Toy trains

Disassembling a Lionel 1110 or similar Scout 2-4-2 or 4-2-2 locomotive isn’t too difficult. The biggest problem is knowing where the three screws are that you have to remove.

These particular locomotives weren’t really designed to be repaired, but there’s some basic work you can do on them with household tools. You can also replace dead motors with motors from certain other locomotives to get these trains running again if they have sentimental value to you. My 1110, which was my Dad’s first train, falls into that category for me, so I understand.

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What’s the best postwar Lionel transformer? Arguably there might be two contenders. But the Lionel KW and ZW definitely stand above the rest. Here are their advantages and disadvantages.

Arguably the best Lionel postwar transformer is the one you have. But if you’re looking for an upgrade, there are two worth considering above all the others: the Lionel KW and ZW.

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Lionel T-Rail track was high end pre-war O gauge track. It was available from 1935 to 1942, and Lionel featured it on its legendary 1937 showroom layout in New York City.

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The Marx Glendale station is the largest tinplate passenger train stations Marx produced during the post-war era. It, along with three other stations, replaced an earlier, smaller, and less ambitious station from the pre-war era, and solved more than one problem for Marx.

The Marx Glendale station bore the name of the West Virginia town where its largest factory stood. It had three variants, including one that played back a voice recording when you turned a crank.

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The Marx Girard station is one of three tinplate train stations Marx produced during the post-war era. They replaced an earlier, smaller, and less ambitious station from the pre-war era, and solved more than one problem for Marx.

The Marx Girard station had a long production run, from around 1950 to 1973. Marx named the station after the town in Pennsylvania where its train factory stood.

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Perhaps the most lasting legacy of Model Products Corporation on the history of Lionel trains was its use of a material called Delrin. And their competitors, including Marx and K-Line, quickly started using it too. But what is Delrin, and why was it better than the tried and true stuff Lionel Corporation used?

Delrin is a trademark of DuPont, a type of plastic called Polyoxymethylene POM. You can cast parts from it like other plastics such as styrene or ABS, but it is slippery and self-lubricating.

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The Marx Oak Park station is one of three tinplate train stations Marx produced during the post-war era. They replaced an earlier, smaller, and less ambitious station from the pre-war era, and solved more than one problem for Marx.

The Marx Oak Park station had a long production run, from around 1950 to 1973. Marx named the station after the home of a Sears executive they were negotiating with.

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The Lionel 115 station is a popular centerpiece for pre-war tinplate layouts. While best suited for standard gauge trains, its design does lend itself to o gauge, and it was one of Lionel’s pre-war designs that went back into production during the post-war era. Its first run lasted from 1935 to 1942, with a revival from 1946 to 1949.

The Lionel 115 is the second largest station Lionel produced, second only to the 116 station, which has a similar appearance. Its design was inspired by New York city’s Grand Central station, but it used selective compression to give the impression of a big city station without taking the space that would be required of a true scale model.

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There’s a lot less interest in Marx’s short-lived 7-inch line, than in their other lines, but they can be useful cars. For example, with the appropriate trucks under them, they can add some variety to Marx’s metal scale cars. While they’re not quite 1:64 scale in most cases, they’re close enough that they look fine with them. Here’s how to convert Marx 7-inch to 8 wheels.

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Unique Art Manufacturing Co of New Jersey was a manufacturer of tin lithographed toys, based in New York City and Newark, New Jersey. It was founded in 1914 and faded away between 1951 and 1955. Its president, Samuel Berger (not Bergman), was an inventor with at least four patents to his name, and his company was one of the few U.S. makers of tin lithographed toys in the postwar era.

There is a great deal of incorrect information floating around about the little known company, including the name of its president and founder.

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