Here’s the story behind this magnificent O gauge no. 810/2273W Lionel Milwaukee Road freight set. It was one of the finest outfits cataloged by the company for 1956. Click here for a history of the Milwaukee Road. The brand-new no. 2378P and 2378C F3 A-B locomotive combination headed the train. The powered A and unpowered […]
Enjoy photos of Lionel’s 6464 postwar boxcars! Lionel 6464 boxcars help Lionel Corp. mark 1953 as a turning point. Yes, a year after blazing a new trail with classic streamlined passenger cars, the engineering and sales teams at Lionel fielded near-scale models of a modern flatcar, a triple-dome tank car, and a porthole caboose. Perhaps […]
Lionel 6464 boxcars help Lionel Corp. mark 1953 as a turning point. Yes, a year after blazing a new trail with classic streamlined passenger cars, the engineering and sales teams at Lionel fielded near-scale models of a modern flatcar, a triple-dome tank car, and a porthole caboose. Perhaps most important of all, the company […]
Although Lionel has come out with a multitude of fantastic products over the years, one of the most amazing and important accessories that the popular manufacturer ever created was by far the Automatic Gateman. The Automatic Gateman is a structure that features a gateman emerging from his trackside shed to warn motorists of passing trains. […]
The year 1946, when both the A.C. Gilbert Co. and the Lionel Corp. brought out their first full lines of electric trains for the postwar era, saw both heralding new locomotives equipped with a mechanism capable of producing smoke. Another milestone in the quest to market more realistic miniatures had been achieved. Truth be told, […]
The evolution of miniature locomotives has been long and steady for more than a century. The beginning, of course, involved using electricity to enable them to move without being touched. Next came the introduction of functioning lights to models of steam and electric engines as well as to trolley and motorized units. Everything that had […]
Lionel porthole caboose origins Lionel’s designers and marketers took significant steps in 1953 to expand and upgrade its roster of O gauge rolling stock. They introduced near-scale freight cars, notably larger and more realistic boxcars and a flatcar. They brought out for the first time a triple-dome tank car. And they distinguished the line with […]
Looking to start or build on your collection? Learn all there is to know about these timeless classic toy trains. […]
Classic Toy Trains Senior Editor Roger Carp held court in a Facebook Live event on April 16, 2019, and answered questions about Lionel Trains of the 1950s from anyone on Facebook that day. We’ve uploaded a short discussion Roger had with the Facebook audience. We hope you enjoy it! Find out more about Lionel Trains […]
Classic Toy Trains Senior Editor Roger Carp held court in a Facebook Live event on April 16, 2019, and answered questions about Lionel Trains of the 1950s from anyone on Facebook that day. We’ve uploaded a short discussion Roger had about a Lionel caboose that had been a treasured piece of a co-worker’s operating layout […]
During the prewar and postwar eras, every manufacturer of toy trains added a miniature gondola. Other than a flatcar, it was the simplest and least expensive item to mass-produce, regardless of the size and materials used. Also, gondolas were very popular with youngsters, who could fill them with all sort of items. Kids put in […]
