The Lionel Sandy Andy Automatic Gravel Loader was part of the catalog in the late 1970s. It’s a shame it didn’t last longer because it’s among the most interesting products the company ever made. It’s not neat because of what it does; after all, Lionel produced numerous coal and gravel loading and dumping structures over […]
Trains.com Director David Popp shares 11 easy urban lighting tips to help model railroaders learn to light their layouts for nighttime operations. As if model railroads aren’t cool enough by themselves, adding miniature lights to the streets, buildings, and automobiles on your layout can make it so cool it glows – literally! Recently, I […]
Chris from Chris’s Trains and Things on YouTube is back and checking out some new products from Woodland Scenics. He has the company’s much-anticipated traffic light system that looks great on any road. There are three different options, including suspended, pedestal, and mast-arm mounted versions. They are part of the Just Plug system that makes […]
Buying collectible toy train items can be enjoyable and rewarding if you proceed carefully and patiently. Be sure to do your homework on them and the person or business selling them. Once you’ve established personal guidelines about what you want, do some research about the item and its value in different levels of condition. Price […]
Menards intermodal cars and containers are popular with hobbyists who like to enjoy a modern scene on traditional-sized railroads. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine has a look at them along with CTT editor Hal Miller in Bob’s Train Box 85. They also examine the shipping containers that go in the cars, and discuss […]
Watch the new Trains.com Workshop Webcam! Trains.com members will have this unique window to peer into our efforts, as we build out and build within an all-new workshop space. This is where you’ll see staff from Model Railroader, Classic Toy Trains, and other publications making models, testing new products, and otherwise honing their craft! The […]
A small S gauge layout can give a lot of play value. For proof, check out John Mansueto’s layout in the November-December 2022 issue. It’s like many of the compact O and S gauge layouts spotlighted in Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces, the 2021 special issue from Classic Toy Trains. Spare bedrooms, garage stalls, […]
A small S gauge layout can give a lot of play value. For proof, check out John Mansueto’s layout in the November-December 2022 issue. It’s like many of the compact O and S gauge layouts spotlighted in Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces, the 2021 special issue from Classic Toy Trains. Spare bedrooms, garage stalls, […]
Menards Rocket Diner is a great place for your O scale folks to eat. After all, it doesn’t take much arm-twisting for a train enthusiast to stop and chow down at a railroad-themed or trackside restaurant. I’ve dined at two eateries in the Seattle area that used old passenger cars for service. In Cincinnati there […]
The Frank Sinatra Lionel collection and his O gauge layout have fascinated Trains.com and Classic Toy Trains readers for years. Let’s use the photograph snapped long ago by Rebecca Saliture to explore what the “Chairman of the Board” owned and ran. The Frank Sinatra Lionel collection After World War II, Sinatra visited the Lionel showroom […]
Small O and S gauge layouts are how the hobby began. To demonstrate the wonders of layouts designed to fit into small spaces, let’s travel back to when most current enthusiasts were youngsters. This most likely means we’re talking about the 25 years immediately following World War II. These men and women can trace their […]
A postwar Lionel haul unboxing featuring Roger “Professor” Carp and CTT editor Hal Miller. The trains belong to a co-worker who received them from her father. He received his first Lionel train in 1941 – in fact, we have his original no. 1089 set box! Have a look at some of the well-loved and time-worn […]
