for adding and shaping a rustic course of ballast along the rails of the Olympia & Sand Creek On30 logging layout. But first he works to complete several scenery details, including realistic fencing, water effects, muddy cow paths, and more along the terrain and trackwork too! View […]
