The Lego City Passenger Train Set

LEGO 60197 City Passenger Train set

The Lego City Passenger Train Set (No. 60197) might be a fantastic way for you or a youngster to get into the growing brick train hobby. I missed the whole Lego “thing” when I was a kid. Lego blocks were building toys back in the 1970s. I bought a small set for making bunkers, hard […]

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Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A

Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A front right view

The Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A has finally arrived, fresh from the Volume 1 2022 Lionel catalog. I have to say, this beautiful steam locomotive does not disappoint! This isn’t a rehash of the previous 2-6-6-4 model available in the Volume 1 2000 catalog. Thanks to all-new tooling, this engine is fresh […]

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Quick takes on the Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog

Lionel 2023 big book catalog J3 Drefuss Hudson

The Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog is out. I just had a quick flip through it and here are my first impressions. I’ll tell you right off, this isn’t an exhaustive treatment and I can’t cover everything. Nor will you find any mention of the prices of these things. As I’m frequently inclined to say, […]

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Lionel American Flyer GP7 returns in new road names

Lionel American Flyer GP7

The Lionel American Flyer GP7 is one of those classic locomotives to build your S gauge railroad around. This release of FlyerChief GP7s is from the Lionel 2021 Volume 2 catalog and has engines for the Burlington Northern, Chesapeake & Ohio, Lehigh Valley, and Wabash railroads plus two sets. One is a Texas & Pacific […]

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Hop aboard the Lionel Trippy and Polar Express trolleys

Lionel Traippy and Polar Express trolleys in boxes

The Lionel Trippy and Polar Express trolleys are recent releases of a well-known (and loved) product. The bump-and-go mechanism of these staple products makes these great operating elements on layouts that have enough room for a single track but no more space for a full loop. In the 2021 Volume I offerings from Lionel, deep […]

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The Lionel Legacy ES44AC is back

Lionel Legacy ES44AC on layout

The Lionel Legacy ES44AC has returned quickly the train-maker’s catalog with new road names. It seems that when tooling sells well, we’ll certainly see it again sooner rather than later. Judging by the model’s re-issue for 2022 after being last offered 2019, it can be assumed that they are popular with collectors of modern motive […]

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Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward review

Lionel cab forward side view of locomotive

The wait for the Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward has taken a little longer than the company’s normal 4-6 year re-release cycle. The TMCC version of the AC-12 was released in 2005 followed by a repop with whistle steam and Legacy control in 2014. In 2022 we’re receiving the latest version, first announced in the […]

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Menards Santa Fe diesel A-A set beta 4.0 test

Menards Santa Fe diesel A-A nose and top view

Menards Santa Fe diesel program launched a little more than a year ago with its first beta test. The company has released several more iterations of its F units, which it markets as “Santa Fe Diesel Locomotive,” soliciting customer feedback. The latest iteration, beta 4.0, is an A-A set in Santa Fe’s “bluebonnet” paint scheme […]

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The Lionel Legacy SD45 is a beast of an engine

Lionel Legacy SD45 front view

About halfway through the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog we found this post-transition-era workhorse: the EMD SD45. A model previously released by Lionel in 2016, the return of the SD45 is a welcome sight for those who model the early high-horsepower diesel years. A solid seller The prototype was built by the Electro-Motive Division of […]

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Great railroading gifts for 2022!

Black mug with white and red writing.

Railfans, their friends, and family might be struggling to find railroading gifts for 2022 that are just right: affordable, fun, and right on the mark when it comes to getting railroading right. Each year, Trains.com and sister website Kalmbach Hobby Store announce gifts that are spot-on and sure to please. See our annual list below! […]

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