When fellow O gauge modeler Charles Stoia was photographing the 22 x 36-foot layout belonging to his friend Clem Krzeczkowski for Classic Toy Trains, he wasn’t sure whether juxtaposing some soldiers on maneuvers with two massive steam engines blasting by on the double-track main line made sense. After all, which war were the recruits preparing […]
Favorite travel spots often influence the scenes model railroaders create for their layouts. This is very much the case with Stephen Mayer, who has long enjoyed exploring the sights of upstate New York near his home in Romulus as well as areas in central Pennsylvania. No wonder a visit to Scranton in the Keystone State […]
The three generations of farmers hard at work on Rick Borland’s O gauge layout are reminiscent of the three generations in his family who have been enjoying Lionel trains since the mid-1950s. Rick received his first outfit as a youngster, and it included the No. 2338 Milwaukee Road GP7 road diesel shown cruising along the […]
Every postwar enthusiast will admit to having a favorite kind of freight car. Pin down Robert Madison, and this resident of Westerly, R.I., will confess to a love of Lionel’s short and long transformer cars. He will occasionally put together a train consisting of half a dozen of the memorable cars, with a work caboose […]
WASHINGTON — Delays principally caused by faulty door activation and slower running over what are normally the fastest portions of Amtrak’s Northeast Corridor have tempered the generally warm reception the “Next Generation” Acela trainsets received when they debuted last week. But the trainsets are now offering passengers a welcome — and long overdue — alternative […]
One glance at the picture Joe Phillips has shared of his good friend Wayne Colabaugh’s O gauge layout, and you know they both like plenty of activity. Why, they couldn’t even wait for the MTH Premier line No. 22-20636-2 Norfolk Southern AC4400CW to slow down before snapping this terrific shot. Nearby on Wayne’s railroad in […]
Senior Editor Cody Grivno reviews the new Atlas Trainman HO Electro-Motive Division (EMD) GP38-2 diesel locomotive. First, you’ll learn new insights about full-size EMD GP38-2 units, and specifics details about Helm Leasing no. 3805, which was originally built as Texas Mexican Railway no. 866. Then, as possible only through video demonstration, Cody highlights the model’s […]
Lionel trains rumbling over circular main lines erected at different heights and surrounded by operating accessories, including this No. 397 Diesel-Type Coal Loader, combine to bring Raymond Smith back to his youth in the 1950s. Long ago, this O gauger modeler residing in Bradford, R.I. recalls, life didn’t move quite as quickly as today, and […]
Photos of outstanding compact layouts in every gauge have flooded the Classic Toy Trains office ever since we finished our special-interest publication titled Toy Train Layouts for Small Spaces. The S gauge display built by Gerold Slotkin really tickles our fancy. He has filled the 6 x 9-foot two-level railroad in North Brunswick, N.J., with […]
Football is getting underway, pumpkin spice everything is showing up on store shelves, and the thermometer has given a few hints that autumn is just around the corner. Of course, that means we’re heading into peak model railroading season. In the September 2025 episode of Cody’s Office, we feature three new products, a modeling tip, […]
The problem faced by Steven Tripp about 10 years ago was a familiar one among model railroaders: How could he bring to life memories of coal mining in Pennsylvania and the railroads serving that industry during the steam-to-diesel transition era? Compounding the challenges was the fact that his home in Shenandoah, Texas, lacked a basement. […]
You never know what will inspire someone to plan a layout with its own special personality. Dinarte Ferro saw pictures of a Lionel No. D-264 Super O display from 1959 and decided it would be perfect as a home for his collection of O gauge trains and accessories from Louis Marx & Co. Just one […]
