Best Toy Train Layouts

What a blast I’ve had preparing the very latest special-interest publication from Classic Toy Trains. Sure, it has taken me many months if not years to gather all the information and pictures and then write the 11 articles. But it was worth it. Few pleasures in our hobby surpass discovering a fantastic layout and then sharing it through words and photographs with others. Best Toy Train Layouts invites you on a journey in which we’ll visit 10 outstanding O gauge model railroads. In-depth text and loads of pictures will enable you to learn about the goals of a diverse group of current hobbyists who have designed, built, wired, and landscaped truly inspiring displays. Best of all, these layouts have much to teach, no matter how many layouts you’ve built. You’ll…

Perhaps you’ll be surprised when I write that this essay, explaining what makes a toy train layout great in my eyes, came last. Yes, I will here offer my confession: I authored the brief introduction to this special-interest publication only after I had finished work on the 10 articles about the model railroads I’ve included. I needed to think about the layouts I had chosen to showcase before I could reach useful and meaningful conclusions about what made them stand out As a member of the editorial team at Classic Toy Trains for more than 30 years, I’ve seen or written about hundreds of layouts. So I should know what’s essential for developing a memorable layout. Nope! I keep broadening my understanding, which was why I had to study these…

“Let your imagination always be king!” lifelong O gauge modeler Gordy Sauve (pronounced “SOH-vee”) answered immediately when asked what hobbyists should learn from his Amherst Junction Short Line (AJSL) layout. There is, he said, no reason to be held back when you’re working with three-rail trains and accessories from any era of production. Gordy is a true free-lance modeler. He runs whatever trains he wants through whatever settings he desires. And they can be from the postwar or modern eras. Gordy enjoys having the freedom to use items that may not be O scale in their dimensions. He can add toy-like loaders and vehicles to realistic renditions of industrial facilities. If Gordy’s approach appeals to you, get ready to let your imagination reign as we tour the 24 x 52-foot…

The names of the dominant rail lines traversing the South before and after World War II intrigue modeler Paul Reeves. He reminisces about the Atlantic Coast Line and the Seaboard Air Line, and recalls the majestic look of the Southern Ry.’s Crescent Limited passenger train. The dazzling paint schemes applied to diesels enchant him, as do the visual images of small farms and sleepy hamlets. Translating into three dimensions on a model railroad what Paul had remembered hearing about or had glimpsed in vintage black-and-white photos and full-color publicity shots seemed impossible at first. Then he came across an article about a realistic O gauge display in an early issue of Classic Toy Trains. All of a sudden, what Paul had only dreamed of accomplishing struck him as eminently possible.…

A long and meaningful career as a clinical psychologist has shown Dennis Canali how individuals pass through different stages in their lives, gaining experience and knowledge, changing priorities, improving relationships, and acquiring a richer, deeper sense of self. Dennis has learned much from talking with clients and conversing with professional colleagues. He understands in particular how hobbies, arts, and sports positively influence how people mature and heighten their personal satisfaction. Looking within, Dennis sees the many benefits playing with toy trains has had since coming of age in Massachusetts after World War II. Model railroading has been a notable part of his life, even if he has left it behind for long periods. Ready to enter retirement, Dennis returned to the O gauge niche and speaks optimistically of the different…

What a notable year for American railroading 2019 has turned out to be. To start, the U.S. commemorated the 150th anniversary of the completion of the Transcontinental Railroad. Then on a smaller yet no less significant level, Lionel enthusiasts celebrated the 70th anniversary of the opening of the Showroom Layout at the company’s onetime New York headquarters. Classic Toy Trains marked the event by showcasing Brian Miller’s new recreation of that influential O gauge display But 10 years after crowds of sales representatives and families flocked to the Lionel office in midtown Manhattan to admire the three-rail layout there, an enterprising young man living over in New Jersey started work on an O gauge railroad he boldly named the Delaware & Raritan Valley. Stan Trzoniec was like untold numbers of…