Classic Toy Trains January 2011

BUILD BETTER AND BUY SMARTER
By Carl Swanson
Index of The Fundamentals, time-tested advice from the experts at Classic Toy Trains magazine.
pg. 41

DESIGN A LAYOUT SCENE
By Roger Carp
Five steps to an eye-catching vignette, with photos by Dennis Brennan.
pg. 42

PAINT A MOUNTAIN BACKDROP
By Ray Stuber
Create a wider world for your trains.
pg. 44

KNOW WHAT TO COLLECT
By Peter H. Riddle
Getting what you love without losing your shirt!
pg. 46

REPAIR LIONEL OPERATING CARS
By Ray L. Plummer
How to tune up postwar classics.
pg. 48

EVALUATE A CLASSIC TRAIN SET
By Kent Johnson
Tips and tricks from an expert collector.
pg. 50

WIRE YOUR LAYOUT
By Bob Keller
Know these track power basics.
pg. 52

CHANGE A TRACTION TIRE
By Bob Keller
Restore the pulling power of modern locomotives.
pg. 54

AVOID COMMON MISTAKES
By CTT Staff
Four lessons we learned the hard way.
pg. 55

DISCOVERED! AMAZING PHOTOS OF LIONEL'S 1948 SHOWROOM LAYOUT
By Roger Carp
FOCUS ON CLASSICS: A recent discovery sheds new light on Lionel's famous Panorama display.
pg. 34

VISIT AN O GAUGE CLUB THAT HONORS NEW ENGLAND'S HERITAGE
By Roger Carp
A Connecticut club layout inspired by the rich history of its home region.
pg. 58

THINKING OUTSIDE THE BOX ON A DETAILED O GAUGE LAYOUT
By Roger Carp
Otto Nicholas Jr. built a great layout instead of boxing up his trains again.
pg. 64

A LIFELONG HOBBY WAS INSPIRED BY A 1949 LIONEL STARTER SET
By Terry Thomann
FOCUS ON CLASSICS: Memories from the 1950s led to an O gauge layout a half-century later.
pg. 70

BUILDING BETTER BENCHWORK
By Stanley Trzoniec
HOW-TO: Planning, patience, and precision are the keys to a solid layout foundation.
pg. 72

THE FIRST TOY TRAIN RECALL
By Mike Cavanaugh
FOCUS ON CLASSICS: A bad day at Gilbert's Hall of Science.
pg. 78