Atlas O scale RS-3 diesel This Alco RS-3 road switcher is a good-looking model that captures its prototype’s unique profile and can handle anything from passenger trains to yard switching. Made by Atlas O, the RS-3 is offered in two-rail DC or three-rail AC versions. Three-rail versions are available with factory-installed Lionel TrainMaster Command Control […]
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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 […]
During the original incarnation of the Industrial Rail line, one of the nicest products offered was that trolley car (see my review in the May 2001 issue). It was an authentic-looking, traditional-sized (O-27) model that ran quietly, had the popular bumper-activated reverse unit for point-to-point operation, and was offered in three paint schemes. Industrial Rail […]
Q: I know there are four variable voltage controls on my Lionel 275-watt ZW transformer, but how many trains can I effectively run at the same time? – D. O. A: The number of trains you can run with a ZW depends on the locomotives and what they’re pulling. Large steamers and dual-motored diesels use […]
The new Industrial Rail 4-4-2 Atlantic by Atlas O is the firm’s first attempt to bring a nicely detailed, smoothly operating steam locomotive to the O gauge entry-level market. Its direct competition in the marketplace is Lionel’s 4-4-2 starter set and MTH’s old RailKing 2-6-0 starter set. All three are designed to provide a reliable, […]
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 […]
THIS PRODUCT, part of American Model Builders’ Laserkit line, offers an early 20th-century grain elevator kit in O scale. This is appropriate for the steam and early diesel eras, but driving around the countryside, you could probably find similar structures still in operation today. The kit, modeled on a “Northwestern Line Elevator” plan from a […]
I’M ON RECORD for both lauding the concept of the Atlas O Trainman line and enjoying its basic, no-frills diesels. Why? Since the Trainman line’s O scale products are very affordable, I think that post-starter set newbies with an interest in scale-sized trains might be likely to plop down their hard-earned bucks for a Trainman […]
THE SUBJECT OF our attention today is a little steamer that helped us beat the Kaiser and soldiered on through the end of the steam era, providing commendable service to the railroads that operated it: the USRA 0-6-0 steam switcher. America entered World War I in April 1917. In December of that year the U.S. […]
Q: I live in a large space and have an 80-foot loop of Lionel O-27 track running through it. I’m having trouble getting enough power to the train. I need information on wiring methods and wire types and suggestions on how large a transformer I am going to need to get it working properly. – […]
