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The evolution of model railroad scenery products has been fun to watch. In prior generations, molded-Styrofoam mountains and scenery mats with dyed green sawdust were considered the norm. Today, we’re blessed with a variety of tools and products that make our layouts look more like what we see when we’re standing trackside. In this article, […]
The Shay dates back to the 1870s, when logger Ephriam Shay was looking for a more efficient way to move timber from the woods to the mill. More than 2,700 units were built by Lima Locomotive Works between 1880 and 1930. The geared locomotives came in many variations in four different classes. To learn more […]
The Lionel No. 3474 Western Pacific Operating Boxcar upgrades any collection of postwar trains. It was another great model introduced in the outstanding year of 1952, which is covered in detail in Lionel Trains of the 1950s, a special interest publication from Classic Toy Trains. Over the past few years on Trains.com, I’ve been suggesting […]
I have always liked narrow gauge. In my early 20s I tried my hand at modeling a bit of the South Pacific Coast RR in HOn3. But truthfully, I didn’t have the skills or the time. Frankly, my first love was the 2-foot gauge Sandy River and Rangeley Lakes. I remember talking to Bob Brown, […]
There’s never been a shortage of large industrial structures for three-rail layouts. Many of them could have been coal-powered. You need not go broke buying high-dollar hoppers or high-side gondolas to carry the rivers of black diamonds needed to keep commerce humming. Back in the postwar days Lionel made a wide variety of scale and […]
Host David Popp departs from the On30 layout construction to tackle something he’s never done before. In the railroad town of Sand Creek, David works to build, paint, and install proper horses and horse drawn wagons that folks use to haul goods to and fro. Saddle up for the ride through the entire process…and Trains.com […]
Host David Popp departs from the On30 layout construction to tackle something he’s never done before. In the railroad town of Sand Creek, David works to build, paint, and install proper horses and horse drawn wagons that folks use to haul goods to and fro. Saddle up for the ride through the entire process…and Trains.com […]
![Lionel Rio Grande and Missouri Pacific 6464 boxcars], tends to attract attention](https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/CTT_how_to_value_toy_trains3_0121.jpg)
One of the most frequent questions Classic Toy Trains readers ask is, “What are my trains worth?” It’s hard to get an accurate answer. There are some key points to consider: Demand Toy trains’ increase in value depends on: • Are the cars well known throughout the hobby and therefore attractive to potential purchasers? • […]
I decided that the three-rail layout was going to have an industrial theme. I wanted lots of smokestacks, guys in hard hats and safety vests, and tall cranes. Because my full-time job takes me into many facilities associated with a wide variety of industries, I already had good ideas and firm plans for how the […]
I decided that the three-rail layout was going to have an industrial theme. I wanted lots of smokestacks, guys in hard hats and safety vests, and tall cranes. Because my full-time job takes me into many facilities associated with a wide variety of industries, I already had good ideas and firm plans for how the […]
Some questions we get frequently are: “How do I lubricate my locomotives?” followed by “What type of lubrication should I use on them?” Here are some answers. And remember, when it comes to oil and grease on locomotives or other rolling stock, less is more. Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy answer for what to […]
A version of this article appeared in the December 2017 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Whenever Classic Toy Trains features a layout distinguished by snowy scenes and Santa Claus plus his reindeer, readers naturally assume whoever built it did so while a blizzard raged and icicles formed on eaves and downspouts. They can’t help envisioning […]
