Toy trains Archives

Are Lionel trains O gauge?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains July 21, 2022July 27, 2022

Are Lionel trains O gauge? Lionel’s brand name practically became synonymous with O gauge, but not all O gauge trains are Lionel. And not all Lionel trains are O gauge either.

Dave Farquhar

David Farquhar is a computer security professional, entrepreneur, and author. He has written professionally about computers since 1991, so he was writing about retro computers when they were still new. He has been working in IT professionally since 1994 and has specialized in vulnerability management since 2013. He holds Security+ and CISSP certifications. Today he blogs five times a week, mostly about retro computers and retro gaming covering the time period from 1975 to 2000.

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx roadbed track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains July 14, 2022June 4, 2022

Marx roadbed track is a curiosity today, but it was a cheap way for them to improve their track in the 1960s to try to make their trains more competitive.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Lionel 116 station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 30, 2022April 30, 2022

The Lionel 116 station is a popular if impractical centerpiece for pre-war tinplate layouts. Also known as the double station, it is an enlarged version of the Lionel 115 station and shares many of its characteristics. While best suited for standard gauge trains, its design does lend itself to o gauge. It’s a majestic station for large layouts, but it’s easier to squeeze the smaller 115 station into a typical layout.

The Lionel 116 is the largest station Lionel produced, eclipsing the similar 115 station. 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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

How to disassemble a Lionel 1110 or similar Scout locomotive

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 23, 2022October 22, 2022

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Best postwar Lionel transformer

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 16, 2022April 10, 2022

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Lionel T-Rail track

Dave Farquhar Toy trains June 2, 2022September 7, 2023

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx Glendale station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains May 26, 2022May 19, 2022

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx Girard station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains May 19, 2022October 7, 2022

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

What is Delrin?

Dave Farquhar Toy trains May 12, 2022March 26, 2023

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 injection mold parts with it like other plastics such as styrene or ABS, but it is slippery and self-lubricating.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net

Marx Oak Park station

Dave Farquhar Toy trains May 2, 2022August 5, 2022

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.

Dave Farquhar

dfarq.homeip.net