In this Trains.com exclusive, Lionel LLC CEO Howard Hitchcock fields interview questions from Classic Toy Trains Editor Rene Schweitzer at Lionel’s headquarters in Concord, North Carolina. Howard and Rene discuss the brand’s 125th anniversary, new products, NASCAR die-cast products, custom-run products, the future of the American Flyer line, and much more! You don’t want to miss […]
Roger Carp’s book, Lights, Camera, Lionel Trains! A Photo History of an American Icon, has won several awards. The title won Gold for Best Coffee Table Book from the National Indie Excellence Book Awards; Silver for Best History from the Independent Book Publishers Association (IBPA); Silver for Best Coffee Table Book from IBPA, Silver for […]
I am a print subscriber to Classic Toy Trains. Have you reported on the discontinuation of the American Flyer model train line by Lionel? I know your magazine isn’t an “investigative reporting” publication but it’s a curious thing that Lionel would discontinue a line of trains that often showed models as “sold out” on their […]
What do I collect? I collect the General Mills era of Lionel production (1969-1986), with a focus on the Model Products Corporation (MPC) era from 1970-1972. I like to collect the more obscure and less documented pieces from the later parts of the era as well, since it hasn’t been as heavily documented as the […]
I’m restoring some Lionel postwar heavyweight passenger cars and need help lettering them. Are there suppliers for reproduction decals? — Ernie Weber The best source of reproduction decals for Lionel postwar locomotives and cars is the Underground Railroad Shoppe in New Castle, Pa. Owned by longtime CTT contributor Lou Palumbo, the store can be reached […]
The Lionel Collectors Club of America has announced increases to their membership. In a recent LCCA email newsletter, the group announced that rising prices from vendors have affected expenses. Effective August 1, 2025, membership prices will change to: Regular Membership: $48.00 annually ($5.00 increase). Electronic Membership: $30.00 annually ($3.00 increase). Junior Membership: $30.00 per annually […]
This week’s “look back” is an early CTT product review from the Fall 1988 issue of the MTH 2-4-2 reproduction Lionel 263E locomotive. Look at that price–seems like a deal these days for a new engine. Dick Christiansen compared the engine to an original one owned by Andy Sperandeo. It’s interesting to note the color […]
The plan is simple: a long loop-to-loop (folded dog-bone) single-track line. There are several passing sidings to allow three trains to be on the line at the same time with a long run between return loops. Wireless controls are always nice, but a classic Lionel type-ZW transformer with a switch control panel board is really […]
Do you have any information, including a wiring diagram, that can help me wire my Lionel No. 450 Operating Signal Bridge using AC relays? Thanks! — Fred Richmond As Lionel operators certainly know, the 450 Signal Bridge, which was designed to span two lines of track, is equipped with two signal heads. They have bayonet-mounted […]
Name: Neal Schorr’s Pennsylvania RR Middle DivisionGauge: O scale (1:48)Dimensions: 38 x 45 feet (maximum dimensions)Track: Atlas O code 215 three-rail flextrackTurnouts: Atlas O, Ross Custom SwitchesMotive power and rolling stock: Atlas O, Golden Gate Depot, K-Line, Lionel, WeaverControls: Lionel TrainMaster Command Control Structures: Atlas O, DPM, Lionel, MTH, scratchbuilt, Wm. K. WalthersFigures: Arttista, Woodland […]
Name: Gary King’s S gauge layoutDimensions: 11½ x 13½ feetTrack and switches: American Models (diameters range from 42 up to 60 inches)Motive power: American Models, Gilbert American Flyer, S-Helper ServiceRolling stock: American Models, Gilbert American Flyer, Lionel, S-Helper ServiceControls: Gilbert American Flyer, Model Rectifier Corp. transformersAccessories: Gilbert American Flyer, MTH Electric Trains, Wm. K. WalthersStructures: […]
Lionel has revived its classic O gauge model of the Pennsylvania RR S2 Steam Turbine. I recently shared the story behind the outstanding versions cataloged by Lionel during its golden age of the 1940s and 1950s. Lionel enthusiast Keith Beyer shared some useful information about the Nos. 671, 681, and 682, with special emphasis on […]
