Classic Toy Trains January 2021

i could replace it

There’s a cost to everything. In most cases, it boils down to your time or your money. Sometimes it’s both. If you’re a hobbyist you know this all too well. One day you look around your train room or your basement and consider how much of each you’ve invested. Then you run some trains or build something until the thought passes. Then there’s history and sentiment to figure in. Maybe there’s a family connection to your trains or accessories, and for that reason you’d never consider getting rid of them, even when they break. You could just replace them – there are numerous good-working reproductions of a lot of them out there. Additionally, depending on what the item is, these days you can find an original version in good shape for a…

impact of the korean war

The Korean War affected the A.C. Gilbert Co. in ways other than those mentioned by Ted Hamler in his article in the September 2020 issue of Classic Toy Trains. Shown here is an instruction sheet for a pair of no. 720A switches. A small mimeographed note attached to the sheet stated the clear plastic wire replaced the yellow. Why? Because, as the late Robert Tufts explained to me, the war caused a shortage of yellow dye. – Mike Marmer, Germantown, Md. DETAIL ON GMC SWITCHER After looking at the picture of the General Models O gauge NW2 diesel switcher in the July Classic Toy Trains, I think you missed one very important detail. The second smokestack on the engine’s shell (the one closer to the cab) has a function unknown to…

photo album

NEAL MAYER’S O GAUGE DISPLAY According to Neal Mayer, the 10" x 94" railroad he built in his home in Arlington, Mass., “has got it all!” He pointed to a downtown with ceramic houses, a rolling winter landscape with cross-country skiers, a forest inhabited by Lionel Polar Express caribou, and a scratchbuilt farm. A trolley makes it possible for folks residing on the layout to see everything. JIM KUSSY’S O GAUGE LAYOUT Don’t ask Jim Kussy why horse-drawn wagons cross the tracks at this part of his O gauge layout in West Chicago, Ill. Traffic increases as Christmas nears, so he installed a crossing gate, a banjo signal, and a gateman. Jim wouldn’t want his beloved Lionel no. 2344 New York Central F3 diesels to cause an accident. GREGORY SFERRA’S O GAUGE LAYOUT We would…

2020: a year to remember for the hobby

With little doubt, 2020 will go down as a favorite year for very few people. Events disrupted daily life for most Americans – everyone in the world, really – and the hobby we know and love underwent (and is still undergoing) drastic changes. Some of them were even good. HOBBY SHOPS Due to assorted lockdowns, this might have been the most challenging business environment for train shops since World War II. With customers largely stuck in their homes, some stores suffered economic stress. Others reported a pretty good year because people had time to enjoy their hobbies. The best chance for survival was for a shop to have an internet presence and be capable of getting and shipping product. Fortunately for all of us, UPS, FedEx, and the U.S. Post Office didn’t close. If dealers…

news & products

SHIP IT FAST: Menards has introduced a fully assembled and decorated modern FedEx freight terminal. The O gauge structure occupies a 6 x 12-inch footprint and includes an office, two warehouse doors, a moving forklift with load, and human and canine figures. There is, in addition, exterior illumination provided by 24 light-emitting diodes designed for use with the company’s 4.5-volt power supply, which is sold separately. Product no. 2796395 is priced at $79.99. To learn more, visit Menards.com/trains GETTING RELIGION: TW Trainworx has just released its O scale Classic Church kit (no. TWX-2194). This laser-cut model occupies a 12 x 14-inch footprint, and the overall height of the steeple is 173/4 inches. Price is $257.97. Visit Twtrainworxstore.com or call 214-634-2965. S SCALE SCENES: SceniKing Roll Outs has developed photo backdrops for S…

from kalmbachhobbystore.com

A PULLMAN BONANZA: One of the things modelers enjoy most is passenger trains. New from our sister brand Classic Trains comes the special publication Pullman: America’s Hotel on Wheels (no. VT-CS10201001-C). It covers great Pullman trains and features first-person recollections from employees and passengers, how the company routed its passenger cars, the various types of accommodations, and much more! Print and digital versions are available at $13.99 each, or get both for $19.99. Digital edition compatible with PC, Android, iOS, and Win8 devices. Plus there’s a companion DVD! Pullman: America’s Hotel on Wheels from Classic Trains and Rich Luckin (no. 15369) covers the full range of activities that comprised the Pullman Company and its related firms. The DVD is filled with rare video footage and still images of a business that…