Those little packets of silica gel that come in model train and other boxes are there for a reason – to keep moisture away from your valuable items. Classic Toy Trains Editor Hal Miller tells you how they work and where you can get more if you’ve thrown yours away. […]
Section: Repair Restoration
How to clean old, rusty, and dirty track
Bought or inherited a load of tubular track? CTT editor Hal Miller shows his method of cleaning it up and getting it ready for trains to run properly on. This technique will help get rid of dirt and light rust, and help modelers avoid a few pitfalls that could be detrimental to operation. […]
How to lubricate your locomotives
In this Workbench Minute video, CTT editor Hal Miller shows the basics of locomotive lubrication with O gauge diesel. The techniques are also useful on steam engines and locomotives in S gauge, too. He shows what to use (and where to get it), where to use it, and reinforces the idea that less is more […]
Cleaning up Lionel’s no. 97 Coal Elevator
Hal Miller continues his Workbench Minute series showing how to clean a Lionel no. 97 elevator. He uses a cleanser that’s both safe for his skin and the model to wipe away decades of dust and grime. […]
How to make roads stick on your model train layout
Hal Miller repairs peeling roadway material on the City Transfer & Terminal, an O gauge layout showcased in Classic Toy Trains articles and videos throughout 2018. With the original adhesive backing now dry and no longer tacky, Hal shows how silicone caulk can be used to affix the roads to the layout for good. […]
How to rewire a Lionel RCS controller
In this Classic Toy Trains How-to Minute, editor Hal Miller replaces the crumbling 3-conductor cable on a postwar RCS controller that goes with the Lionel no. 97 Coal Elevator. New 3-conductor cable is available from a variety of sources that deal in vintage toy train parts and the technique is applicable to a number of […]
How to fix a damaged Lionel no. 97 dump bin with epoxy
Epoxy is a great adhesive for repairing a wide variety of materials. CTT editor Hal Miller heads to the workbench and gives tips on how to use 2-part epoxy to repair a broken postwar Lionel accessory in about two minutes! […]
Lionel no. 97 coal elevator motor maintenance
In this Workbench Minute Hal Miller shows how to remove the motor from a Lionel no. 97 coal elevator, clean the brushes, and lubricate the gearing. Then he puts it back together and gets the venerable accessory running again. […]
Video: How to fix “speaker fuzz” in your locomotive
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Project railroad: Create insulated track segments
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Project railroad: Cut track with a power tool
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Craft an automated Christmas layout
Two O gauge trains alternate automatically on Donald Miller’s Christmas-tree layout. Learn how to create this layout in the December 2012 issue of Classic Toy Trains. […]