I now have a 20 month old son and am really looking forward to getting back into the hobby I spent all of my own childhood in While HO scale is my thing, for the holidays I’m fortunate enough to have a collection of Lionel trains. One set is a new gift from 2002. Another is the first set we received as kids from my grandparents in 1975. Still running Amtrak set. And finally, my father in law just passed on his family’s set, the prewar Lionel set from 1946! Works great.
Anyway, my general question is - where do I start for getting information online. I love to do research before doing anything. Just looking for questions, ideas, feedback. I didnt see a dedicated Lionel forum here, so not sure if this is the place. I also have a Greenberg’s Lionel book several hundred pages long. Oh, and i just setup 2 4x8 sheets of plywood on saw horses in the basement. Took my son to his first exhibit last weekend. I think we’re ready!
Welcome. This is the place. Ask about anything you want and someone is almost sure to have an answer. Several replies with different options are often offered.
Some very knowledgeable Lionel folks here, although this particular forum tends more to the O gauge, rather than HO.
A subscription to the two hobby O gauge magazines would be useful. Perhaps an even better idea would be to look to EBay/train show for deals on back issue collections, usually available at nominal cost + S&H.
Welcome again to the forum For O/S gauge. You may want to be careful as the old O bug may re-bite as it has a few in here who were HO guys. But anyway with the new things we have today you can go as simple as you wish for or you can get TMCC and get either a Power master or TPC and cables to go with it and run your conventional trains via remote control or you can go as far and install TMCC in your conventional engines and add train sounds to it also.
Theres a lot to be done in O now days to make it more real than most realize. If you go buy a TMCC engine you’ll probably end up with coil couplers where you can uncouple any where on the layout as long as you have TMCC ( and you can get away with this as low in cost as buying a command base and a controller if you have a TMC
PC, welcome to “Classic Toy Trains Forum”. Lots of guys with plenty of knowledge in the hobby. A few thoughts:
First, track can be very inexpensive, or very expensive depending on which type you go with. Lionel Tubular track is inexpensive, but not “realistic” (though it could be made to look good). Also, there are a few makers with very realistic looks and even some with plastic trackbed included. These tend to be a bit on the expensive side. Either way, you decide and have fun with the results.
Second, all the O gauge trains should work with all the systems, the only exception being some of the older locomotives had the gears to all the way to the end of the wheel flange. If this is the case with your ‘passed down trains’, they may have issues crossing the turnouts.
Third, you should already know about power requirements on the layout you are making from your HO experience. Just make sure that any older transformers have power cords that are intact. Many folks find it better to have a separate transformer to feed the needs of accessories and even turnouts. (this way, you don’t need to have the power high enough to throw a turnout while the train is on it).
Also, since your child is very young, they tend to like boxcars with opening doors and gondolas that they can fill with stuff. Some sets can be purchased for little over $100 and they are geared towards the younger enthusiasts. Sets like “Thomas the Tank Engine” that also come with “Fastrack” and a transformer. Save the Fastrack for around the Christmas Tree if you decide to not use it on the main layout.
One last thing, since you are into HO, you may want to check out the “Model Railroader” forums for your own interests as they have some good threads over there. Same group that brings this forum to us. You can find them at
Wow, thanks so much for all of the feedback and warm welcomes. Wasnt expecting this much. Ok, some feedback and more questions.
wyomingscout - you metion O guage. thats one of my ques - it looks like my three sets use slightly different track. all looks the same “width” but the older track from 1946 has much thicker ties so the track is raised higher off the table. plus, i think one of the set’s boxes says like O/27 or something. am i right to think the term “lionel” actually encompasses more than one guage?
8ntruck - you got it. already have it setup and have run a few engines. can we post pics on here? see below for details on my layout.
dweimer - right now I wont need any track but thats good to know when i do need some. have to check out what the tubular track looks like. maybe thats what i habve now?
All of my power sources look ok. the one from 1946 is something like a “ZW” transformer. huge, heavy and two dials for running two trains i guess. it seems to power one engine fine. but its gonna take awhile to understand how to really use it. good point about using different power sources for accessories.
Right now I have 3 sources. the big ZW, the one that came with my new set in 2002. and also the one from the 70’s. it does something i remember from growing up - if the engine deraills, i guess it causes some sort of short b/c the transformer shuts down for a few mins and wont work. kinda worries me.
Good point about Thomas the Engine. My son JUST started getting into him. good idea about the fast track and using it for under the tree.
I will probably hold off and spend the majority of my money on the HO layout. i’ll get some neccesities (below) as needed for the Lionels. And those will
relook at the zw as there really is four controlls 2 on each side ie on the back a,b,c,& d the whistle and direction button only works on the outer 2 controlls the inter two you have to turn off and on for forward,nuetral, and reverse. and get a relay for horn for each one.
you talk about one track taller than other well taller is O shorter is O27
Lionel started with 2 7/8-inch gauge and has made trains in a variety of gauges; but the great majority of their production has been O gauge and that is undoubtedly what you have. The gauge is 1 1/4 inches (in the US). However, Lionel referred to their original heavy-duty track as “O” and the lighter track acquired from Ives as “O27” (because it made a 27-inch diameter circle to the ends of the ties). Nowadays, “O” is usually called “O31”, or sometimes “O30”. It sounds like this is what you have. It is “tubular” track, made of folded tin-plated steel, with metal ties every few inches.
The radius of O27 track, to the center rail, is 12.5 inches. The radius of O31 is 14.142 inches. There are also curves made in other radii, like O34, O42, O54, and O72. The terminology is ambiguous, however, since (except for O34) it is not clear from these designations whether the track resembles O27 or O31.
Then there are the modern track systems with more realistic rails and ties, and plastic roadbeds. These generally do not mate easily with tubular track nor with each other. The Lionel brand comes with curves of diameters that are multiples of 12 inches. In this case they measure to the center rail, not to the outsides of the ties.
The electrical resistance of the track and particularly of the rail joints is what is slowing down your trains. You can cure this by improving the joints, by tightening the female rail ends or, my preference, soldering the joints. I remove the pins so that I can remove track sections without ripping up long stretches. The other approach is to run feeders, that is, extra heavy-gauge wires to supply current to the track at multiple points. The track itself is roughly equivalent to 16 AWG wire; so I recommend using no smaller than 14 AWG for feeders. This is also the lightest wire that is safe to use with your ZW transformer, which has a 15-ampere circuit breaker. You should connect the U terminal of your transformer to the outside rails.
I simply screw my O27 track to plywood with number-4 pan-head sheet-metal screws. Some operators dislike the noisiness of this method and will surely advise you on other, more complicated attachment methods.
The Staff and members of the Classic Toy Train Forum are very considerate and helpful.
Ask any question you have and you’ll get plenty of helpful advice and answers.
While HO scale is my thing, for the holidays I’m fortunate enough to have a collection of Lionel trains. One set is a new gift from 2002. Another is the first set we received as kids from my grandparents in 1975. Still running Amtrak set. And finally, my father in law just passed on his family’s set, the prewar Lionel set from 1946! Works great.