About halfway through the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog we found this post-transition-era workhorse: the EMD SD45. A model previously released by Lionel in 2016, the return of the SD45 is a welcome sight for those who model the early high-horsepower diesel years. A solid seller The prototype was built by the Electro-Motive Division of […]
CTT is providing 20 tips to improve your layout. Hobbyists in O and S gauge are always looking for ways to make their displays better. These are simple and anyone can use them. Looking for a track plan for your next layout? 20 tips to improve your layout 1. Learn about the new technology in […]
The Lionel Disney Frozen II train set is a great way to make new memories. But let’s look at some old ones first. When you think back, what was the impetus that got you into this hobby of model trains? Usually, those stories begin with a family member, perhaps grandparent, dad, uncle, or brother that […]
Menards intermodal cars and containers are popular with hobbyists who like to enjoy a modern scene on traditional-sized railroads. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine has a look at them along with CTT editor Hal Miller in Bob’s Train Box 85. They also examine the shipping containers that go in the cars, and discuss […]
TCA Fall York 2022 is a jumble of letters and numbers to the uninitiated. But to Classic Toy Trains and Trains.com readers, it means something specific and fun. The York Train Show hosted by the Eastern Division of the Train Collectors Association is held bi-annually in April and October on the York, Pa., Fairgrounds. The […]
The Lionel Hallow’s Eve Limited set is here, just in time for the Halloween season! It’s a ready-to-run LionChief outfit traveling the “Graveyard Route” with everything you need to get up and running in one very well-decorated box. The equipment in it is built with plastic bodies which allows it to withstand some less-than-delicate handling […]
The 2022 Lionel Legacy SD40-2 is no stranger to the train-maker’s catalog. The most recent release is the first since 2018. For this round, announced in 2022 Volume 1, Lionel offered four road names and five paint schemes each with a powered and non-powered option. The railroads offered were Burlington Northern; BN in a Spirit […]
MRVP Video Vault tours Lou Ullian’s Coon Creek Lumber Co. On3 (O scale, 3-foot narrow gauge) logging layout originally featured in the 1991 premier edition of Great Model Railroads (out of print). […]
This time, David advances the aging effects of his gons by working up (or upside down) from the wheels. Don’t miss his handy tips for painting wheelsets, weathering trucks, and applying decals! […]
The turntable build gets temporarily tabled, but David still has plenty of projects to keep him busy in the basement. Today’s effort involves roughing up a set of On30 gons to make the sides of the car look worn and ragged from heavy use. Even David is amazed how realistic the results of his technique […]
For this weekend edition of Underground, only MRVideoPlus.com subscribers get to see how David puts the finishing touches on his O scale laser-cut wood kit. All before installing the structure, plus details and a fully loaded gondola, on the Olympia Logging Co. layout. […]
David gets back to the workbench for a couple quick-hitter projects. First, he shows how to add a realistic, rusty patina to metal roofing material. And then, David shares his technique for chopping up scale chunks of firewood to be stack in the shack. Feel free to ask questions, and he’ll look to address them […]
