Readers’ Choice Railroad Track Plan Template

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Our preferred method of transferring a track plan to a flat tabletop uses a computer to download and print out the full-scale template of the Readers’ Choice Railroad so we can easily tell how track, accessories, and some scenery elements work on our 4 x 8-foot perimeter. Download the template here. […]

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Lionel’s postwar freight-car numbers

Freight-car-numbering

The Lionel Corp. used a four-digit number to identify its postwar rolling stock. In some cases cars also carried a one, two, or three-digit suffix. Though many times cars with the same number exhibit slight differences, or variations, Lionel usually assigned a new number if a car received major changes. While Lionel’s numbering appears haphazard, […]

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The case of the disappearing train

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Layout designer: Peter H. Riddle Scale: O Layout size: 5 x 12 feet Track type: Lionel O gauge tubular Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the February 2009 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Track plan Schematic Parts list Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan. […]

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Plan for the “classic operator”

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Layout designer: John Rusterholz Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 16 feet Track type: Lionel O Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the July 2008 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan. Track plan Schematic Parts list […]

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Running & switching on a FasTrack loop

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Layout designer: Kent Johnson Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 16 feet Track type: Lionel FasTrack Minimum curve: O-60 Originally appeared in the October 2009 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Click on the link to download a PDF of this track plan. Track plan Schematic Parts list […]

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Lionel 2353 Santa Fe diesels were a Greatest Find

Lionel 2353 Santa Fe diesels on a Southwestern layout

Lionel 2353 Santa Fe diesels and two streamlined passenger cars purchased through a Dutch website caused Daniel Biessels gave up HO scale modeling for O gauge and  focus on postwar and modern-era models. Then he built a layout set in the Rocky Mountains that he calls the Glenwood Springs & Colorado RR. The arid scenery […]

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Lionel O gauge postwar-style set

PR0511_Timken-ad

Timken launched an advertising campaign showing rolling stock of the day decorated in Timken colors. Rectifier! This is a Conventional Classics-series reproduction of the Lionel no. 2505W Super O Virginian Rectifier freight outfit from 1958. Without the Super O track, of course. Frankly, this isn’t a set that would have wowed me as a kid. […]

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Recycling old Lionel track

pieces of Lionel tubular track with blue engine in the middle

Let’s say you’ve got a ton of old Lionel track in your basement, or maybe someone is willing to give you a bunch for nothing. You want to build a layout, so you figure you can use this track to do it economically. However, when you get a closer look at the O or O-27 […]

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Chesterfield Trunk & Terminal

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Layout designer: Robert Sherman Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 12 feet Track type: Lionel O Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the November 2007 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Click on the links below to view PDF’s for Chesterfield Trunk & Terminal. Track Plan Schematics Parts List […]

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Big- and small-time operation

CT2-R0311_SYMBOLS

Layout designer: Thomas Meleck Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 16 feet Track type: Atlas O Minimum curve: O-54 Originally appeared in the September 2002 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Big and small time operation track plan Big and small time operation schematics […]

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Bridge out!

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Layout designer: Neil Besougloff Scale: O Layout size: 12 x 12 feet Track type: Lionel Tubular Minimum curve: O-42 Originally appeared in the July 2005 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Track Plans Schematics Parts List […]

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Bridging the gap

CTT-J0305_APLAN

Layout designer: Arthur O’Connor Scale: O Layout size: 6 x 12 feet Track type: Lionel O gauge tubular Minimum curve: O-31 Originally appeared in the March 2005 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Bridging the gap track plan Bridging the gap parts list […]

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