Classic Toy Trains February 2021
CLASSIC TOY TRAINS BRINGS YOU O AND S GAUGE FOR THE OPERATOR AND COLLECTOR. SEE THE NEWEST TRAINS FROM LIONEL, MTH, ATLAS O AND OTHERS; LEARN ABOUT TRACK PLANNING, WIRING AND LAYOUT CONSTRUCTION; IDENTIFY AND REPAIR OLD LIONEL AND AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS; AND VISIT THE MOST INSPIRING TOY TRAIN LAYOUTS EVER BUILT.
in this issue
staying in control
I’m a little ashamed to admit this. Until I came to Classic Toy Trains, I’d never run an O or S gauge train – well, any train, really – with my smartphone using an app. I was a strict adherent to conventional control, or at least used a fixed box or dedicated controller. To me, moving the throttles and pressing the buttons was just part of the deal. I see from our surveys running trains with transformers is important to a lot of you, too. Conversely, I also recognize many of you have embraced command control. There’s a ton to love about it, especially the sound and locomotive functions. There was a time I wasn’t sure I needed all that stuff. Moving sliders on the face of my phone to get trains…
photo album
RAY BEDARD’S O GAUGE MODULE At the drop of a hat, Ray Bedard will tell you how much fun he and the other members of the Golden Gate Lionel Railroad Club have every time they set up their 18 x 35-foot O gauge modular layout at the Hiller Aviation Museum in San Carlos, Calif. The most recent Trains and Planes exhibit held at that facility provided Ray with a terrific opportunity to run and photograph his Lionel no. 34738 Northern Pacific GP9 road diesel while telling children and their families about the hobby. ERNIE WEBER’S O GAUGE MODEL RAILROAD The eye-catching scene Ernie Weber photographed on his O gauge layout, like virtually all the other finished areas, brings back sweet memories of the operating displays of Lionel trains and accessories he admired during…
memories of layout wiring
The picture of the front cover from the Lionel catalog for 1913 that was used in the article, “The early world of Lionel displays” (January 2020 Classic Toy Trains) caught my attention because my Uncle Paul powered one of his O gauge layouts the same way back in 1938! Wires descending from a light fixture directed household current to his transformer so he could run his brand-new Lionel no. 766W passenger outfit. – Dr. Wesley Swartz, Taylorsville, N.C. TUBULAR TRACK LIVES ON I very much enjoyed the article about Steve Brown’s traditional track layout that appeared in the November 2020 issue. I believe tubular track does have a place on modern layouts. I have quite a bit of tubular track on my own layout. I have used it for more than 50…
walthers acquires chooch enterprises
Mike O’Connell, founder of Chooch Enterprises, has sold his company to Milwaukee-based Wm. K. Walthers Inc. O’Connell announced his retirement in 2020 (see May 2020 CTT – Editor), along with his intent to close the business. The sale means the popular resin and flexible vinyl scenery products will continue to be available to modelers. O’Connell says all orders will be forwarded to Walthers for fulfillment. “After some 46 years in business, I want to thank you all for your support!” O’Connell says. “It’s been a wonderful time for me. Imagine having a dream come true; making a living creating products for our great hobby! “Now I hope to have time to really work on my layout!” Walthers will purchase all assets of Chooch Enterprises, including all tooling and inventory of the Chooch resin-cast scenery…
news & products
WHAT’S THE PLAN? Bob Osterhoff has released Greenberg’s Guide to Marx Instruction Sheets. The DVD ($40 plus $3.75 shipping) includes the complete out-of-print book originally published in 1992. Approximately 700 pages. The DVD can be viewed on Windows and Mac-based computers. To order, write Bob Osterhoff, 1622 Garden Valley Dr., Wildwood, MO 63038, call 636-458-3659, or visit trainpaper.com. THE O-GAUGEFORUM.COM is offering a Lionel 2021 Legacy SD70ACe locomotive in its forum livery at $495 plus shipping. A $250 deposit is due when ordering, and the balance is to be paid prior to shipping. You don’t have to be a member of the OGF to order the engine; however, membership is free. This engine design is one of the most unique and colorful in O gauge, and it will complement past and…
from kalmbachhobbystore.com
MAKING MEMORIES. Families and Electric Trains is a 100-page special issue from Classic Toy Trains magazine. It’s a great collection of 15 uplifting stories of families, their love of electric trains, and how the hobby brings people together. Print and digital issues are $13.99 each. A print and digital combo is available for $19.99. The digital edition is compatible with PC, Android, iOS, and Win8 devices. HAPPY ANNIVERSARY. The Milwaukee, Racine & Troy, the freelanced HO scale railroad of our sister magazine Model Railroader, celebrated its 45th anniversary in 2020. To mark the milestone, the editorial staff produced the 84-page special issue Milwaukee, Racine & Troy: The Inside Story of Model Railroader’s Club Layout. The magazine features new articles covering the history of the original and current layouts, a diesel locomotive…
