David L. Farquhar, computer security professional, train hobbyist, and landlord
Lionel trains have a reputation for high quality, but like any machine, you have to take care of them. Here’s how to maintain Lionel trains to ensure they last another generation or two.
Even if you run your trains a lot, your trains should only need maintenance every few years. For about $30-$35 worth of materials, you can ensure your Lionel trains have a long, productive life.
Lionel enthusiasts, especially postwar enthusiasts, talk about Magne-Traction a lot. But what is a Magne-Traction train, and what makes it special?
Magne-Traction was a feature Lionel introduced in the 1950s. By putting magnets in the driver wheels, a Magne-Traction train can pull more, climb steeper grades, and run at higher speeds without derailing on sharp curves.
For the last couple of years, in early November, retailers started carrying the North Pole Express Christmas train set, an inexpensive battery-operated train set. But there are two distinct, and very different North Pole Express sets. Here’s what you need to know.
The North Pole Express sets are made by Scientific Toys/Eztec, though the branding may or may not appear anywhere on the box. The trains are made mostly of plastic and operate on batteries, and sell at price points of $10 and $50.
Lionel Fastrack is certainly popular, but tubular track retains a cult following even as others love to hate it. Let’s take a look at Lionel tubular track vs Fastrack.
Lionel tubular track was the standard on Lionel layouts for nearly a century until Lionel introduced Fastrack, a track system with integrated plastic roadbed and a wider radius. Both track systems have their uses, though Fastrack has proven immensely popular.
The fiberboard insulators in prewar electric train motors can break or warp over time. If that happens, you have options besides plundering one from another motor. Here’s how to replace or repair the fiberboard insulator in a train motor.
From time to time, I see the topic of investing in model trains, whether Lionel, Marklin, scale brass models, or any other niche come up. There was a time when people make a lot of money doing that. Sad to say, for the most part that window of opportunity is closed.
It’s certainly possible to make money at your hobby. But investing in collectibles tends to be fleeting, so it’s something you should approach with extreme caution.
Sometimes you’ll find Marx train cars with Lionel couplers on them. The first thought is someone changed the trucks, but closer inspection reveals those are Marx trucks under the car. How’d they do it? Here’s the secret of converting Marx couplers to Lionel.
Both Lionel and Marx made adapters for this purpose in the 1950s. Marx’s adapter was intentional; Lionel’s adapter just happened to fit both its cars and Marx.
Plastimarx is a frequently misunderstood toy maker of old. It was part of Louis Marx’s post-WWII expansion into foreign markets, specifically Mexico. But how and when it came about and ended are all a bit unclear. Let’s try to clear it up.
Plastimarx’s slogan translated to “They are beautiful, they are durable, they are Plastimarx toys.” It was perhaps the last piece of Louis Marx’s toy empire to fall, surviving until 1991.
I saw a complaint on a discussion board recently that someone couldn’t find straight answers in regards to Marx tender values anywhere online. Maybe my previous guidance wasn’t specific enough, so I’ll give it another try.
I have good news and bad news for you. The bad news is that most Marx tenders are worth around $10. Some are worth more, but that’s a fairly short list.
O27 track clips definitely make it more convenient to set up a loop of Lionel O27 track on the floor. But they aren’t very intuitive. Here’s how to use O27 track clips, whether they have the Lionel or Ives brand on them.