DCCconcepts Aegis system

Screen capture of a man standing in front of a model railroad introducing a product review video.

Model Railroader Contributing Editor Larry Puckett hosts our latest Product Review video to talk about the features on the DCCconcepts Aegis system, an upgrade for NCE’s Digital Command Control PowerCab. You can read his review of the system on page 16 of the January 2024 issue of MR. The Aegis system maintains all the functions […]

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DCCconcepts Aegis system

Screen capture of a man standing in front of a model railroad introducing a product review video.

Model Railroader Contributing Editor Larry Puckett hosts our latest Product Review video to talk about the features on the DCCconcepts Aegis system, an upgrade for NCE’s Digital Command Control PowerCab. You can read his review of the system on page 16 of the January 2024 issue of MR. The Aegis system maintains all the functions […]

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American Flyer No. 326 steam locomotive and tender

black model steam engine

After Gilbert acquired the assets of American Flyer in 1938, it set out to develop a line of 3/16-inch scale models that ran over three-rail track. The firm announced the debut of a die-cast metal 4-6-4 Hudson and tender the next year. The men assembling Gilbert’s first S gauge line for 1946 were eager to […]

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Meet Dennis Brennan

city scene on toy train layout

When I was 3 years old, my dad bought me a 1952 Lionel No. 119 Scout 3 Car Freight set for Christmas. He had fastened the track to a small board covered with Life-Like Mountain Paper. Each Christmas he would set it up on the living room floor of our tiny apartment. In 3rd grade, […]

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Classic Toy Trains new products for December 2023

purple boxcar on track

Locomotives & rolling stock Metropolitan Division of the Train Collectors Association (METCA) has several custom-run products. The first is a Lionel 2-8-0 Consolidation in New Hope & Ivyland livery. They also have two Lionel Legacy engines, an SD50 Reading & Northern (red head paint scheme) and two SD70Aces, one in Lionel Lines and one with […]

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12 train sets for the holidays

Color photo of HO scale train set box with painted box art and display windows for models.

If you’ve read Model Railroader magazine for any length of time, you’ve probably noticed the hobby journey for many of our authors started with a train set. For baby boomers, born between 1946 and 1964, the set was often produced by Lionel or American Flyer. Fast forward a generation or two, and those sets were […]

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Trains.com Insider Exclusive | Touring Sievers Benchwork

Come along with Trains.com host Gerry Leone, as he explores the production facilities of Sievers Benchwork, located on Washington Island, Wisconsin. With master carpenters Barb Cornell and Butch Young guiding us through the manufacturing process, learn how model railroad framework fabricated with pre-drilled holes and modular designs, revolutionized benchwork construction! Discover additional insights about its history, […]

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Do it yourself locomotive restoration

pile of green toy trains

Do it yourself locomotive restoration Yes, you can do it yourself! Restoring old tin trains is not as difficult as the popular folklore would have you believe. It doesn’t require any special skill or knowledge that you can’t master. Nor does it entail exotic or expensive equipment. Anyone can do it with simple household tools […]

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Get your toy trains ready for the holidays

christmas layout scene

Get your toy trains ready for the holidays While cleaning out my parents’ attic I found my old trains. Even after I had grown up and moved away, Mom and Dad still used them for years around their Christmas tree. Now, however, my trains have been boxed up and haven’t run for five years. I’d […]

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Preview November and December 2023 CTT content

scene on layout with flatcar hauling gold

We’re always adding new content to our website. Here are some recent items you may have missed. November new products Lots of new items this month from Lionel, Menards, ScaleTrains, and more! History behind the word kitbashing Roger Carp digs in to learn the meaning of this popular hobby term. GG-1 reversing unit? Joe Mania […]

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Types of model railroad benchwork

One of the first things that you must do when building a model train layout is decide which style of benchwork you will build for the layout. Simple tables A common starter style of model railroad benchwork is just a 4 x 8 sheet of plywood on a tabletop. My first layout was on a […]

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10 vintage toy train items for your holiday layout

green and white switch tower

10 vintage toy train items for your holiday layout The holidays are fast approaching! If you’ll be setting up a display (or a permanent layout), Senior Editor Roger Carp has suggestions for 10 items to add for the most fun! 1. Lionel No. 154 highway signal – for once, its enormous height and out-of-scale proportions […]

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