With vision and talent and help from Tom Ferber, Doug Bloom’s wonderful layout was built. All of the photos were taken by another friend, Gene Meadows. […]
Photos from Doug Bloom’s layout of memories
Magazine: Classic Toy Trains
Review: Atlas O Phase II F3 diesel
Many years ago I read an article about railroad roundhouses in North Dakota. The article made the point that they were located about every 100 miles because steam locomotives continually shook themselves apart and needed to have maintenance before they could be reused. Well, that made sense of a sort. And since even smaller engine […]
Review: Ballast King O gauge ballast spreading car
How do you put down ballast on your O gauge railroad? Depending on the scope of the project, I may use either a plastic cup – or a cut-open one-gallon water jug filled with ballast. I pour it down on the track and then use a paintbrush for general shaping and tamping, and maybe an […]
Review: Lionel O gauge Trackmobile car mover
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 […]
MTH O gauge Premier line GE U25B
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 O gauge ballast spreading car
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
Odyssey in O gauge […]
Readers’ Choice Railroad Track Plan Template
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. […]
Building the Reader’s Choice RR benchwork
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. […]
How do I determine the value of my toy trains?
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 […]
Lionel’s postwar freight-car numbers
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, […]
American Flyer track plan
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. […]
