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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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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Lionel Legacy Acela sets are loaded with great features

Lionel Acela Amtrak and Polar Express models

This review of the Lionel Legacy Acela High Speed Train Set is by Chris Montagna of the popular Chris’s Trains and Things channel on YouTube. One of the more highly-anticipated models from Lionel in its 2021 Volume 1 catalog was the re-release of the Acela High-Speed Train Set. We’ve come to expect Lionel to re-release […]

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7 great Lionel accessories from its golden years

Lionel operating gateman

These 7 great Lionel accessories from the prewar and postwar periods are the ones we think are the tops. This “best of” list is based on quality design, sturdy construction, and general appeal. Don’t agree with our list? Drop us a line at editor@ClassicToyTrains.com, and thanks for reading. There’s more information on many of these […]

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Starter set basics for toy trains

Lionel no. 82982 LionChief Christmas Express train set

Let’s talk about toy train starter set basics. Whether you’ve been away from the hobby for several decades or are buying a beginner outfit as a gift, you’re in for some fun! These packages have gone high-tech in the past few years but – fear not! – they still offer an easy, straightforward path to […]

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Spring TCA York 2022 show report

Spring TCA 2022 York show

Spring TCA York 2022 notes from the field. CTT Editor Hal Miller visits the April 28-30 Eastern Division of the Train Collectors Association event in York, Pa. He checks out the O, S, and Standard gauge trains and talks to some of the personalities at the show, including YouTubers Chris’s Trains & Things, Sid’s Trains, […]

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