LET’S CUT RIGHT TO THE CHASE. This is the finest steam locomotive that Lionel has ever made. Period. End of discussion. Insert photo of me puckering up to give this steamer a big old smooch. Whew. OK, I’ve taken a deep breath. I’ve cooled down. Now, on with the rest of the review. This Lionel […]
OKAY, SO THE BRASS IN LIONELVILLE was trying to come up with a new engine for starter sets. Or, better said, they were trying to develop a new value-priced locomotive that could be sold separately or in starter sets. Of the gazillions of prototypes out there, Lionel settled on the USRA 0-8-0 steam locomotive. That […]
OKAY, THE SUPERSTREETS STUFF IS, well, kinda starter-set material – but not quite in the sense of there being a train involved. Both of these sets have a powered unit and track with metal rails, and even a power supply. And oh, yes, trains can run on the track, too. But strictly speaking, they aren’t […]
Let me get this out on the table. The GP7/GP9 is a key locomotive in the history of American railroading. In the realm of O gauge train operations, I own at least four traditional Lionel GP7/GP9s and a Geep set from Williams. That having been noted, I can think of few locomotives that make me […]
Let’s cut right to the chase. This is the finest steam locomotive that Lionel has ever made. Period. End of discussion. Insert photo of me puckering up to give this steamer a big old smooch. Whew. OK, I’ve taken a deep breath. I’ve cooled down. Now, on with the rest of the review. This Lionel […]
Q: I have a bunch of old track – maybe 500 pieces – which I’d like to use on a layout. Most of it is dirty, greasy, and rusty, and I’d like to know how to clean it without doing each piece separately. – Larry Novis, Hermitage, Tenn. A: There is no mass-cleaning technique, shortcut, […]
While the reissue of Lionel’s no. 2551W outfit as a Postwar Celebration Series set did not include the no. 110 trestle set or any Super O track sections to assemble into the “Hairpin-Turn” configuration, this millennium version of that classic from 1960 is every bit as “super” as its predecessor. The Great Northern EP-5 electric-profile […]
Q: Could you please tell me how I can find parts for my Lionel trains, which were made from 1949-1965? I am trying to restore them for my son. Is there a place to order parts? Is it from Lionel? How do I go about contacting them? – J.S. A: Most parts are still available. […]
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 […]
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. […]
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 […]
Q: I am building a layout and want to do what I’ve seen in postwar dealer displays. Specifically, I’ve seen under the layout board a thin metal strip running the entire length of the layout. To this you would solder the ground contact for every accessory, thus greatly reducing the amount of wiring required. I […]
