Lionel’s No. 6417 porthole caboose

Lionel’s model of the Pennsylvania RR’s N5c caboose has been a favorite since it was first added to the catalog in the 1950s. CTT’s Professor Carp details the history of these toy train stalwarts, shows some of the other roadnames and colors in which it was produced, and explains why one variation is worth far […]

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Lionel no. 362 barrel loader

The year 1952 was a spectacular one for Lionel operating toy train accessories. An enduring favorite to come out of it was the no. 362 barrel loader. Professor Carp gives the history of the item and discusses changes and variations, while Classic Toy Trains Editor Hal Miller looks at how it operates. You can get […]

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Lionel no. 362 barrel loader

The year 1952 was a spectacular one for Lionel operating toy train accessories. An enduring favorite to come out of it was the no. 362 barrel loader. Professor Carp gives the history of the item and discusses changes and variations, while Classic Toy Trains Editor Hal Miller looks at how it operates. You can get […]

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Toy train smoke: Lots of scents available

Toy train smoke hijinx (and a minor train wreck) abound as Hal Miller and Rene Schweitzer try a variety of the scents in JT’s Mega Steam fluid line. The smoke fluids are now available from the Kalmbach Hobbystore. Rene and Hal discover with their tests that there’s a world of smells beyond coal and diesel […]

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Toy train smoke: Lots of scents available

Toy train smoke hijinx (and a minor train wreck) abound as Hal Miller and Rene Schweitzer try a variety of the scents in JT’s Mega Steam fluid line. The smoke fluids are now available from the Kalmbach Hobbystore. Rene and Hal discover with their tests that there’s a world of smells beyond coal and diesel […]

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Toy train smoke: Lots of scents available

Toy train smoke hijinx (and a minor train wreck) abound as Hal Miller and Rene Schweitzer try a variety of the scents in JT’s Mega Steam fluid line. The smoke fluids are now available from the Kalmbach Hobbystore. Rene and Hal discover with their tests that there’s a world of smells beyond coal and diesel […]

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About Us

About Us Classic Toy Trains celebrates the fun of collecting, playing with, and displaying toy trains, especially from the 1930s to the 1960s and 1970s. The first issue was published in Fall 1987 and has since grown a loyal following of readers eager to read and share stories about childhood, Lionel, American Flyer, Marx, among […]

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Meet more of the Trains.com staff

Meet more of the Trains.com staff. Trains.com Unlimited Members can see the video in the Trains.com Video section. Ben Lake: Welcome to Kalmbach. Want to learn more about some of the people who work at Trains.com? We thought we’d answer a few questions. First one, what is your favorite railroad? I have to go with […]

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Ask Trains.com February 2024 compilation

Ask Trains.com February 2024 compilation | In this month’s installment, Cody answers inquiries related to modeling era-appropriate industrial structures; getting into a sticky situation; building a metal paint/spray booth from scratch; selecting motive power that’s best suited for a short line railroad; and so much more. Plus, Senior Editor Roger “Professor” Carp also stops by […]

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Ask Trains.com December 2023 compilation

Ask Trains.com December 2023 compilation | Host Cody Grivno has a great line-up of viewer questions to address including, how to determine which freight cars are appropriate for specific rail-served industries; which of two doors in the MR&T boxcar kit should be used; where to find articles about remote-control locomotives; where should placards for leased […]

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