“Don’t sweat the small stuff!” That’s easy to say when you are running small equipment on your rails. Your diminutive LGB Stainz and two-axle freight/passenger coaches with hook-and-loop couplers can track over pretty much whatever you throw at them. But what of us who like to run the big stuff? Heavyweights, streamliners, and extended freight […]
Everyone has to move at some point in their life, but for model railroaders, there’s an added task: reassembling a layout after moving. If you’re contemplating moving, here are a few things to keep in mind when it comes time to put everything back together. Plan to move One of the things you can do […]
Editor’s note: This article was submitted to Garden Railways in 2015. In contacting the author recently to inquire about publication, we learned that he passed away in 2023. We offer our condolences to the family and are honored to present this article in his memory. See the author’s original railway story in the August 2001 […]
What toy train locomotive means the most to you? It just has to be Lionel’s famed 2-6-2 Prairie type locomotive that is still in my collection. How did you acquire it? This adventure started in 1947 at the early age of 5 years old, when Dad unpacked the Lionel train set he’d purchased downtown. We […]
A finished S scale layout or individual model can be both visually and operationally impressive. However, getting the desired model may be somewhat harder than in a scale with more manufacturers and product offerings. As S scale modelers are quick to point out, modeling in 1:64 calls for inventiveness and perseverance. While there are ready-to-run […]
If you’re like me and enjoy riding Amtrak, but also enjoy model railroading, you’ve likely asked yourself “can I take Amtrak to see a model railroad?” The answer is yes! Four model railroads call Amtrak stations their home Durand Union Station Model Railroad Engineers Inc. Durand Union Station 200 Railroad Street Durand, Mich. 48429 […]
Wanting to expand the structures in my railway’s yard, I decided to build a sanding house and tower. I was inspired by the Tyco HO sand house and the large-scale Pola sand house. As with most of my builds, I made it primarily from repurposed parts. I used a Pola Wells Fargo building and a […]
Editor’s note: I’ve found a number of unpublished manuscripts in our file cabinets. This one dates from around 1999. Does it still apply today? Do you think that simplifying or finding a new aspect of the hobby can re-invigorate your love of toy trains? Leave a comment and let us know. As railroad enthusiasts go, […]
Display Layouts and Showrooms is the latest 100-page special or extra issue of Classic Toy Trains. The editors and artists responsible for the magazine are working overtime to make this unique publication the most informative and attractive it can be. The question, “Want a sip?” usually causes another person to ask about the beverage in […]
Lionel No. 2245 Texas Special F3 Diesel A and B Units celebrate their 70th anniversary this year. The beautiful O gauge locomotives made their debut in the noteworthy year of 1954 as separate-sale items priced at $39.95 ($470.63 in today’s dollars) and as the motive power in a pair of outstanding O-27 outfits: the Nos. […]
A common question newcomers to model railroading ask is “Why do railroads use signals?” The quick answer is to keep trains moving safely. But the topic of railroad signals deserves more of an explanation. The evolution of railroad signals When trains are running in the same direction on the same line, in opposite directions on […]
The idea for building this small disappearing O-27 layout came to me after reading an issue of Lionel’s Inside Track magazine from 2009. This track plan brought back for me memories of a similar O-27 layout at a department store during the holidays in the 1950s. – Bob Espenschied Download the track plan for this […]
