Classic Toy Trains July/August 2022

THE WORLD IS OPENING UP AGAIN. At some point in the near future those words might come back to bite me in the backside. For now, though, many of us are resuming the activities we were taking part in before the events of the past couple of years. That includes hobby gatherings. For many, toy trains are a group effort. They’re more than a pastime; some might qualify them as a social event. Check out the Nassau Lionel Operating Engineers layout on page 30. It’s a spectacular display featuring great scenery and an incredible variety of trains and accessories. Equally varied are the personalities and talents involved with the organization. Each person brings a little something different to the table: the ability to draw plans; maybe wiring or scenery-building skills; or the ability…

Editor Hal Miller hmiller@Kalmbach.com Senior Editor Roger Carp rcarp@ClassicToyTrains.com Production Editor Rene Schweitzer rschweitzer@Kalmbach.com Copy Editor Steven Otte sotte@Kalmbach.com Group Technical Editor Cody Grivno cgrivno@ModelRailroader.com Contributing Editor Bob Keller editor@ClassicToyTrains.com TO SUBMIT AN ARTICLE and photos, email manuscripts@classictoytrains.com, or send materials to Classic Toy Trains, 21027 Crossroads Circle, P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53186. Write the words “Manuscript Enclosed” on the envelope. Before preparing an article, contact us to determine interest. Article/photo guidelines are available at trains.com/ctt/magazine/contributor-guidelines/. Classic Toy Trains assumes letters, new product information, and other unsolicited materials are contributed gratis. We assume no responsibility for the safe return of unsolicited material.…

SOME TIPS ABOUT KEEPING A NO. 397 DIESEL-TYPE COAL LOADER running better were missing from the article Senior Editor Roger Carp wrote about it in the May/June 2022 issue of Classic Toy Trains. First, the reproduction imitation coal on the market should be carefully sorted first to remove any slivers and chips. I use only chunks about 3⁄32" in diameter. Never use real coal because the dust will jam up the mechanism. Second, install the rubber belt with the cleats up and not down; also, the sides of the belt must be cut straight. Third, keep the tray as level as possible, and make sure the beam is straight. Fourth, regularly clean and lubricate your 397. – Lloyd W. Anderson Jr., Mansfield, Ohio The early, painted tray on the 397 coal…

RECENTLY I WROTE ABOUT LAYOUT STRUCTURES. I mentioned using ceramic village buildings for my downtown. I’d planned to power lighting for them from an electrical strip under the layout, but I never got around to it due to the wiring plugs that had to go through the table. I did things a little backwards to start with. Rather than lay out the railroad and then fit the town into it, I did the reverse. Once I figured out the town area, I moved on to setting out the rail lines that would serve it. I installed two loops of track running on the outside of the benchwork, while a third main line ran on the inside of the tabletop. Then I put a small yard between the inner and outer lines. Next,…

SHELDON LICHTENSTEIN’S O GAUGE LAYOUT Almost 70 years have passed since Sheldon Lichtenstein received a Lionel Scout set as a gift for Chanukah, and his love of O gauge railroading has grown ever since. These days, the 4 x 9-foot layout he’s sharing with Classic Toy Trains entertains Shelly and his wife, their two kids, and their three grandchildren. Everyone appreciates the smooth-running trains and the activity packed into every square foot of the compact display in New City, N.Y. What’s catching the eyes of viewers here is the way police officers have cornered an escapee from the Cheaterville jail. He was trying to board the Lionel trolley when the brave men in blue tracked him down. WANT TO CONTRIBUTE? Please send your best pictures to CTT Photo Album, 21027 Crossroads Circle, Waukesha,…

A NEW WAVE OF PRODUCTS has been announced in the Atlas O Spring 2022 Premier Catalog. The 36-page PDF includes diesel locomotives, freight cars, and intermodal containers. There also is Information on Atlas O’s track, structure, and detail parts lines. Electro-Motive Division SD70M-2 and SD70ACe diesel locomotives kick things off in the new catalog. Among the highlights are an SD70M-2 decorated in the Canadian National’s Grand Trunk Western Heritage Scheme and an SD70ACe decorated in Montana Rail Link’s Essential Workers livery. The other diesel being featured in the Premier Catalog is the Alco S-2. The end-cab diesel switcher will be decorated for the Alaska RR, Atlantic Coast Line, Erie Lackawanna, New York Central System, Union Pacific, and Western Pacific in two road numbers per scheme. Freight cars are the stars of the show…