We’re amidst another pop-culture craze, this one involving the adventures of a group of young student wizards. I’ve never seen the Harry Potter movies or read the books, but to me, the important thing about Lionel’s new O gauge Hogwarts Express set, based on the train from the movies, is that it is tied into […]
THIS PRODUCT, part of American Model Builders’ Laserkit line, offers an early 20th-century grain elevator kit in O scale. This is appropriate for the steam and early diesel eras, but driving around the countryside, you could probably find similar structures still in operation today. The kit, modeled on a “Northwestern Line Elevator” plan from a […]
I’M ON RECORD for both lauding the concept of the Atlas O Trainman line and enjoying its basic, no-frills diesels. Why? Since the Trainman line’s O scale products are very affordable, I think that post-starter set newbies with an interest in scale-sized trains might be likely to plop down their hard-earned bucks for a Trainman […]
THE SUBJECT OF our attention today is a little steamer that helped us beat the Kaiser and soldiered on through the end of the steam era, providing commendable service to the railroads that operated it: the USRA 0-6-0 steam switcher. America entered World War I in April 1917. In December of that year the U.S. […]
Q: I live in a large space and have an 80-foot loop of Lionel O-27 track running through it. I’m having trouble getting enough power to the train. I need information on wiring methods and wire types and suggestions on how large a transformer I am going to need to get it working properly. – […]
EVEN CONSIDERING THE fact that most kids (and adults) have never gotten closer to a steam locomotive than, say, an episode of Petticoat Junction, a steam-powered starter set is tough to beat. The visual elements of moving side rods and puffing smoke, combined with the gift-giving mood around the holidays, make a steam-engine starter set […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Deep Run RR Scale: On2 1/2 Size: 17′-3″ x 42′-6″ Prototype: freelanced Era: mid-1950s Style: walk-in Mainline run: 77 feet Minimum radius: 18″ Maximum grade: 1 percent Originally appeared in the November 2007 issue of Model Railroader. See a PDF version of this track plan by clicking here. […]
Q: I recently purchased a Lionel no. 313 bascule bridge that is in pretty good shape. Unfortunately, the linkage to raise and lower the bridge from the base is missing. I want to identify and replace the missing parts, so an exploded view with part numbers listed would be appreciated. – C.T. Gast, Buffalo, N.Y. […]
American Model Builders O scale grain elevator kit Price: $149.99Manufacturer American Model Builders8229 Brentwood Industrial Dr.St. Louis, MO 63144www.laserkit.comDescription: Laser-cut wood structure kitComments: Based on a North-western Line Elevator from the 1913 Grain Dealers Journal, this Laserkit model depicts a design commonly seen along the tracks across the country. The kit includes laser-cut wood and […]
Q: I rewound the motor for my Lionel no. 182 crane, and the motor works fine, but I am unable to make it reverse. I called Lionel but they didn’t have a diagram for the no. 182. Instead, the service representative sent a diagram for a no. 165 crane. The big difference in the cranes […]
Track plan at a glance Name: Boston & Maine Scale: O (1:48) Size: 17 x 28 feet Period: early 1950s or mid-1960s Style: single-level walkaround Mainline run: 120 feet Minimum radius: 48″ Minimum turnout: no. 5 Originally appeared in the 2006 issue of Great Model Railroads. See a PDF version of this track plan by […]
Track plan at a glance Name: California Scenic RR Scale: O (1:48) Size: 17 x 24 feet Prototype: Southern Pacific and Santa Fe Period: 1940s to 1960s Minimum radius: 68″ Minimum turnout: no. 8 Maximum grade: 2.5 percent Originally appeared in the 1998 issue of Great Model Railroads. See a PDF version of this track […]
