How do I restore prewar tinplate toy trains?

old model train

Q: I own the Ives train set my father had as a boy. Based on information found at the Ives Train Society website, I believe locomotive No. 3253 dates from between 1921-1923. The three passenger cars seem to match set No. 504. The overall condition of the paint and sheet metal is poor. I doubt […]

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Changing the wick in a modern fan-driven smoke unit

Burnt wick taken out of a smoke unit

Is your locomotive struggling to produce a good amount of smoke, even after cranking up the smoke volume and adding fluid? While it’s not the one-and-only culprit, a charred smoke wick is a common problem.  The wick is a strand or braided fiber glass material in the smoke unit’s heating chamber. It generates the smoke […]

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Upgrade a modern Lionel Milk Car with Platform accessory

milk car scene on layout

In 2020, I purchased Lionel’s No. 2028310 Milk Car With Platform. Unfortunately, I was never happy with this car’s operation. It kept shorting circuiting on my layout, especially when going through switches.  I sent it to several repair centers, but the problem was never found. After running the car at a low speed around the […]

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Where can I buy reproduction Lionel postwar decals?

maroon model coach

I’m restoring some Lionel postwar heavyweight passenger cars and need help lettering them. Are there suppliers for reproduction decals? — Ernie Weber The best source of reproduction decals for Lionel postwar locomotives and cars is the Underground Railroad Shoppe in New Castle, Pa. Owned by longtime CTT contributor Lou Palumbo, the store can be reached […]

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Toy train parts suppliers

model train with screwdriver and assorted parts around it

One of the questions we receive quite regularly is where to find parts. Sooner or later, it’s likely you’ll need a part for your locomotive or rolling stock. It could be as simple as replacing traction tires or as complicated as a postwar rehab project. In either case, we’ve got you covered! For each retailer, […]

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How do I remove black marks from tubular track?

Sections of track on the table

I recently took out my old toy trains that have been packed away for about 25 years. The tubular track sections that were brand new back then now have black marks on them. How do I clean them and get them usable again? — Joe Rampe If it’s just dry corrosion, a Scotch-Brite pad will […]

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Repair Marx plastic rolling stock

four pieces of Marx rolling stock

Although our family had a wind-up Marx set when I was very young, my real interest in Marx trains began when I received a Marx Allstate set for Christmas about 1961 when I was 10. My father bought it at the Sears surplus store on North Main St. in High Point, N.C. for, I think, […]

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Lubricating modern O scale rolling stock

Model of modern rolling stock with maintenance kit.

Modern O scale rolling stock takes leaps and bounds in the level of detail and playability provided. Manufacturers roll out high end-looking models with some featuring not only traditional lighting, but also sound and smoke effects to further replicate real-life railroading. But what hasn’t fallen into the realm of head-spinning complexity is lubricating these 1:48-scaled […]

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Are MTH Premier SD60M shells interchangable?

model diesel locomotiv

Are MTH Premier SD60M shells interchangable I have the MTH No. 20-2595-1 Premier Line Harley-Davidson SD60M freight set from around 2005. I ran it a few times before the circuit board fried. At the time, it was already out of warranty. I looked into having the board replaced, but it cost too much. More recently, […]

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How to lubricate O gauge postwar rolling stock

Model of vintage rolling stock with maintenance kit.

“Less is more,” as the saying goes from the article, How to lubricate your O and S gauge trains. The same applies to regularly lubricating postwar equipment that has stood the test of time. Rolling stock — ranging from freight cars to cabooses — is no exception. Oiling around Lubricating postwar rolling stock will involve […]

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