This year was my second year attending the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show in West Springfield, Mass. and it sure was a great time. After being blown away by the sheer size of the show in 2024, I was ready to experience it again this year, and take it all in. Whether it’s your […]
Locomotives & rolling stock METCA offers an MTH custom-run 4-Bay Hopper as part of the RailKing line. The cars feature O-27 operation and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey graphics (30-75762 shown). Expected delivery in March 2025. Price: $64.95. Order from metca.org Public Delivery Track is selling a custom-run MTH RS1 locomotive as part of the RailKing […]
Robert “Bob” Brasseur died on February 27, 2025 at the age of 88. Bob was well known in the toy train hobby. In the early 1970s, he started repairing trains in his family’s basement, eventually becoming a Lionel Authorized Service Station in 1974. “Dad was very passionate about Lionel trains,” said his son Dean in […]
Lionel sent a sample of their Disney D23 caboose (No. 2401565) for review. D23 is the Official Disney Fan Club and got its name from their fan/exposition events. Sort of like a Comic-Con International for Disney fans. This caboose is a familiar design. It’s a 5Nc porthole center cupola caboose, the prototype most commonly found […]
Don’t have a lot of money to build a new layout? Perhaps you have a lot of odds and ends in your scrap box and want to put them to use. These “cast-off” items, along with common hardware materials, can provide you with enjoyable, innovative projects that could create a small layout. This layout could […]
Brian and Riley Inch built a 10 x 16 layout using GarGraves track with Ross Custom Switches with Tortoise machines. This small layout features a marina, a small town, and a farm scene. Does the name Brian Inch sound familiar? He owns Model Rail Scenes custom layout services. Read more about this layout in […]
Brian and Riley Inch built a 10 x 16 layout using GarGraves track with Ross Custom Switches with Tortoise machines. This small layout features a marina, a small town, and a farm scene. Does the name Brian Inch sound familiar? He owns Model Rail Scenes custom layout services. Read more about this layout in […]
Trains.com staff writer Lucas Iverson chats with Stephen and Liz Nelson, owners/operators of Mr. Muffin’s Trains in Atlanta, Ind. Throughout this remote-video interview, you’ll glean behind-the-scenes insights into the past, present, and future of the growing online operation with an intriguing brick-and-mortar location too! You can also read the transcript of this insightful interview with […]
Adding details that make a scene more interesting or increase operating potential can take your layout to a whole new leave of realism. Try one (or all) of the ideas listed below! Share your photos with us at editor@classictoytrains.com. Detail track and add lineside details Adding details to the right-of-way is an easy way to […]
Locomotives & rolling stock E-Z Catch, 5 Tysen St., Staten Island, NY 10301, is selling a custom-run MTH Alco RS1 locomotive as part of the RailKing line (30-21283). The engine features Proto-Sound 3.0 and O-31 operation. Expected delivery in April 2025. Price: $409.85. Website: e-zcatch.com Metropolitan Division of the TCA (METCA) offers a custom-run MTH […]
Lionel and Disney have had a relationship since 1934 with the introduction of the No. 1100 Mickey Mouse Handcar. It’s no surprise that former still offers a number of branded products from the latter today. Lionel sent a sample of their Disney D23 Mickey Mouse boxcar (No. 2401561) for review. For anyone [like me] who […]
The F19 Pacific-type was distinctive for its air pumps lining the front of the smokebox. These steam locomotives were developed by the Chesapeake & Ohio Railway, and famously pulled the George Washington between Cincinnati and Washington D.C. One feature that made the train a stand out was the Pullman heavyweights that featured the route’s name […]
