Classic Toy Trains March 2021

I don’t have to tell you that so much has happened in the last 12 months. You’d have to have been asleep under a big, well-insulated rock without cable or cell phone service to think otherwise. One happening was the closure of S Gaugian magazine and the welcoming of its readers to the Classic Toy Trains family. We enjoy having you here! We’d like you to stay with us, but we also need your help. We’re looking for more S gauge material to feature in the magazine and on Trains.com. We’re looking for layouts, how-to stories, information on collectible items, and videos. A mix of old and new would be good – Gilbert American Flyer, American Models, S-Helper Service, Lionel, MTH, and any others are all welcome here. If you’re interested in writing…

I just read the wonderful article in the November 2020 Classic Toy Trains by Franklin Pennell about the Lionel set he received for Christmas of 1947. The same two pages of the consumer catalog that showed the set he dreamed of and got – O-27 outfit no. 1443WS – also showed the set I received. The no. 1437WS, a four-car freight train led by a no. 2025 steam engine and tender, still runs like a top! It has pride of place in my train room. Thanks for the memories. – Bob Hughes, Santa Ana, Calif. MORE PAN-M-BOB Thanks for your article on the Pan-M-Bob turntable in the September 2020 CTT. I was so intrigued I went to the garage and pulled out the turntable bridge I bought for $10 several years…

WILLIAM DECKER’S O GAUGE LAYOUT Highly realistic landscaping and a superb photo backdrop enhance the appearance of the compact O gauge railroad William Becker developed at his home in San Francisco, Calif., for the roster of Marx trains he’s been assembling for many years. Of course, what really sets his three-rail layout apart just may be the network of pantographs and overhead wires. Not many O gaugers go to the trouble of adding those fascinating details, especially if the locomotives and rolling stock they like most have an unmistakable toy-like appearance. For Bill, the stark contrast is what makes his layout different in the best sense. We definitely agree with him. DOUG HARDESTY’S O GAUGE LAYOUT The red-painted nose with yellow striping that’s spelled “warbonnet” for generations of toy train hobbyists roars past…

I guess you could say I was a reluctant convert to command-control operation. I was happy with conventional. My basement layout was originally designed for three independent main lines, so I could run the same number of trains without worrying about a collision. Sad to say, the job pretty much required my using TrainMaster, ProtoSound/DCS, and even the short-lived LocoMatic. I found the controllers offered too many choices to do things other than start or stop, change direction, and trigger sounds. I played my iPod through the command system once, and I was never motivated enough to come up with an automated routine to have the system run the O gauge trains by itself. Only with the arrival of app-based command control did I enthusiastically climb on that train. Simple is good. IT TOOK…

MERRY LIONEL CHRISTMAS. The Lionel Collectors Club of America (LCCA) has announced its Christmas 2020 boxcar exclusively for members. The O gauge model, priced at $84.95, was produced in the U.S. by Lionel. It features die-cast metal sprung trucks, operating couplers, sliding doors, and a metal frame. The limited-edition boxcar will be sold on a first-come, first served basis. To order the boxcar (limit one per club member), visit lionelcollectors.org or call the LCCA business office at 815-223-0115 during regular business hours. STEEL INDUSTRY WORKHORSE. Atlas O is offering its 42-foot coil steel car (scale model shown) in new paint schemes and road numbers. New road numbers are offered on O gauge models decorated for Norfolk Southern (Protect III scheme) and CSX (dark blue and yellow). New paint schemes include Indiana…

Roadside America, the family-run indoor miniature village and toy train museum in Shartlesville, Pa., announced its closure in November 2020. The owners had been looking to sell the attraction for the past three years, but couldn’t find a buyer. Eventually growing to cover 8,000 square feet, Roadside America was created by Laurence Gieringer in 1935. The display has been family run for decades and was most recently featured in the new Classic Toy Trains special issue, Families and Electric Trains, available at www.KalmbachHobbyStore.com.…