Operation Toy Train sets schedule for 2023

Passenger cars pulled by black and white locomotive

DINGMANS FERRY, Pa. — New stops in western Connecticut, eastern Pennsylvania, and southern New Jersey will highlight the 15th season of Operation Toy Train, the special train collecting toy donations for the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve’s Toys for Tots Foundation to benefit underpriviledged children. The train will operate for more than 200 miles across seven […]

Read More…

Playmobil in the garden railroad

two figures in front of black model steam engine

by Eric Mueller The Oberammergau, Ogden & Olomana Railroad (a.k.a. the Triple O) operates across eras and continents on a small piece of land on Oahu’s windward coast (see Garden railroading in Hawaii – Trains). We have employed the German toy line Playmobil to bring it to life in all its incarnations, whether European, Wild […]

Read More…

LEGO Brick cleaning basics

Trains.com staffers Bryson Sleppy and Rene Schweitzer explore the world of LEGO trains! In this video, the pair examine practices for keeping bricks of all sizes and shapes as clean as possible. Looking for more information on LEGO trains? Find additional videos under Classic Toy Trains’ LEGO trains category! […]

Read More…

How to calculate the speed of toy trains

train on layout, with hand holding a stopwatch near the engine

Have you ever been curious about how to calculate the speed of toy trains? Running trains over a layout, how can we know whether it’s moving at a realistic speed? Answering this question requires a bit of math. Speed, or velocity, is simply distance divided by time. In the United States, we are used to […]

Read More…

How to own and maintain a caboose

A red caboose sitting perpendicular over railroad track tied to a crane on an overcast day.

Privately owned caboose Welcome to the world of privately owned cabooses. The craving for a cab is a continuing urge for Americans. So, let’s probe this topic deeper. Matt Bumgarner, noted railroad author, publisher, and driving force behind the Southeastern Narrow Gauge and Short Line Museum in Newton, N.C., answers the following questions about his […]

Read More…

New ownership for the Choo Choo Barn

three people standing next to a red sign

New ownership for the Choo Choo Barn Gary Russell of Stevens, Pa. purchased the Choo Choo Barn’s model train layout along with the adjoining Strasburg Train Shop in late April. Russell plans to increase the shop’s online presence, and expand the selection of large-scale trains in the shop. He also plans to upgrade the electronics on […]

Read More…

U.S. themed garden railroad in Australia

model locomotive crossing steel bridge

Garden railroad in Australia: I have been a model railroader in both N and HO scale, and then I discovered large scale. My other pastime is the sport of Cowboy Action Shooting, so I knew my theme would be the Wild West. Space was limited on my inner-city block, so I set up a basic […]

Read More…

LEGO City 60197 Passenger Train – Part 1: Building the locomotive

Model Railroader‘s Bryson Sleppy and Rene Schweitzer review the LEGO City 60197 Passenger Train set. Follow along as they build the station platform, signal, and the train’s locomotive. They go through the set book by book, bag by bag, and show tips, tricks, and building techniques along the way. This is Part 1: Building the locomotive. Look […]

Read More…

Mid-Continent Museum prepares for 60th Anniversary celebration

Diesel locomotive and heavyweight passenger cars

NORTH FREEDOM, Wis. — The Mid-Continent Railway Museum will mark its 60th anniversary with a day-long celebration on Saturday, May 27. Along with the museum’s regular 55-minute train ride aboard Delaware, Lackawanna & Western steel passenger coaches, the museum will also run a second train consist of its two wooden Copper Range Railroad passenger cars […]

Read More…

An N scale layout in a coffee table

A pencil sketch of an N scale model train layout in a coffee table

Over the years, I remember reading articles in Model Railroader about model train layouts built into furniture, like cabinets, dining tables, and coffee tables. I always thought this was a great idea, allowing modelers to bring their hobby out of the cold, lonely basement and into the welcoming atmosphere of the family room. It was an especially intriguing […]

Read More…