Tom Barker’s S gauge layout in action

Tom Barkers S gauge layout

Tom Barker’s S gauge layout is inspired by a vintage American Flyer dealer display. It features a lot of action and fun! It appears in the July-August issue of Classic Toy Trains. Subscribers can see how he built the circular four-tier structure that’s the centerpiece of the layout here. […]

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Lionel’s no. 700E scale Hudson locomotive

Model of black steam locomotive

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 […]

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Menards Cripple Creek General Store review

Menards Cripple Creek General Store cowboy side view

Menards Cripple Creek General Store is the latest O scale structure for the apparently burgeoning fictional burg. Several of the company’s buildings, including a recently released interlocking tower, are “located” there. This one is a little different detail-wise from the others. It has more of an “old West” feel primarily due to the figures that […]

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How to: Install LionChief app on your phone or tablet

Install the LionChief app locomotive and device

Here’s how to install the LionChief app on your smartphone or tablet and get the most out of your Bluetooth-equipped Lionel locomotives. Years ago, there was only one way to run our toy trains, and that was with a transformer. Today, we’re fortunate to have a lot of options to control our trains, including remotes […]

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American Flyer S gauge Pacific a great addition to the lineup

American Flyer S gauge Pacific Baltimore & Ohio

The 2021 Lionel American Flyer catalog announced the production of a Legacy-equipped light 4-6-2 Pacific locomotive. It was exciting to hear the tooling for it was going to be used again; the company produced a number of models of these United States Railroad Administration-designed engines from 2006 to 2008 as well as a light 2-8-2 […]

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Menards’ Cripple Creek Crossing switch tower

brown tower

Menards’ Cripple Creek Crossing switch tower really struck a chord with me for an odd reason – it’s weather-worn and looks like it’s been on the losing end of a battle with railroad management for maintenance. Anyone who did railfanning in the 1970s or ’80s knows what I mean. These places might have seen their […]

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