The Lionel Scout locomotive has been for many an entry point to the toy train hobby. For me, it was the little engine that got me back into it. I’ve been in the toy train hobby for many years and have amassed an impressive collection of Lionel’s postwar F3s, Berkshires, Turbines, and other locomotives. But […]
The American Flyer Legacy 2-8-8-2 by Lionel was first cataloged in S gauge in 2012. The current offering appeared in the 2022 catalog. This time around the train maker is offering locomotives decorated for Norfolk & Western, Santa Fe, Clinchfield, Baltimore & Ohio, Virginian, Denver & Rio Grande Western, Union Pacific, Pennsylvania, and Northern Pacific. […]
The Polar Express train set from Lionel in O gauge (and S, for that matter) evolves with the technology. The train itself, celebrating the Christmas book and movie, has been in the catalog for years. The train maker continues to find ways to keep it fun and fresh with each iteration. The latest version of […]
Department 56 on toy train layouts: Toy train enthusiasts enjoy using Department 56 buildings and accessories on their O and S gauge layouts. In the spirit of the holidays, we’re sharing this photo gallery of displays. We hope you enjoy it. More holiday fun is in this holiday toy train photo gallery. […]
Also in this issue: Introducing Lionel Trains of the 1940s Our comprehensive look at a significant and not-so-segmented decade. Momentous and meaningful decade for Lionel Modernizing in many wonderful ways. Breakthrough year in realism for locomotives and cars Looking forward with many glances at the recent past. Colorful and fanciful cars still rode the Lionel […]
The Lionel Legacy ES44AC has returned quickly the train-maker’s catalog with new road names. It seems that when tooling sells well, we’ll certainly see it again sooner rather than later. Judging by the model’s re-issue for 2022 after being last offered 2019, it can be assumed that they are popular with collectors of modern motive […]
The Mandy Patinkin Lionel layout collection is loaded with realistic scenes packed with details. Trains, accessories, structures, and more from the post-World War II and Modern eras of Lionel production fill every square inch of an outstanding model railroad that fills much of a 17 x 42-foot room in the Patinkin household. Visiting Mandy and […]
Get your old trains running again! It’s time to take them out of the boxes and have some fun. In this chapter from Beginner’s Guide to Repairing Lionel Trains, Ray L. Plummer offers advice on how to do it. Get your old trains running again “Old electric train” – that’s what it says on the […]
The wait for the Lionel Legacy AC-12 Cab Forward has taken a little longer than the company’s normal 4-6 year re-release cycle. The TMCC version of the AC-12 was released in 2005 followed by a repop with whistle steam and Legacy control in 2014. In 2022 we’re receiving the latest version, first announced in the […]
About halfway through the Lionel 2021 Volume II catalog we found this post-transition-era workhorse: the EMD SD45. A model previously released by Lionel in 2016, the return of the SD45 is a welcome sight for those who model the early high-horsepower diesel years. A solid seller The prototype was built by the Electro-Motive Division of […]
The Lionel Disney Frozen II train set is a great way to make new memories. But let’s look at some old ones first. When you think back, what was the impetus that got you into this hobby of model trains? Usually, those stories begin with a family member, perhaps grandparent, dad, uncle, or brother that […]
Menards intermodal cars and containers are popular with hobbyists who like to enjoy a modern scene on traditional-sized railroads. Bob Keller from Classic Toy Trains magazine has a look at them along with CTT editor Hal Miller in Bob’s Train Box 85. They also examine the shipping containers that go in the cars, and discuss […]
