Riding the rails with the Lionel Hobo Sound Boxcar

the Lionel hobo boxcar side view with figures

It’s time to go riding the rails with the Lionel Hobo Sound Boxcar. Initially offered in the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog, it was confined to half of page 47. Perhaps uncertain of how the product would be received, the manufacturer only offered it in two road names: Erie (pictured, No. 226010); and Rock Island […]

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Hitching a ride on the Lionel Hobo Sounds Boxcar

the Lionel Hobo Sounds Boxcar with Chris Montagna

Chris from Chris’s Trains and Things on YouTube takes us inside the Lionel Hobo Sounds Boxcar. This is the Erie version, originally released with a companion Rock Island model in the 2021 Volume 2 catalog. They were delivered in fall 2022. Why review this car? The best part of it is the sounds that come […]

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The Atlas O Premier Snow Plow rolls out

Atlas O Premier Snow Plow

The Atlas O Premier Snow Plow is here, and just in time for winter! It seems like whenever a fresh delivery of blue Atlas boxes hits the hobby shop shelves it’s like Christmas morning. I feel this way for two reasons: first, Atlas produces some of the finest rolling stock in the industry; and second, […]

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MTA provides first look at open-gangway subway cars

Exterior of subway car with blue diagonal striping at one end

NEW YORK — The Metropolitan Transportation Authority on Friday provided a first look at a pair of the 20 open-gangway cars in its order for R211 subway cars, part of an overall order of 535 of the New York City Transit cars under construction by Kawasaki Rail Car Inc. The open-gangway cars, designated as R211T […]

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The Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train

Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train

The Lionel Union Pacific Rocket Booster Train is finally out, and as an aerospace engineer formerly employed by NASA, this set hit home! I knew I had to have it the second I saw it advertised in the Lionel 2022 Volume 1 catalog! The set isn’t a work of science fiction, either. The prototype Rocket […]

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Alstom’s hydrogen passenger train to debut in Quebec

Blue and white passenger train with people

QUEBEC CITY — A hydrogen-powered passenger train will make its North American debut this summer in Quebec. Alstom’s Coradia iLint, which first entered commercial service in Germany in 2018, will operate in a demonstration project on the Réseau Charlevoix rail network, following the St. Lawrence River between Parc de la Chute Montmorency and Baie-Saint-Paul, approximately […]

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Getting small: the Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel

Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel side view

The Bobber Caboose comes to Lionel with the 2022 Volume I catalog. Although new to the Orange & Blue, these models aren’t an entirely rare site on O gauge layouts since they were previously produced by MTH Electric Trains. Lionel purchased the tooling for these cars from MTH during the latter’s sell-off a few years […]

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Five Burlington Northern kitbashes

Color photo of caboose painted light gray with small windows and rooftop air conditioners.

Kitbashing is a facet of the hobby many model railroaders enjoy. Full-size railroads modify equipment, too. As I was combing through my photo collection and images in our David P. Morgan Memorial Library, I found five Burlington Northern kitbashes. Hopefully one or more of these cars will inspire your next modeling project. Want more Burlington […]

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