Truck’s Toy Trains: Episode 11 – Postwar Lionel blister packs and barrel cars

John Truckenbrod and Roger carp with a variety of Lionel barrel cars

Host John Truckenbrod and Classic Toy Trains’ Roger Carp share collector insights regarding the various iterations of barrel cars the Lionel Corp. produced, along with a look at the packaging for the barrels themselves. Then they check out the variety of products that were sold by dealers in clear plastic packaging – the more customers […]

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The Automatic Gateman

A trackside shed next to a railroad crossing sign.

Although Lionel has come out with a multitude of fantastic products over the years, one of the most amazing and important accessories that the popular manufacturer ever created was by far the Automatic Gateman. The Automatic Gateman is a structure that features a gateman emerging from his trackside shed to warn motorists of passing trains. […]

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Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad

Neil Young’s O gauge railroad To begin, Neil created his layout, which covered approximately 1,000 square feet on his ranch in northern California, to run through an assortment of natural landscapes outside his home. That’s right – the unforgettable three-rail display was built not inside an immense train room but instead filled in space among […]

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How to clean old, rusty, and dirty track

Hal Miller in the workshop

Bought or inherited a load of tubular track? CTT editor Hal Miller shows his method of cleaning it up and getting it ready for trains to run properly on. This technique will help get rid of dirt and light rust, and help modelers avoid a few pitfalls that could be detrimental to operation. […]

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Lionel’s Vision Line GS is just spectacular

CTT Lionel Vision line GS

Lionel’s 2020 Vol. 1 catalog celebrated the firm’s 120th anniversary, and what a catalog it was. For me, the most distinctive offering wasn’t a single locomotive, but a single style of locomotive: The Southern Pacific’s venerable GS (General Service or Golden State) line of 4-8-4 Northern steam engines. I don’t believe any manufacturer (in any […]

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Reader Review: Lionel’s new Bluetooth 0-6-0 steam locomotive is a winner!

Side view of a steam locomotive

The Lionel LionChief Plus 2.0 0-6-0T steam locomotive is an attractive O gauge model with lots of nice features and a moderate price. The engine was originally listed in the 2019 Vol. 2 catalog and again in the 2020 Big Book. Due to shipping delays, it’s just becoming available. It comes lettered for Atchison, Topeka […]

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How to rewire a Lionel RCS controller

Hands holding a 3-conductor cable

In this Classic Toy Trains How-to Minute, editor Hal Miller replaces the crumbling 3-conductor cable on a postwar RCS controller that goes with the Lionel No. 97 Coal Elevator. New 3-conductor cable is available from a variety of sources that deal in vintage toy train parts and the technique is applicable to a number of […]

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How to rewire a Lionel RCS controller

Hands holding a 3-conductor cable

In this Classic Toy Trains How-to Minute, editor Hal Miller replaces the crumbling 3-conductor cable on a postwar RCS controller that goes with the Lionel no. 97 Coal Elevator. New 3-conductor cable is available from a variety of sources that deal in vintage toy train parts and the technique is applicable to a number of […]

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