Not long ago, businesses that received or generated moderate levels of rail traffic called the local railroad for switching duties. Others had their own switcher. Other firms with less, though steady traffic had another recourse for motive power: the Trackmobile.First developed in the late 1940s, the Trackmobile was a dream come true for firms with […]
You know I’m not sure if I ever saw a General Electric U25B diesel locomotive operating in revenue service. Oh, back in the day, I have a hazy memory of perhaps seeing one in a backshop deadline, although that may have been another four-axle GE model. But during my prime railfanning period (1978-85), I believe […]
Ballast King’s O gauge ballast spreading car is an interesting and really fun way to ballast your railroad’s right-of-way. […]
Odyssey in O gauge […]
Our preferred method of transferring a track plan to a flat tabletop uses a computer to download and print out the full-scale template of the Readers’ Choice Railroad so we can easily tell how track, accessories, and some scenery elements work on our 4 x 8-foot perimeter. Download the template here. […]
Our 2010 survey asked what you, our readers wanted in a layout. We compiled all of your feedback and we present this project railroad designed just for you. For the Readers’ Choice RR we chose a lightweight benchwork option that was new to us, and found that the Mianne benchwork system was an ideal solution. […]
The first maxim in train collecting is that a train is worth exactly what someone is willing to pay for it. That said, price guides give some guidelines on current values for trains. In general, the Train Collectors Association has established several categories of condition that help in determining a train’s value: Mint or New […]
The Lionel Corp. used a four-digit number to identify its postwar rolling stock. In some cases cars also carried a one, two, or three-digit suffix. Though many times cars with the same number exhibit slight differences, or variations, Lionel usually assigned a new number if a car received major changes. While Lionel’s numbering appears haphazard, […]
Layout designer: Jim Zare Scale: S Layout size: 5 x 10 feet Track type: American Flyer S gauge Minimum curve: 20-inch radius Originally appeared in the December 2003 issue of Classic Toy Trains. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]
Layout designer: Jay Reese Scale: S Layout size: 12 x 16 feet Track type: American Flyer S gauge Minimum curve: 20-inch radius Originally appeared in the November 2000 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Second place winner of Classic Toy Trains magazine’s first layout planning contest: Plans for a 12 x 16-foot room. Click on this […]
Layout designer: Don Thompson and Mike Ferraro, S-Helper Service Co. Story and photos: V. S. Roseman Scale: S Layout size: 5 x 9 feet Track type: S-Helper Service S-Trax Minimum curve: S-40 Originally appeared in the January and February 2006 issues of Classic Toy Trains. Build a lightweight O gauge layout Build a lightweight O […]
Layout designer: Peter H. Riddle Scale: O Layout size: 5 x 12 feet Track type: Lionel O gauge tubular Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Track plan Schematic Parts list Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan. […]
