The toy train hobby, like any other, has its own language. We at Classic Toy Trains try to avoid using confusing jargon wherever possible, but we know there are some terms we use that may confuse new readers. Even if you’ve enjoyed trains for years, you may still run across terms that aren’t clear, or […]
Tag: O Scale
HHP-8 passenger set by Lionel
THE LIONEL HHP-8 STARTER SET IS A STRIKING, TOTALLY-OUTSIDE-THE-BOX CONCEPT. Taking a step or three away from the typical 4-4-2-powered starter set, the HHP-8 set features a unique locomotive and some interesting passenger cars. This is a modern outfit (most sets are based on railroad equipment from the 1940s or ’50s) that looks pretty sharp […]
Santa Fe Flyer set by Williams by Bachmann
WHETHER YOU ARE AN ADULT OR A CHILD, I’D SPECULATE THAT YOU GOT INTO MODEL RAILROADING WITH A STARTER SET.No matter the scale, that first starter set can make or break your interest in the hobby. A well-constructed set with interesting components can snag you and make you want more. By contrast, a poorly made […]
CTT Visits a layout factory
Having a professional builder design and construct a toy train or scale model railroad may not be for everyone. But for those who want to take full advantage of 21st-century technology this may be the way to go. CTT Visits a layout factory […]
Bob Porge’s O gauge layout
Bob Porges has a rudimentary case of nostalgia backwards. Bob’s layout isn’t a reflection of the toy trains of his childhood – rather, it is a reflection of his life. In virtually every corner of his O gauge layout, you’ll find vignettes of Bob’s childhood, his family, his career, and even his financial portfolio, all […]
Cal-State Railroad Museum O and Standard gauge layout
What’s that? This is the summer when you visit every NASCAR track and Elvis memorial in Dixie? Forget it. Your passports are ready so you can take the kids to Six Flags over Cambodia? Put ’em away. There’s a family reunion in Wisconsin and you promised to bring the cheese curds and bratwurst? Let the […]
Jack Fox had to wait for his O gauge layout
Here’s a classic tale of a kid who badly wanted to play with his trains, but couldn’t – at least not right away. Find out exactly what we’re talking about! Jack Fox had to wait for his O gauge layout […]
Ralph Muller’s Hart-built layout
One of the most notable changes in the toy train hobby over the past 10 to 15 years has been the emergence of businesses that design and build layouts. Companies under the direction of an imaginative leader oversee construction of O and S gauge railroads for individuals as well as museums and other public institutions. […]
Don Williams’ O and S gauge layout
Tourists motor to Horseshoe Curve to watch the cavalcade of trains. When Don was young, the headliners were aluminum cars on the Pennsy’s Broadway Limited. Don and Karen Williams share their layout with visitors, including grandsons Jacob and Zachary. Iron horses in the Korber roundhouse watch a 3rd Rail Pennsy Atlantic 4-4-2 steam locomotive take […]
John Ruh’s O gauge tribute to Route 66
Route 66 – the two-lane highway that winds its way from Chicago to Los Angeles – has been immortalized in popular music, literature, and television. Who doesn’t remember the Joads making their way west on the Mother Road of the U.S. in John Steinbeck’s The Grapes of Wrath or Tod and Buz tooling along in […]
O gauge Angel Train starter set by Atlas O
Subscribers, you can read Bob Keller’s complete review of this unusual train online here, and then watch the streaming video below. . […]
O gauge Angel Train starter set by Atlas O
Subscribers, you can read Bob Keller’s complete review of this unusual train online here, and then watch the streaming video below. . […]
