A Christmas train adds to the Christmas spirit It’s not often that you hear words like “locomotive” or “uncoupled” in a 3-year-old’s vocabulary, but that’s exactly where my wife and I found ourselves Christmas morning in 2022. Our son Micah had always had a fascination with all trains, so much that we often joked that […]
10 more helpful tips for your layout Smooth and steady steaming It’s not surprising that postwar Lionel steam locomotives are extremely underpowered. They’re single-motor locomotives that must tow a heavy tender, so you’ll seldom get them to pull more than a dozen freight cars. Keep the wheel axles, side rods, and smoke-unit mechanism properly lubricated, […]
I wanted a reliable uncoupling method for my G-scale body mount Kadee couplers, with no moving parts or power requirements. I initially tried Kadee’s magnetic uncoupling system but found it wasn’t a perfect setup. It required the couplers be stopped precisely over the short magnet, and side-to-side movement of the cars due to slop in […]
In October, Editor Eric White, Associate Editor Bryson Sleppy, and I attended the Railroad Prototype Modelers Conference at the Northern Illinois University campus in Naperville, Ill. We enjoyed a day of visiting with contributors, looking at layouts and models, and talking with manufacturers in the vendor room. In addition, we split up and attended as […]
Join Trains.com hosts David Popp and Gerry Leone, as they visit Bernard Hellen in the Miniprints booth at Trainfest 2024 in Milwaukee, Wis. Watch as “Dr. Mini” walks through the process he uses to make 3D-printed scale model figures from a full body scan of actual people. Learn how easy it is to add a […]
Hump yards The number of hump yards operating in North America has dropped precipitously over the decades. Today there are 36 active hump yards operated by the big six Class I systems and terminal and switching railroads. That’s down from 59 in 2002, 72 in 1993, 122 in 1985, and 152 in 1975. Yet hump […]
Q: I would like to know where to buy double-shelf couplers for HO scale tank cars. — Joseph Kuepfer A: Before we look at what’s available in HO scale, let’s back up a step and learn what double-shelf couplers are. In his article “HO knuckle coupler guide” from the November 2007 Model Railroader, former Senior […]
Easily add weight to flatcar I have a basic flatcar that was giving me problems. The trouble with flatcars is they don’t weigh that much and derail easier than other cars. One solution is to install metal wheels, but I didn’t want the expense plus by leaving the car outdoors I was worried about rust. […]
Lionel’s Nos. 2257 and 2357 cabooses changed the line of toy trains in notable ways. The all-but-identical models, first cataloged in 1947, introduced three-rail enthusiasts to a type of caboose that looked different from what Lionel had been showcasing during the final years of the prewar period and the first two years of the postwar […]
We’ve all been there before. Seated at the drafting desk, or perhaps the workbench, depending on how your layout room or workshop is set up, notebook open, pen in hand, writing out a list of desired traits for your soon-to-begin model railroad, maybe sketching possible track plans in the margins. A tale as old as […]
Okay let me be the first to say, I am childless. However when a friend of mine told me that he and his wife were expecting, I immediately started to wonder what they would name the child. The next day I brought up the idea to a colleague and said that I thought Norfolk would […]
Manufacturers come and go in model railroading, and the O gauge market is no exception – 2 or 3 rail, scale or semi scale. From vast offerings to specific products, let’s find out who is producing today for the customer. If you know of a manufacturer not on this list, please contact us at editor@classictoytrains.com. […]
