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Magazine: Classic Toy Trains
The Lego City Passenger Train Set
The Lego City Passenger Train Set (No. 60197) might be a fantastic way for you or a youngster to get into the growing brick train hobby. I missed the whole Lego “thing” when I was a kid. Lego blocks were building toys back in the 1970s. I bought a small set for making bunkers, hard […]
Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A
The Lionel Vision Line Norfolk & Western Class A has finally arrived, fresh from the Volume 1 2022 Lionel catalog. I have to say, this beautiful steam locomotive does not disappoint! This isn’t a rehash of the previous 2-6-6-4 model available in the Volume 1 2000 catalog. Thanks to all-new tooling, this engine is fresh […]
Quick takes on the Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog
The Lionel 2023 Big Book catalog is out. I just had a quick flip through it and here are my first impressions. I’ll tell you right off, this isn’t an exhaustive treatment and I can’t cover everything. Nor will you find any mention of the prices of these things. As I’m frequently inclined to say, […]
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 locomotive set
The Lionel Aberdeen, Carolina & Western F9 A-B locomotive set is now out. The railroad – reporting mark ACWR – is a short line that, until January of last year, many of us in the O gauge hobby had never heard of. “The Carolina Route” runs between Charlotte and Raleigh, N.C. It hauls goods from […]
5 postwar Lionel collectibles on the rise
F3s, Hudsons, and Girls’ trains – those are the postwar jackpots that everybody knows about. Here, though, are 5 postwar Lionel collectibles on the rise. Models courtesy Joe Algozzini What’s hot today among postwar Lionel trains and accessories? I attend several train shows each year, check out eBay listings almost every day, and edit the […]
Buying collectible toy train items
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 […]
The Lionel 2065 Hudson, ‘hair curler’ and all
The Lionel 2065 Hudson is not uncommon, and it isn’t particularly valuable. What makes it so important to me is all that I remember because of it. This middle-of-the-road Lionel steamer from my youth has left me with so many wonderful memories. I was born in January 1953, and my brother Steve came along 4 […]
Lionel American Flyer GP7 returns in new road names
The Lionel American Flyer GP7 is one of those classic locomotives to build your S gauge railroad around. This release of FlyerChief GP7s is from the Lionel 2021 Volume 2 catalog and has engines for the Burlington Northern, Chesapeake & Ohio, Lehigh Valley, and Wabash railroads plus two sets. One is a Texas & Pacific […]
Cool railroadiana, a dandy depot, and train repair parts on Bob’s Train Box 86
This episode, host Bob Keller shows an old New York Central coal service directory. It was a book the railroad gave to customers and those that needed to know the details of its lines in the Appalachians that served mines and loadouts. Then The host shows off a resin depot that looks at home on […]
Hop aboard the Lionel Trippy and Polar Express trolleys
The Lionel Trippy and Polar Express trolleys are recent releases of a well-known (and loved) product. The bump-and-go mechanism of these staple products makes these great operating elements on layouts that have enough room for a single track but no more space for a full loop. In the 2021 Volume I offerings from Lionel, deep […]
TW Trainworx Company House kits
TW Trainworx Company House kits might be an ideal way to add structures to your layout. They are laser-cut and have easy to follow directions. If you’ve never built a building like this before, they might just move you beyond the track, power, and trains stage. Really, that’s all you need to participate in the […]
