Q: What was the reasoning for the Lionel Corp. to produce two very similar track sizes – O-27 with a 27-inch-diameter circle and O with a 31-inch diameter circle? Wouldn’t production be a lot simpler and inventories less costly with only one? Since O-27 engines and rolling stock could run on O track, why retain […]
Scale: O Scale
Can I convert a Lionel no. 257 freight station to DC power?
Q: I have a Lionel no. 257 freight station with diesel horn that is equipped with a D-cell battery to operate the horn. How do I convert the 1.5 DC voltage to 14-16 AC voltage so I can operate it like my other accessories from a transformer? – Peter Douglas Beam, Pasadena, Calif. A: Peter, […]
O-27 track: thumbs up or down?
Q: Before I was born, my grandfather bought me a Lionel O-27 set, and over the years I’ve acquired many other O-27 items. I want to build a layout, but just about everyone I’ve spoken to has advised me against building my layout using O-27 track and switches. Instead, they advise me to upgrade to […]
Lionel O gauge 4-4-2 Hiawatha locomotive
IN THE MIDST of the Great Depression, America’s railroads turned to fast trains to draw the public back to rail travel. In the Midwest, the Chicago & North Western was preparing to launch high-speed service between Chicago and Minneapolis. The Milwaukee Road’s response was to create a fast, reliable, and stylish express train. The name […]
Lionel O gauge 4-4-2 Hiawatha passenger car set
AS THE REVIEW of the locomotive noted, the first car set for Hiawatha service was built in 1935. A second series of cars was built in 1937, and demand for the Hiawatha service was so dramatic that in 1938 a third group was built and entered service in 1939. There were several significant changes between […]
MTH RailKing O gauge Baldwin VO-1000 diesel
YEARS AGO, before joining CLASSIC TOY TRAINS magazine, I was an Air Force transportation officer. I found myself on a staff-assistance visit to Hill Air Force Base, Utah, and stumbled upon a weed-choked rail yard full of diesels in varying shades of faded Air Force blue. Baldwins, Whitcombs, Plymouths, Alcos, you name it. There they […]
Lionel O-27 uncoupler is different
Q: You had a great tip about wiring a push-button switch to an old UCS track section, avoiding the original two-button controllers. Since I have an O-27 layout, I tried this with one of my No. 6019 tracks. When I attached the button switch between the number 2 wire and the transformer, the uncoupling magnet […]
Broken belt on a postwar Lionel No. 364 log loader
Q: I have a Lionel No. 364 conveyor belt log loader which was received as a gift in the 1940s or early 1950s. The red conveyor belt has disintegrated over time and I would like to know how to service the accessory to get it back into operation. Also, I would appreciate knowing the approximate […]
Lionel O gauge LionMaster 4-8-8-2 Cab-Forward
I’VE HAD A SOFT spot for Cab-Forward steam locomotion since buying a book called Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives about 40 years ago. To me, even the early versions of the locomotive, with a square, boxy cab mounted in front of the boiler looked amazingly futuristic. Though the Southern Pacific adopted the Cab-Forward design to ensure […]
Lionel O gauge NASCAR ready-to-run set
WHEN ASKED WHY TRAIN sets promoting NFL teams, John Deere tractors, or even Sponge Bob cartoon characters were important, MTH Electric Trains honcho Mike Wolf noted in an interview with CLASSIC TOY TRAINS that the paint schemes representing licensed products got train sets into homes that might not otherwise have one. Lionel’s skipper Jerry Calabrese […]
MTH Premier line O gauge SD70ACe diesel
ONE OF THE Goliaths of modern railroading is the Electro-Motive SD70ACe, and it is far more than a tweak of the popular SD70. Electro-Motive designers re-worked its 16-cylinder prime mover to be more fuel-efficient and to meet tougher environmental emissions requirements. Improvments were made in just about every aspect: from crewmember ergonomics to ease of […]
MTH RailKing O gauge Baldwin AS-616
WHILE THUMBING THROUGH the ads in CLASSIC TOY TRAINS, I discovered a diesel that I’d missed when it originally came out: MTH’s version of the Baldwin AS-616 road switcher. Why? For me, the Pennsy is a secondary road name. But when I saw it offered at a bargain price, I reached for my wallet. The […]
