I found this manuscript from the late John Grams in our manuscript files. There was no date on the envelope but it’s likely from the early 1990s. The article discusses 12 Lionel products that, while great inventions, were fraught with problems or didn’t work exactly as advertised. He included the following disclaimer: Lionel trains were […]
We are working on a new special issue! Classic Toy Trains’ next special interest publication features 14 layouts you can visit across the United States, from the The Choo Choo Barn, the Chicagoland Lionel Railroad Club, the Virginia Museum of Transportation, the Illinois Railway Museum, and much more. Plus, find a handy reference map and […]
Q: I have some N scale cars from Micro-Trains. Recently, I swapped out the factory-installed plastic wheelsets with metal wheelsets, but now the cars don’t roll freely. What can I do to fix this? — Kelly Walton-Harper A: Metal wheelsets aren’t one-size-fits all. The first thing you’ll want to check is wheel size, as it’s […]
In the 1920s, as Argentina’s economy boomed and its railway system expanded, toy trains began to capture the imaginations of children and adults. Because British investors and engineers played a key role in Argentina’s railroad development, it made sense that the first toy trains came from European manufacturers like Hornby. It was a simple matter […]
Q: I’m trying to locate a source for large sheets of styrene. I can find the smaller sheets marketed by Evergreen, but I have been unsuccessful in my search for 4 x 8-foot sheets. Do you know of an online source? I live in the Toledo, Ohio, metro and there aren’t any plastics dealers in […]
What do I collect? I collect the General Mills era of Lionel production (1969-1986), with a focus on the Model Products Corporation (MPC) era from 1970-1972. I like to collect the more obscure and less documented pieces from the later parts of the era as well, since it hasn’t been as heavily documented as the […]
I’m restoring some Lionel postwar heavyweight passenger cars and need help lettering them. Are there suppliers for reproduction decals? — Ernie Weber The best source of reproduction decals for Lionel postwar locomotives and cars is the Underground Railroad Shoppe in New Castle, Pa. Owned by longtime CTT contributor Lou Palumbo, the store can be reached […]
I came across this editoral from September 2000 issue from then Editor Neil Besougloff, and it made me smile. It still rings true 25 years later. What do you think? Dear Editor: The old trains in my collection have held up remarkably well over the decades. Other than flaking insulation, my trains are as […]
Q: I have a bedroom sized N scale railroad with a four track staging/fiddle yard on one wall. I would like to run a branch line to a quarry over the staging, but I am concerned about the gradient to get the tracks to the right height. I will need about 6″ clearance for my […]
Facts and features Name: Rice Lake, Dallas & Menomonie RRScale: HO (1:87.1)Size: 8 x 30 feetPrototype: Soo LineLocale: northwestern WisconsinEra: early 1950sStyle: walkaroundMainline run: 50 feetMinimum radius: 30″ (main), 18″ (branch)Minimum turnout: No. 5 (main), No. 4 (branch)Maximum grade: noneBenchwork: L-girderHeight: 44″Roadbed:1∕2″ plywood covered with 1∕2″ HomasoteTrack: Atlas code 100 flextrack, Peco and Atlas turnoutsScenery: […]
Facts and features Name: Colorado & Southern Clear Creek DistrictScale: 1:72Size: 40 x 52 feetPrototype: Colorado & Southern Clear Creek DistrictLocale: Denver to Rocky MountainsEra: 1920sStyle: Double-deck linear walkaroundMainline run: 725 feet plus branch lineMinimum radius: 24″Minimum turnout: No. 6Maximum grade: 3%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 30″ to 70″Roadbed: cork on insulation boardTrack: code 70 and 83 […]
This week’s “look back” is an early CTT product review from the Fall 1988 issue of the MTH 2-4-2 reproduction Lionel 263E locomotive. Look at that price–seems like a deal these days for a new engine. Dick Christiansen compared the engine to an original one owned by Andy Sperandeo. It’s interesting to note the color […]
