ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car

Color photo showing B end of S scale wood refrigerator car painted orange, brown, and black with white graphics on white background

ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car Scale: S (1:64) Price: $59.99 Manufacturer: ScaleTrains, 4901 Old Tasso Road NE Cleveland, TN 37312; 844-987-2467; scaletrains.com ScaleTrains S 40-foot wood refrigerator car features: Detailed brake system Equipped with American Flyer-compatible wheels and operating couplers Fish-belly underframe Freestanding vertical brake staff Injection-molded plastic body Metal handrails and grab irons […]

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Tips for restoring a vintage toy train

Join Classic Toy Trains Editor Rene Schweitzer and Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as they share essential tips for restoring a vintage toy train. They address a viewer’s request for help with his father’s old Ives train set, which is in poor condition with bent metal, rust, and poor paint. Their discussion covers key […]

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Tips for restoring a vintage toy train

Join Classic Toy Trains Editor Rene Schweitzer and Model Railroader Senior Editor Cody Grivno as they share essential tips for restoring a vintage toy train. They address a viewer’s request for help with his father’s old Ives train set, which is in poor condition with bent metal, rust, and poor paint. Their discussion covers key […]

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Awe-inspiring track plans for a Santa Fe-themed layout

Santa Fe 1951

From Midwest farmlands to the Pacific Coast, and the mountains and deserts in between, the Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe Railway offers a buffet of modeling opportunities. This popular former Class I railroad has captured the hearts of model railroaders, and there are many modeling products and materials readily available to help modelers go “Santa […]

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Trains.com Insider | 2025 NMRA National Convention, Train Show Highlights

2025 NMRA National Convention, Train Show Highlights | Tour with Model Railroader Editor Eric White, as he makes the rounds to visit with small vendors and major manufacturers at the 2025 National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) Convention and Train Show recently held in Novi, Michigan. From new model announcements and releases to helpful modeling products […]

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Trains.com Insider | 2025 NMRA National Convention, Layout Visits

2025 NMRA National Convention, Layout Visits | Tour with Model Railroader Editor Eric White, as he discovers a diverse collection of model railroads from the 2025 National Model Railroad Association (NMRA) National Convention recently held in Novi, Michigan! Explore Steve Smith’s HO scale freelanced Sierra Valley & Harbor Junction; Dan Lewis’s nostalgic N scale Milwaukee […]

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Lionel’s prewar competitors

box and train set

Note: This article originally appeared in the September 2000 issue of Classic Toy Trains. In celebration of Lionel’s 125th anniversary this year, we’re sharing it online.   The Lion has just entered the big-top for his first show. He has plenty of fight, although/ he’s no longer a sleek cub. His tail is a bit […]

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20-foot intermodal containers

Color photo of yellow 40-foot well car with three mineral red intermodal containers.

Q: I’m curious why I’ve never seen four 20-foot intermodal containers in a single well car, stacked two on top and two on the bottom. I’ve only ever seen two 20-foot containers in the well and a 40-foot (or larger) container on top. — Benjamin Stewart A: David Lassen, senior editor at Trains magazine, put me […]

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Trains.com Insider Interview | Jack Sommerfeld, Owner of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies

Listen in, as Trains.com draws knowledge and hobby insights from established retailer Jack Sommerfeld, owner/operator of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies in Butler, Wisconsin. Join staff writer Lucas Iverson as he chats with one of the top toy train dealers in the U.S., regarding the success and philosophy of his 40-year-old family-run business; his observations about […]

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An interview with Jack Sommerfeld of Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies

Store front

If you ever find yourself in the Milwaukee area, you may want to take a quick drive north to Butler, Wis., and visit Sommerfeld’s Trains & Hobbies. Don’t let its small size fool you — this brick-and-mortar store is a one-stop shop for a vast range of O gauge products. Owner Jack Sommerfeld, Chief Repair […]

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Trains.com Insider Exclusive | Mid-2025 Interview with Howard Hitchcock, CEO of Lionel

woman and man sitting at table

Rene Schweitzer: I’m excited to be sitting in Howard Hitchcock’s office at Lionel Trains’ headquarters. Thank you for meeting me today. Howard Hitchcock: Welcome! I’m glad you were able to make it. RS: You’re nearly halfway through your 125th anniversary celebration. How is it going? What have you heard from your customers? HH: It’s going […]

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