Kansas City Southern’s last new steam locomotives were 10 class J 2-10-4s built by Lima in 1937. As this postwar photo of No. 905 indicates, they were massive machines — those are 70-inch drivers under that giant boiler. Harold K. Vollrath photo […]
The latest video by Roger Carp, senior editor at Classic Toy Trains magazine, focuses on one of the greatest and most celebrated toy trains ever produced in America. In anticipation of the release of Lionel Trains of the 1940s, the new special-interest publication from CTT, Professor Carp looks closely at the Lionel no. 700E O […]
The latest video by Roger Carp, senior editor at Classic Toy Trains magazine, focuses on one of the greatest and most celebrated toy trains ever produced in America. In anticipation of the release of Lionel Trains of the 1940s, the new special-interest publication from CTT, Professor Carp looks closely at the Lionel no. 700E O […]
Working as a railroad fireman: It was the end of summer. Billy, Wimpy, and I had finished cleaning up after the last threshing job and watched Mr. Hedrick slowly drive the rig out to the road and head west to the winter storage building behind his blacksmith shop. The rig consisted of a Huber […]
These 7 great Lionel accessories from the prewar and postwar periods are the ones we think are the tops. This “best of” list is based on quality design, sturdy construction, and general appeal. Don’t agree with our list? Drop us a line at editor@ClassicToyTrains.com, and thanks for reading. There’s more information on many of these […]
Central Railroad of New Jersey 4-6-0 155 — one of CNJ’s many center-cab “Camelback” engines — takes water on the fly from the track pans at Dunellen, N.J., in late 1931. R. P. Morris photo […]
Union Pacific Challenger: Railroad slogans are one of the industry’s lost arts. The old ad men and promoters who came up with them were geniuses. Remember when phrases like Water Level Route or Main Line of Mid-America told you so much about a particular railroad? The best ones spoke of far-flung places, and how to […]
The St. Louis-San Francisco Railroad was a survivor and an innovator. It weathered some very rough times, including at least five bankruptcies. It started running unit coal trains from Fort Smith, Ark., the city across the Arkansas River from my hometown of Van Buren, in the 1930s. It helped move Texas and Oklahoma oil east […]
Frank Vodvarka’s layout, the 23′ x 27′ Eclectic Empire, is featured in the May-June 2022 Classic Toy Trains. It’s colorful and entertaining, with pre- and postwar Lionel and other O- and Standard gauge trains from the U.S. and abroad. Plus it has accessories, figures, and structures from multiple eras and manufacturers like Bayko, Britains, Bassett-Lowke, […]
The breakthrough The first Electro-Motive doodlebug motorcar to be delivered went to the Chicago Great Western in August 1924. Right from the first run, founder Hal Hamilton’s expectation that railroads would overload the equipment was confirmed. The gas-electric car and its transmission system had been rated and advertised as being capable of handling a 35-ton […]
The Lionel LionChief 2.0 Baby K4 is a modern O gauge steam engine that represents the Pennsylvania RR’s proud Pacific type. The model is simply detailed with lots of operating features including a fan-driven smoke unit, lighted flickering firebox, crew figures, and more! It runs well and is equally at home pulling a set of […]
7 great Lionel locomotives and 4 duds – this list recognizes what we consider to be the Lionel Corporation’s crowning achievements in locomotive manufacturing 1900-1969. Admittedly, it’s subjective, based on experience owning, operating, and repairing Lionel locomotives. We both value solid construction and reliable operation, so those were key factors in awarding our trophies. Our […]
