Scranton, PA will host the 55th annual Lionel Collectors Club of America’s Convention & Toy Train Show. From July 20 to 26, 2025, train enthusiasts will pour into the Electric City to delight in the magic of railroad history in a city that was built on trains. Curt Camoni, the Executive Director of the Lackawanna […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
Watch a newly released Atlas O Premier Line GE C44-9W diesel locomotive (1:48 scale) in action on CTT Contributor Chris Montagna’s O gauge layout. See all of the accurate details, and hear all of the authentic sounds! Read the Product Review from Classic Toy Trains magazine Editor Rene Schweitzer. […]
Q: I’m curious why I’ve never seen four 20-foot intermodal containers in a single well car, stacked two on top and two on the bottom. I’ve only ever seen two 20-foot containers in the well and a 40-foot (or larger) container on top. — Benjamin Stewart A: David Lassen, senior editor at Trains magazine, put me […]
Atlas recently sent us one of their new “Dash 9” diesel-electric locomotives from the Premier line: the C44-9W. Cody Grivno, in a 2019 Model Railroader review, wrote a nice summary of the prototype Dash 9 series in a review of a ScaleTrains HO scale model. GE built more than 3,500 of these diesels between 1993 […]
Atlas has released the C44-9W locomotive as part of the Premier line. Chris Montagna sent us videos of this engine in action on his layout. Read a review from Editor Rene Schweitzer. […]
Listen in, as Trains.com draws knowledge and hobby insights from established retailer Jack Sommerfeld, owner/operator of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies in Butler, Wisconsin. Join staff writer Lucas Iverson as he chats with one of the top toy train dealers in the U.S., regarding the success and philosophy of his 40-year-old family-run business; his observations about […]
If you ever find yourself in the Milwaukee area, you may want to take a quick drive north to Butler, Wis., and visit Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies. Don’t let its small size fool you — this brick-and-mortar store is a one-stop shop for a vast range of O gauge products. Owner Jack Sommerfeld, Chief Repair […]
News & Products for the week of July 7th 2025 Model railroad operators and builders can get the latest information about locomotives, freight cars, passenger cars, tools, track, and more by reading Model Railroader’s frequent product updates. The following are the products Model Railroader editors have news on for the week of July 7th, […]
Rene Schweitzer: I’m excited to be sitting in Howard Hitchcock’s office at Lionel Trains’ headquarters. Thank you for meeting me today. Howard Hitchcock: Welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it. RS: You’re nearly halfway through your 125th anniversary celebration. How is it going? What have you heard from your customers? HH: It’s going […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
We are working on a new special issue! Classic Toy Trains’ next special interest publication features 14 layouts you can visit across the United States, from the The Choo Choo Barn, the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Illinois Railway Museum, and much more. Plus, find a handy reference map and […]
