How do I clean old Lionel trains? Q: I have a number of Lionel locomotives, freight cars, accessories, and track sections that have been stored in boxes for 55 years. Everything is covered with dust and dirt. What’s the best way to clean these items without ruining the paint and detail? A: For cleaning Lionel […]
Why are my 1950s Lionel Geeps smoking? Q: I have a couple of Lionel Geeps from the 1950s. I took them out of the back and ran them for the first time in a long while the other night. All of a sudden, smoke started coming out of the cab windows. Are they junk now? […]
Q: I’d like some information about a Lionel tender numbered 234W and lettered for Lionel Lines. I can’t find any mention of this tender in Greenberg’s Guide to Lionel Trains. [Out of print–Ed.] Instead, the book shows a No. 243 engine with a tender numbered 243W. The tender is similar, but not the same. A: […]
Why do my trains slow down when I run them? Q. When I got back into the toy train hobby, I bought an MRC dual-contact transformer. Now I’m building a 13- by 16-foot layout with three track loops that are connected with switches. When I run several trains, things slow down. Should I consider buying […]
How do I store my toy trains? Q: How do I package and store my Lionel No. 2343 F3 diesel, which I run only once a year around the Christmas tree? Other than in a dry spot, what is the best way to store it? – Sean Mitchell, Corning, N.Y. A: Sean, you’re on the […]
Q: I’m planning to model the Hoboken, N.J., and Brick Church, N.J., stations on the Delaware, Lackawanna & Western, the railroad I rode as a child and as an adult. I rode in the Lackawanna M.U. cars, but I can’t find them anywhere. I’m thinking I’ll buy the MuMP54 cars from Con-Cor and airbrush them […]
The 2400-series Lionel passenger cars have always been popular with operators and collectors. In the postwar era the plastic streamliners have been run in green with yellow trim, yellow with red trim, and silver with black trim and gray roofs. Q: I bought a great set of 2400-series Lionel passenger cars. They look fine and […]
Although small, couplers play a big role in smooth, reliable operation. If couplers function properly and are installed per the manufacturer’s instructions, you should have few, if any, problems. In this guide to HO scale couplers, we’ll explore some of the different offerings on the market today. The evolution of HO scale couplers When […]
Track ballasting made easy: Model railroading is fun, right? Well, most of the time it is, but there are some aspects of this hobby that make us shudder. And judging by the questions we receive, one thing many of us don’t enjoy is ballasting. However, adding ballast (the rocks between the ties and along the […]
Roadbeds made easy with foam: Plywood has been the primary material for model railroad bench tops for many years. In many situations, though, I’ve found that extruded-foam insulation board is a viable alternative for bench tops built on either flat surfaces or open grids. With proper support, the rigid foam can easily hold anything a […]
Q: I have a Walthers gas plant kit (item 933-3104) and gas storage tank kit (item 933-2907). I want to use these to model a coal-gas plant. Do you have any drawings or pictures of such a plant that I can model using these kits? – Thomas Lauritsen A: To help you model a coal-gas […]
Do you need a beginner’s guide to rock-garden plants? Plants that are typically suited to rocky places are tough characters. Understanding their characteristics will help you select plants for the railroad garden that will work well in the crevices of rocks, creeping along cliffs, or draped down rock faces. They often come from mountainous origins […]
