Nearly 20 years after the initial review in Classic Toy Trains’ Feb. 2008 issue, the O-gauge Hogwarts Express remains a steady set for Lionel, along with the accompanying Harry Potter-branded products. But with a reboot of the franchise planned as a future streaming series on HBO Max, it’s time to return to Kings Cross’ Platform […]
The Lionel No. 773 4-6-4 Hudson steam engine and tender from 1950 did much to revive the passion dedicated O gauge modeler Walt Urban Jr. has for toy trains. He reminds us that hobbyists who grew up during the 1950s will remember the annual holiday shopping season as being particularly nostalgic. Like him, many of […]
Frank Kotnik was introduced to toy trains as a child. Someone gave his father a secondhand Lionel set and accessories from the early 1950s. When Frank was three, around 1963, his dad surprised him with a simple tabletop layout. The engine captivated the young tot, sparking a lifetime interest in the hobby. Frank is a […]
Lionel has reissued the U28C diesel locomotive for the first time since 2012. The model was announced in the 2024 Volume 1 catalog. This six-axle unit was not that common on prototype railroads, and its unique appearance will allow it to stand out on your layout. The prototype was produced by General Electric between February […]
The City of Miami was a vibrant orange and palm green streamliner of the Illinois Central Railroad. Operating between 1940 and 1971, the train provided service from Chicago to Miami, and was powered by a single EMD E6 diesel locomotive. The first jaw-dropping feature of Lionel’s latest rendition of the set isn’t the locomotive itself, […]
Lionel’s 2024 Catalog Volume II honors the past and present with some superb sets and locomotives operators and even collectors are sure to like. I discovered a number of impressive and desirable new models when I finally found the time to devote an entire evening to exploring the second and shorter catalog from 2024. By […]
My submission to the contest has five basic features: A double reversing loop Multiple loops for simultaneous operation of several trains Interconnections between the multiple loops Two levels of track A ramp connecting the two levels of track Classic Toy Trains and the Lionel Collectors Club of America congratulate Wes Swartz as the second-place winner […]
Name: Steve and Barbara Tapper’s O gauge layoutDimensions: 8 x 16 feetTrack: Lionel, MTH (diameters range from 27 to 42 inches)Switches: MTHMotive power: K-Line, Lionel, MTH, WilliamsRolling stock: Atlas O, K-Line, Lionel, Menards, MTH, Weaver, WilliamsControls: MTH Nos. Z-750 (3), Z-4000 (2) transformers with Lionel TrainMaster Command Control and MTH Digital Command SystemAccessories: K-Line, Lemax, […]
Name: Brian and Riley Inch’s O gauge layoutDimensions: 10 x 16 feetTrack: GarGraves (diameters range from 36 to 72 inches)Switches: Ross Custom Switches with Tortoise machinesMotive power: Lionel, MTHRolling stock: Atlas O, Lionel, MTH, WeaverControls: Lionel type-ZW transformer with Lionel Legacy and MTH Digital Command SystemAccessories: Gilbert American Flyer, K-Line, Lionel, Z-Stuff for TrainsStructures: Crescent […]
This year was my second year attending the Amherst Railway Society’s Railroad Hobby Show in West Springfield, Mass. and it sure was a great time. After being blown away by the sheer size of the show in 2024, I was ready to experience it again this year, and take it all in. Whether it’s your […]
Locomotives & rolling stock METCA offers an MTH custom-run 4-Bay Hopper as part of the RailKing line. The cars feature O-27 operation and Jack Daniel’s Tennessee Whiskey graphics (30-75762 shown). Expected delivery in March 2025. Price: $64.95. Order from metca.org Public Delivery Track is selling a custom-run MTH RS1 locomotive as part of the RailKing […]
Robert “Bob” Brasseur died on February 27, 2025 at the age of 88. Bob was well known in the toy train hobby. In the early 1970s, he started repairing trains in his family’s basement, eventually becoming a Lionel Authorized Service Station in 1974. “Dad was very passionate about Lionel trains,” said his son Dean in […]
