My greatest find could also be known as the one that almost got away. This Lionel outfit was sitting on a shelf of a local pawnshop for quite some time, collecting dust with many other items that no one was interested in buying. Enter my wife, who had worked for a large telecommunications company that […]
Being a longtime toy train collector and a member of the Train Collectors Association since 1971, I have had more than my share of great finds. Recently, though, I chanced upon one that I consider my greatest. Turbines without and with Magne-Traction Like most postwar train enthusiasts, I have always liked the model of the […]
Lionel Mint Car Coin collection with a matching collection of souvenir US Mint coins In 1961, when Lionel first produced the #6445 Fort Knox Gold Bullion Car, it had a coin slot in the top so it could be used as a bank. In 1979, when the car was reproduced as #9320, Lionel also created […]
What was your first train set (or locomotive)? My first O-gauge trains were two Lionel and one Marx locomotives and cars. My grandfather built a through truss bridge and box to put everything in. I have a number of cars and a few turnouts. I’ve added to the collection a little over the years. We […]
Lionel Husky Stack-Cars are now available. For the modern-day modeler, a hole in the market for the better part of the last decade would be the availability of scale intermodal cars. Atlas’s Gunderson well cars are next to impossible to find on the secondhand market, and previous releases by Lionel lacked details. Many were not […]
Lionel Santa Fe Alco diesel Q: What toy train locomotive means the most to you? A: The locomotive that means the most to me is the Lionel Santa Fe Alco diesel. Yes, that’s right, Lionel only called it an “Alco diesel” with no designation of Alco model. It’s decorated in the attractive Santa Fe “Bluebonnet” […]
The 9000 class steam locomotive was developed by Alco and built between 1926 and 1930. As if the twelve connected drive wheels weren’t unique enough, the 9000 class featured a third cylinder under the boiler which operated a second drive axle. This inner cylinder used Gresley gearing since the cylinder did not feature valve gear. […]
Kitbash a saddle tank engine: I uncovered an old Lionel large scale 0-6-0 with outside drive gears that I had kitbashed several years ago. It had a neat cab and unusual stack, which was a little bent due to a smoke unit overheating. The drive system was so poor that I had to undo one of the driver […]
The Metropolitan Division of the Train Collectors Association (METCA) recently announced the following custom-run models from Atlas O, Lionel, and MTH Electric Trains. Here’s a rundown of the O gauge models the group is offering. Visit the News & Reviews section of the Classic Toy Trains website for the latest headlines in toy trains. Atlas […]
Can I buy a Flyer and Lionel crossing track piece? Q: Has anyone ever been able to develop a combination crossover to let two-rail American Flyer S gauge trains go through Lionel or other three-rail O gauge track without interrupting the current running through either track? – Dennis D. Orth, Burlington, Colo. A: Dennis, I’m […]
How do I add lighting to cabooses? Q: I have five modern-era cabooses, four Lionel and one Atlas O, and I would like to add interior lighting to them. How do I do it? A: The first consideration is finding bulbs that glow warmly without getting too hot for the plastic caboose bodies. This shouldn’t […]
The Lionel Brass Hybrid Challenger is the latest offering in this program for the train maker. First announced in the 2022 Vol. 2 catalog, it’s all-new tooling. This Legacy model is based on Union Pacific’s CSA-2-class 4-6-6-4s, which were the railroad’s earlier, lighter versions. When built in 1937, they were numbered into the 3900 series […]
