I bought a set of Williams tinplate cars that duplicated scarce Lionel products from the 1930s in an online auction (photo above). I planned to run them on my period layout and was pleased to find the cars to be in like-new condition when they arrived. However, when I placed them behind my Lionel No. […]
Simulated concreted-block retaining wall In real life, large concrete blocks (2′ x 4′) are often used to build retaining walls above and below roadways. To represent such a wall, start with a 1″ x 5″ gray colored piece of Trex or similar “plastic” wood. Cut it to your required width and length. With a table […]
Cold weather and limited train events keeping you indoors running trains? Well, we can relate. If you choose to give your favorite pastime a break for the summer to enjoy the weather with friends and family, then we suggest doing the following to ensure a smooth transition back into the hobby come those chilly, fall […]
As part of our 90th anniversary celebration, we’re featuring never-before-published articles from our archives on Trains.com. This story is from 1994. Products mentioned in the article may no longer be available. I’ve had an active interest in model railroading for more than 45 years. My ultimate goal was to build a layout of my own […]
Lionel brought out its first No. 6464 near-scale boxcars in 1953. The models it developed were strongly influenced by what Athearn, a manufacturer of O scale trains, had already been doing, especially with a Rock Island prototype. Little wonder that toy train enthusiasts of every age praised the four new 6464 boxcars. Experienced O gauge […]
At some point in your life, you will most likely move. For some it may be to a new residence across town. For others it might be several states away, or perhaps another country. In addition to moving furniture, clothes, and other household items, you’ll need to prepare your trains for transport. In this article, […]
Living with a model railroad and a dog or cat isn’t always easy. The animals don’t know the difference between your toys and theirs, and can wreak havoc on scenery, models, or your workbench. Animals love to chew on natural materials and unfortunately, many scenery products are made of those. But peaceful coexistence is possible […]
Since I own the P.T. Tubifo Lumber Co. engine for my railroads’ lumber company, I thought I’d add a pulpwood car for it to haul. I started the project with Kalamazoo flatcar and added bulkheads made from Evergreen styrene. During my work travels, I saw some weeds on the side of the road and initially […]
This article was originally published in the December 1990 issue of Classic Toy Trains. John Grams was a longtime contributor and author of CTT’s Q&A column. He also wrote a number of toy train/hobby books. He died in 2011. How do you think this article holds up today? Leave a comment about the “characters” you’ve […]
As model railroaders age, we are faced with the question of how to dispose of a model railroad in case of changing scales, downsizing, moving, or death. No one seems willing to address this uncomfortable question. In the case of death, the model railroader’s family is saddled with the problem of disposing of the models. […]
Modelers David Popp, Brian Schmidt, and Bryson Sleppy continue the scenery process on their T-TRAK modules in an attempt to make them look more like the prairies of Colorado. T-TRAK is a modular N scale railroading system that uses foot-wide boxes plugged together to build tabletop layouts. In this eighth installment of the T-TRAK series, […]
Facts and features Name: Pickering & Sierra RRScale: HO (1:87.1), HOn3, dual gauge, and HOn21⁄2 (dummy)Size: 20′-7″ x 23′-3″ Prototype: freelanced, inspired by Pickering Lumber Co. and Sierra Ry.Locale: Sierra Nevada mountainsEra: 1920s to 1940sStyle: walk-inMainline run: 220 feetMinimum radius: 17″ (logging)Minimum turnout: No.4Maximum grade: 4%Benchwork: open gridHeight: 36″ to 57″Roadbed: plywood and HomasoteTrack: […]
