Q: I have a Lionel no. 257 freight station with diesel horn that is equipped with a D-cell battery to operate the horn. How do I convert the 1.5 DC voltage to 14-16 AC voltage so I can operate it like my other accessories from a transformer? – Peter Douglas Beam, Pasadena, Calif. A: Peter, […]
Tag: Lionel
Lionel O gauge 4-4-2 Hiawatha locomotive
IN THE MIDST of the Great Depression, America’s railroads turned to fast trains to draw the public back to rail travel. In the Midwest, the Chicago & North Western was preparing to launch high-speed service between Chicago and Minneapolis. The Milwaukee Road’s response was to create a fast, reliable, and stylish express train. The name […]
Lionel O gauge 4-4-2 Hiawatha passenger car set
AS THE REVIEW of the locomotive noted, the first car set for Hiawatha service was built in 1935. A second series of cars was built in 1937, and demand for the Hiawatha service was so dramatic that in 1938 a third group was built and entered service in 1939. There were several significant changes between […]
Lionel O-27 uncoupler is different
Q: You had a great tip about wiring a push-button switch to an old UCS track section, avoiding the original two-button controllers. Since I have an O-27 layout, I tried this with one of my No. 6019 tracks. When I attached the button switch between the number 2 wire and the transformer, the uncoupling magnet […]
Broken belt on a postwar Lionel No. 364 log loader
Q: I have a Lionel No. 364 conveyor belt log loader which was received as a gift in the 1940s or early 1950s. The red conveyor belt has disintegrated over time and I would like to know how to service the accessory to get it back into operation. Also, I would appreciate knowing the approximate […]
Lionel American Flyer S gauge 0-6-0T
I DON’T HAVE a bond with postwar American Flyer. My grandfather had Flyer trains, my uncle had Marx trains, and I had Lionel trains. So I have a pretty broad view of postwar trains, and my S gauge interests aren’t driven by nostalgia, but rather by what I think will look cool on my layout. […]
Lionel O gauge LionMaster 4-8-8-2 Cab-Forward
I’VE HAD A SOFT spot for Cab-Forward steam locomotion since buying a book called Southern Pacific Steam Locomotives about 40 years ago. To me, even the early versions of the locomotive, with a square, boxy cab mounted in front of the boiler looked amazingly futuristic. Though the Southern Pacific adopted the Cab-Forward design to ensure […]
Lionel O gauge NASCAR ready-to-run set
WHEN ASKED WHY TRAIN sets promoting NFL teams, John Deere tractors, or even Sponge Bob cartoon characters were important, MTH Electric Trains honcho Mike Wolf noted in an interview with CLASSIC TOY TRAINS that the paint schemes representing licensed products got train sets into homes that might not otherwise have one. Lionel’s skipper Jerry Calabrese […]
New socket for a prewar Lionel lighted bridge
Q: Ray, I have a Lionel no. 315 bridge with a red light on top. The light doesn’t work due to the light socket, which rests in a sort-of black square holder that’s corroded. I have checked several hobby parts sites but can’t seem to find the part number for a replacement part. Do you […]
Puzzling postwar Lionel driver styles
Q: I am trying to familiarize myself with my postwar Lionel nos. 675, 2025, and 2035 locomotives by reading several of the Greenberg reference books. The more I read, the more confused I get. One book states that the no. 675 has Baldwin disc drivers. Another guide lists both disc and spoke drivers. One reference […]
Lionel O gauge TMCC crane and boom car
BATMAN AND ROBIN, Minneapolis and St. Paul, peanut butter and jelly take notice. There’s a new inseparable pair now available from Lionel. Not since the release of Lionel’s culvert loader and unloader has there been two separate-sale accessories as well suited for each other as the Lionel no. 29832 command-controlled crane car and the no. […]
Lionel O gauge SD40T-2 diesel
AS THE SAYING GOES, necessity is the mother of invention. As proof, we give you the SD40T-2. The diesel locomotive, nicknamed the “tunnel motor,” was born out of a specific need among western railroads. Air problems in mountain tunnels and long snowsheds are not new. The lack of fresh, cool air plagued locomotive crews in […]
