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Lionel’s No. 2159W GG1 Freight Set for 1950 often has received criticism from collectors for being less than outstanding. In fact, this O gauge outfit generally has been assessed as a disappointment because it came with some common items. Admittedly, the locomotive included with the five pieces of rolling stock outshines these freight cars and […]
MTH announced its latest run of Norfolk Southern SD60E diesel locomotives in November 2024 and they arrived in late summer 2025. This version, much like its predecessor, features DCS and Proto-Sound 3.0. After nine years (the last run was in 2016), these models have become challenging to find. For those with an affinity for the […]
Lionel trains rumbling over circular main lines erected at different heights and surrounded by operating accessories, including this No. 397 Diesel-Type Coal Loader, combine to bring Raymond Smith back to his youth in the 1950s. Long ago, this O gauger modeler residing in Bradford, R.I. recalls, life didn’t move quite as quickly as today, and […]
The history of the tank car dates back more than 150 years. Coworker Carl Swanson from Trains Magazine wrote an article about their history if you’d like to learn more. This car is a single-domed version, lettered for the East Broad Top Railroad (No. RMT-96899-12). I was surprised to learn that the EBT owned one […]
Photos of outstanding compact layouts in every gauge have flooded the Classic Toy Trains office ever since we finished our special-interest publication titled Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces. The S gauge display built by Gerold Slotkin really tickles our fancy. He has filled the 6 x 9-foot two-level railroad in North Brunswick, N.J., with […]
Trainz has purchased the inventory and electronic property of Trainsetsonly.com from Paul and Lisa Christel. Based in New Lenox, IL, Trainsetsonly.com was an ecommerce model train store offering a wide variety of model railroading merchandise. This inventory has been shipped to Trainz’s warehouse in Flowery Branch, Ga. Look for these products to become available on […]
The problem faced by Steven Tripp about 10 years ago was a familiar one among model railroaders: How could he bring to life memories of coal mining in Pennsylvania and the railroads serving that industry during the steam-to-diesel transition era? Compounding the challenges was the fact that his home in Shenandoah, Texas, lacked a basement. […]
The Lionel Collectors Club of American (LCCA) announces a custom-run Lionel Christmas boxcar for LCCA members. The car features a metal frame, silver painted die-cast metal sprung trucks, and features O-27 operation. Expected delivery in late November 2025. Price: $115 with free shipping. Members can purchase up to six boxcars, while supplies last. To become […]
The NJ Hi-Railers Train Club was known for its former O scale layout, located on one of the floors in a former silk mill in Paterson, N.J. At 185.5 x 30 feet, with over 7,500 feet of track (equating to 70 scale miles), visiting the immaculate display firsthand was said to be an experience that […]
I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
You never know what will inspire someone to plan a layout with its own special personality. Dinarte Ferro saw pictures of a Lionel No. D-264 Super O display from 1959 and decided it would be perfect as a home for his collection of O gauge trains and accessories from Louis Marx & Co. Just one […]
Q: I own the Ives train set my father had as a boy. Based on information found at the Ives Train Society website, I believe locomotive No. 3253 dates from between 1921-1923. The three passenger cars seem to match set No. 504. The overall condition of the paint and sheet metal is poor. I doubt […]
