Train fairs are a fucking scam. Last time i went to one and i got a Jeco Hg loco the seller promised for the loco to be running and digital but the loco had mached gears and no decoder
I've said this a lot to people in this hobby: HO is focused on realism O is focused on fun Some people in this hobby are really not friendly to beginners or people who model different scales, which is a shame. This hobby should be open and fun for everyone! Also, maybe try an On30 locomotive? O scale, but gauged for HO scale track to represent narrow gauge.
HO (post 80’s-90’s), N, and Z are definitely more for scale modellers, while G and O are more geared to people who want a fun train that’s somewhere in between a model and a toy. It is really weird to see people gate-keep either “branch” of modelling, at the end of the day we’re all still nerds who like trains
I agree,HO and n scale is way too fragile especially when I own plenty of them. And I’m not too qualified of dealing with delicate train models. O gauge and G scale is slightly more practical but I think I’m leaning towards o gauge.
They must hate me! I have N, HO, O, and G! It's ALL ABOUT FUN! I literally cringe when I hear these old timers talking about specific locos and such. It's like the comic book nerds! OHHHH. LOL They look down on many who just do not care about that stuff! Some, just want to enjoy the trains running around! I buy the cheap stuff and any deals on any scales! It's all about fun, creativity, and not being locked into the mindset everything MUST be the best of the best. Too many killed this hobby off IMHO with that B.S. Lionel did a great job bringing the FUN back. I haven't touch O gauge on count of all the older greedy bast'rd's buying up everything. NOw, they are dead, stuff went way down in value. Sad to go to train shows, and see the same B.S. starting up again with extremely overpriced trains! There's an obvious effort to inflate pricing once again! Don't DO IT! SHOP around and stay the heck away from the thieves at the train shows! They are selling at prices well above actual value! Those values are set artificially based on an attempt to recreate 'the good old days' of over valued toys! The heck with them! Buy Bachmann. Buy Tyco! By cheap! Enjoy the left overs of 10 year old tech as the snobs moved on to $1500-$3500 modern tech engines. FUN FUN FUN . I seriously will start a channel calling out the snobs and the rip off artists! I have personally documented these train specialized stores, buying product local for a dollar and selling it for $7.00! Does that sound friendly? That sounds like a car sales person. Not someone interested in promoting the hobby! Monster markups are just not justified! NOW is the time to find vintage O scale for virtually nothing! I've picked up beautiful engines for $80 in perfect condition! K-Line, TMCC, Mint condition Diesel. $80! At the shows? Try $200. SAME EXACT THING! Why? Because they can. Funny, not many are buying their nonsense either! Can't wait for another giant crash of the greedy dealers and collectors! I'll be waiting, just as I did for O scale to crash! Took 30 years, but it did crash big time!
As somebody who has O scale, welcome to the club. I love my premium o scale equipment,but nothing gives me more dopamine than watching my Williams ten wheeler at full power yeet itself into Lincoln log.
I'm a rivet counter, and I can sort of see where you're coming from. I think that demanding quality for the prices most manufacturers are selling for isn't annoying though. When brass models in O Scale 2 Rail are cheaper than the newest 3 Rail Lionel offerings, and are often more detailed and run better (even on DC), it's hard to argue the value for money is good for new products in the hobby.
As a postwar Lionel collector and operator, I can’t agree more with your comment about how the modern offerings are out of touch with people who just want to watch a train run in circles lol. But yes, post more about your ongoing journey to the dark side of nonrealistic but fun O gauge trains!
Does any one remember Lionel's Film called "The wonderful world of trains" That film really showed people how fun trains used to be and not just realistic toys for Rivet counters
I got my start in O gauge when my dad bought a little layout jam-packed with scenery and a MTH train set to go with it. For my birthday I got the erics trains es44 which i was super happy to get. (I also ordered the matching caboose as well) I would say that O gauge is very fun to just mess around with. No matter how old, they will keep on chugging along like they are brand new.
Great video. I like how you are interested in a lot of the older items. I can’t remember the last time I heard somebody say they didn’t want fast track but instead wanted to old tubular track. I love it! I would love to see more o gauge content
Welcome to the O Gauge world my friend. As someone who’s been into O Gauge for a long time, it’s great to see others discover the magic of these trains.
I've loved trains since I was a little kid, and I'm 70 now. I don't have any permanent layout because I have no room for it, but I own a set of HO, N and Z scale. Recently I bought a small set of O gauge from Menard's (I had to mail order it because there are no Menard's stores near me). I only rarely play with any of them, but there is film of all of them running here on the Tube. I enjoyed your video.
I got into O gauge when a guy who brings my family and I firewood brought me a Lionel O gauge train set, I've since increased it to several Lionel postwar, one Lionchief locomotive, and three Bachmann Williams locomotives. You should get a Bachmann Williams 4-6-0, I got one of my own, and even after doing a repair job on its tender, she's a good runner
Keep on training on,o gauge is fun,my grandpa has a o scale in a storage room in the basement/ground floor of his house,it consists of:1 steam locomotive with tender(the steam engine resembles the Blue Streak Freight set,but black metal,and has a 3 wheel driving configuration),the loco used to have bogie things on the front and back,but they had to be removed,the tender is nothing special,1 big black flatbed type car with walls(possibly a coal carrier,resembles the red flatbed type car,but of course,black)tanker,the tank part is grey,1 caboose,a billion straight and curved track pieces(im exaggerating,but there is a lot of them,they resemble the track your friend gave you,but cleaner and most of the pieces have black ties),and 2 switches(a bit rusty,but still functional,and even detailed with red and green signals,solid,not transparent,and no lights,which you turn to switch the track,it’s on a big black base,and is Less compact than your switches)
Santa brought my father and I my first layout in 1949.Two Lionel post war sets, Pensy GG1, steam turbine.Still working in my garage. I'm 78.Thank you Mr. Cowen.Yes start the O series. I keep ordering from Menard's. Just got the movie theatre! I have a working drive-in.I play intermissions all night!
I grew up on Lionel O gauge and only got into HO within the last few years. Even though I love my fancy new HO trains, there really is just something special about old Lionel. :)
One of the fun things about O guage is that there are so many options. O guage trains have such a long history that one may choose from over a century of toy trains and they will all run on the same track. There are so many fine products from the long history of Lionel, but there are also great trains, rolling stock, and accessories from Marx, K-line, Pre-War American Flyer, Williams, and so many lesser known makers and it will all run on that track from Menards. It opens up over ahundred years worth of fun for the collector and operator.
9:52 a lot of the more modern o gauge engines can run at reasonably prototypical speeds. I’d also reccomend going with a minimum curve radius of O 54 although I highly recommend o72 curves. The higher speeds won’t cause derailments, and if you ever get any larger engines, a lot of them won’t run on O31 (some of older “scale” sized ones can be found for reasonable prices at train shows and occasionally on the used market online). Great video. The old postwar and MPC stuff can be really fun
Traditional O is about fun, a reminder that sometimes it's just nice to sit down and play trains. Would definitely watch more O gauge stuff if you do it. Do O-27 myself, lets me squeeze a lot of train action into a fairly small space. Big fan of the operating accesories like the loaders and dumpers, gives the trains something to do. Have you considered mounting your track to a board with some casters on the bottom so you can just stow a layout under a couch or bed so you don't have to keep taking it apart?
Understandable, was in that situation myself for the longest time until I cleaned out an old closet to make a little train room. Could always make it fold up, one side being the layout and the other being shelving or suchlike you could use when the layout's folded up.
If you want to get really far down the rabbit hole, i recommend looking into lionel postwar operating accessories. Especially the ones that will unload cargo from the freight cars.
I have some of those, my favorite is the tower with a red and green signal light on top that balances on a lightbulb that simultaneously illuminates it while also making it spin, but I fear the day it finally burns out because where in the world am I gonna get another lightbulb that has a dent in the top of it?
Thanks for a great vid! O gauge has it's high points, not to mention some history to it. The first train set I ever played with was an old, hand me down Marx set that first belonged to my older brother. At some point someone gave me an old lionel engine and tender and some track. I still remember my dad showing me how to make the smoke work and playing with set with me, one of my fondest and earliest memories. It's been over 40 years since I had an o gauge, now I have a Marx wind up set in o gauge. Marx made nice sets, and I'm glad to be back into it. Best of luck to you!
I currently have a Menards Weathered Santa Fe Boxcar and a Reading and Northern Hopper. The couplings for both cars which I obtained in 2019 have this metal latch on the bottom which means you have to pull the latch to get the coupling to open. (Not Lionel-Style) I'm curious to see how buying new Menards freight wagons will turn out for me. BTW, In case anyone is wondering, Menards has their model trains in their stores for a few months up to christmas. But they are sold year-round online so that's good news.
This video strikes a real chord with many viewers….it sums up the addictive nature of O gauge. You have a fun layout, and that’s what it is all about. Now add a Lionel 60 trolley, and you are well on your way!
I'm at that stage in life where I'm getting back into the hobby. Although I had HO, O, and G as a kid, I'm diving head first into O. There's just a level of fun in that gauge that the other's can't replicate. If I wanted something real, I'd go outside. I want to recreate the kind of operating and interactive layout that my local hobby shop had. PS: I just subbed, so I'd love to see more O gauge content!
I just joined your channel…I started HO….took me one year to convert…I agree with previous comments….MPC Williams K Line for engines easily available for engines affordable…Menards a God sent for track cars and buildings
Looks like your off to a great start! Love your general! I just got back into o gauge trains just this year after some 35 to 40 years! My start was with marx wind up trains. Now I have two wind up loco's and two electric ones. The fun thing about o gauge is that you can do what you want to and no one will really care. (at least for me) I wish you luck, and thanks for sharing!
In one of his books, Tom McComas writes an interesting story about your 8303 Blue Streak locomotive. Both the 8303 and what became known as the "Baby Madison" passenger cars were first produced in 1973. Lionel was actually considering mating the cheap plastic 8303 with some equally cheap matching passenger cars and calling it the... wait for it now...The Blue Comet! They even made prototypes! Thankfully long time Lionel employee Lennie Dean talked them out of it; saying they should save the Blue Comet name for a higher quality set. Which Lionel did in 1978, using a MUCH higher quality metal 4-6-4 Hudson and upgraded with 6 wheel metal trucks version of the Baby Madison cars!
O-gauge for me has always been the one where you can get away with more silly stuff. I'd probably collect some, too, but I don't have much room in my house, lol.
Yes, until recently, you could get a O gauge set with 0-27 track and it would fit into a smaller space then your HO sets. Yes, the wider radius track looks better and you can run the trains faster on that curves, but it does take up more space. Just like the true to scale stuff. Hopefully is a month I will have a 45" by 162" set up in my kitchen area. Problem is I found that the floor has a problem and needs fixed ASAP, now by me, and maybe the foundation is in question as well. So this has delayed my next rain set up plans and I hate it... A set up like yours would fit in that spot.
I’ve been getting back into O gauge over the last few years. Buying stuff like the operating accessories from Lionel that we could never afford back in the 90s. Semi scale or postwar mostly but with at least one scale Hudson in the planning purchase stage. MTH Railking is generally a good buy and you get some unique locos like the streamliners of the 30s.
My dad had a old o gauge train and tender but with not track, or a transformer or clip. But he was at Menards and he found the tracks and the train works like a charm! He also got the transformer from a eBay listing
I have a bunch of O gauge stuff at my grandparents house. Most of it’s pretty old, with a lot of extra track which is heavily rusted in some places. All the engines work great.
Hey, I have a question as I want to get into O gauge and do a dual gauge Ho scale train layout, at 3:06 is that HO scale car riding between the middle rail and outer rail of the O gauge track? If so, the reason I want to know is because in riverside there’s a small amusement park railroad with 2 trains that have different gauges, one is 14in gauge and another is 2ft gauge, for my model I’d like to have dual gauge comparability with the 14in being HO gauge and the 2ft being O gauge
I had Lionel O gauge when I was a kid back in the '60s, a 1130 steam engine and some cars like the exploding box car that worked like a mouse trap spring when the missile hit it from my missile launcher. Such fun! Many years later I've been getting back into it. My childhood set is long gone, but I've found that I can get lots of the same stuff used on Ebay. There are apparently a lot of other guys bidding on it too, and they seem to have more money than I have, so I lose a lot of auctions. But every now and then I get something really dirt cheap because I guess nobody else wanted it. The things I get are usually advertised as 'not working', 'for parts only', 'does not run', etc. But I've found that most of the time all an old legacy engine needs is to have its motor brushes cleaned and its axles and gears oiled and it runs like new. Sometimes they come with missing parts, like the rear wheels and its hitch that connects it to the coal tender. I figured out that I can fabricate a hitch out of popsicle sticks and some wood glue that works just fine. I paint it black so it matches the engine shell and it blends in so well you would never know it was made of wood instead of metal. With a little experience I've figured out how to make all kinds of repairs on these engines and the majority of my 'does not run' 'for parts only' purchases run just fine now. Sometimes they don't even need that. My most recent acquisition on Ebay is a 8633 engine that was advertised as 'not running' and 'untested'. Nobody else bid on it so I got it for $13. (plus shipping which was another $13). When I put it on the track to see what was wrong with it, it took off and ran perfectly, no repair or maintenance or anything needed. Some sellers just don't know how to test these engines so they sell them for whatever they can get someone to pay for them, and a lot of buyers won't buy anything that is advertised as 'does not run'. Playing this game on Ebay for the past several years I now have nearly a dozen 1130 engines just like the one I had as a kid back in the '60s. And I have them all running. 😁
I still have my father's Lionel 262 steam loco and cars from 1931 that my grandfather bought for him. It runs great, and I love the ozone smell. Ever now and then l'll set up a "Carpet Central" làyout and run them.
If you want to get into trains for fun rather than realism, and you don't mind the "toy train" vibe, then get Lego 9v trains. They're indestructible. You can deliberately crash them, send them flying off stairs or the edge of a table, and the worst thing that will happen is that you'll have to reassemble the train from the Legos. There's a guy on YT who builds Lego layouts with inverted loops like a roller coaster and all kinds of crazy stunts, and his trains often turn into piles of random Lego bricks, lol. If a Lego brick breaks (which is near impossible) it can be cheaply replaced. Just keep a few baggies of various colored Lego bricks lying around if you're worried about it.
oh wow the smoke really adds something...esp when viewing the train from a low angle. so cute! i don't think i'll ever had space for a train set...but it's in the back of my mind...i don't know why..i'm not very familiar with trains..though i have ridden amtrak in the past but i normally never saw other types of trains...so i don't feel terribly connected to the freight cars
I would love to see more O gauge series. There are so many accessories to add that integrate easily into the track system and everything is just 2 wires
Son, you're a brave man indeed running traditional three-rail track on a white carpet! Watch out for oil and grease drippage! Anyway, welcome to the pure fun world of O Gauge! And this is a great time to get into it with prices dropping (some faster than others) on Post-War, MPC, and LTI Lionel products. And add to that some early MTH products are to be had pretty reasonably. Jus a few tips. For those couplers that refuse to stay shut I use plastic wire ties. As I don't do any switching a semi-permanently closed couple doesn't bother me and at any rate those ties can be easily removed with a pair of wire cutters. They're esily found in the electrical sections of most hardware stores. They may even work for holdling that Menards three-rail track together. Barring that there's track pliers made just for the purpose of crimping loose three-rail connections (Available from Henning's Trains) or you can just use a good set of pliers yourself. You've just started a fun journey and remember, "Three railers have three times the fun!"
The tubular track comes apart because it's supposed to be screwed down to a table. The LAME and expensive for no reason "FastTrack" is okay for temporary layouts and the good steel tube track is better for more permanent layouts
Modern O is expensive for sure, but I think your venture proves that as long as you stick with the second-hand market, it can be about the same or sometimes even cheaper than the smaller scales. I also recommend looking to Marx if you want more budget-friendly O Gauge items (For real! I only spent $4 on a caboose once).
You know what? I couldn’t agree more. Because I’m about to get started owning my own o gauge train set. The tubular track is way better than the fast track.
MTE!!! Please open up the tender on the blue engine and check the foam keeping the sound board from grounding with the frame. Even if the foam looks ok replace it with new foam. If the board hits the frame there’s no more sound as it fries the soundboard.
As somebody who does HO, O and Gauge 1; we need to get you into a Gauge 1. HO is good for detail, O is good for fun, but Gauge 1 is good for a true hands-on experience. You haven't run a model train, until you've run live steam.
I like O for booth fun and realism if you wanted love both. and on the opposite ends are Standard Guage for fun and HO for realism but O bridges that gap and you can really go any direction with it
I have a 12x4 ho lionel layout. A 4x4 027 lionel layout. A 27inch x 45 inch temporary Christmas 027 layout. And a 2x2 n layout. Enjoy all you scales. Great video
The preview of the Blue Streak got my attention. Yes, if you are not to picky you can get some nice working used things in almost any scale or gauge. Anyhow about the Blue Streak. You might already know this but on the sound systems of the 1970's to maybe the 1990's the electronic circuit board is setting on a piece of foam. It ages away and then the board will touch the metal bottom of the tender, then short out and die... So if you have not opened the tender you should and then remove the rotted foam and put in several layers of double sided tape, or other good foam or even cardboard. Be careful about getting it back together, that large capacitor has a spot it has to fit into inside the tender. Also many of these due to age the capacitors get weak and need to be replaced. Sadly due to the age of these if you never heard a good working one you would claim the sound of steam is just static or hum. That set was on the cover of the 1973 Lionel MPC catalog. I have several sets of the Blue Streak and a few more engines and tenders as well of that set. Other O gauge past brands to check out. MarX, Industrial Rail, RMT, Taylor made Toys, Atlas, Weaver, Williams, American Flyer, Ives, MTH, Kusan. You know many of these from that price guide you have there...
HO is a cool mix of detail and smaller size, but not too small. That being said, O guage is my all time favorite. I mean I like both, but O guage will always be my first love haha.
Ok I started with tubular track second year couldn’t run my engine cause the track shorted out, so I saw the light and switched to Fastrack no more shorts, third year I got track clips to keep the track from coming apart I had a o-31 oval connected to a o-60 oval by four switches. Is this expensive, yes but I love it.
Love menards o gauge trains and track. It's a great builder and very affordable for new stock. Does it have some issues, we'll some but not all. It's great stuff.
I wish there were a source for affordable tubular switches. Moving to a new house and thinking about building a layout in the basement... I want to run O-72 mainline curves, so it will probably run along the walls...
You know working with the layout I have here I was taking some of the track apart for that new line out track and I discovered some of our marx switches the clips for the track which is nails with the head cut off I'm serious whoever thought the idea of put nails for railroad tubular what you call them I just Call it classic Lionel track
Great video! Often times I think people forget the main point of O gauge, to be fun trains! Would like an O gauge series.
So real for being correct
My best advice: Go to train shows; The amount of stuff there is cheaper than what’s sold online
I got a clean 2350 for $100. It's kinda the star of my O fleet now
@@iron1349 I got the Lionel 345 Culvert Unloader for $125 at a train show when it originally sold for $190. What A Steal!!
me, living in india: what-did-he-sayyyy?
Train fairs are a fucking scam. Last time i went to one and i got a Jeco Hg loco the seller promised for the loco to be running and digital but the loco had mached gears and no decoder
I got Lionel’s scale-sized Southern 4501 from 1992 for $275 at a train show
Welcome to the rabbit hole! Will also echo going to train shows + smaller hobby shops when traveling will net some good nuggets.
Pretty much everything except the blue streak set and my track came from shows. Only exception is the submarine, which came from a very local store!
I've said this a lot to people in this hobby:
HO is focused on realism
O is focused on fun
Some people in this hobby are really not friendly to beginners or people who model different scales, which is a shame. This hobby should be open and fun for everyone!
Also, maybe try an On30 locomotive? O scale, but gauged for HO scale track to represent narrow gauge.
HO (post 80’s-90’s), N, and Z are definitely more for scale modellers, while G and O are more geared to people who want a fun train that’s somewhere in between a model and a toy. It is really weird to see people gate-keep either “branch” of modelling, at the end of the day we’re all still nerds who like trains
I agree,HO and n scale is way too fragile especially when I own plenty of them. And I’m not too qualified of dealing with delicate train models. O gauge and G scale is slightly more practical but I think I’m leaning towards o gauge.
They must hate me! I have N, HO, O, and G! It's ALL ABOUT FUN! I literally cringe when I hear these old timers talking about specific locos and such. It's like the comic book nerds! OHHHH. LOL They look down on many who just do not care about that stuff! Some, just want to enjoy the trains running around! I buy the cheap stuff and any deals on any scales! It's all about fun, creativity, and not being locked into the mindset everything MUST be the best of the best. Too many killed this hobby off IMHO with that B.S. Lionel did a great job bringing the FUN back. I haven't touch O gauge on count of all the older greedy bast'rd's buying up everything. NOw, they are dead, stuff went way down in value. Sad to go to train shows, and see the same B.S. starting up again with extremely overpriced trains! There's an obvious effort to inflate pricing once again! Don't DO IT! SHOP around and stay the heck away from the thieves at the train shows! They are selling at prices well above actual value! Those values are set artificially based on an attempt to recreate 'the good old days' of over valued toys! The heck with them! Buy Bachmann. Buy Tyco! By cheap! Enjoy the left overs of 10 year old tech as the snobs moved on to $1500-$3500 modern tech engines. FUN FUN FUN . I seriously will start a channel calling out the snobs and the rip off artists! I have personally documented these train specialized stores, buying product local for a dollar and selling it for $7.00! Does that sound friendly? That sounds like a car sales person. Not someone interested in promoting the hobby! Monster markups are just not justified! NOW is the time to find vintage O scale for virtually nothing! I've picked up beautiful engines for $80 in perfect condition! K-Line, TMCC, Mint condition Diesel. $80! At the shows? Try $200. SAME EXACT THING! Why? Because they can. Funny, not many are buying their nonsense either! Can't wait for another giant crash of the greedy dealers and collectors! I'll be waiting, just as I did for O scale to crash! Took 30 years, but it did crash big time!
G guage. Runs outside. None of it cheap anymore.
@@Curious_Skeptic same here.
This is why I like O gauge, you can have derailments and high speed and have trains hit stuff, it is fun.
Gomez Adams.....is that you? LoL!
As somebody who has O scale, welcome to the club. I love my premium o scale equipment,but nothing gives me more dopamine than watching my Williams ten wheeler at full power yeet itself into Lincoln log.
Right on. Rivet counters can be annoying at times.
Agreed.
I'm a rivet counter, and I can sort of see where you're coming from. I think that demanding quality for the prices most manufacturers are selling for isn't annoying though. When brass models in O Scale 2 Rail are cheaper than the newest 3 Rail Lionel offerings, and are often more detailed and run better (even on DC), it's hard to argue the value for money is good for new products in the hobby.
As a postwar Lionel collector and operator, I can’t agree more with your comment about how the modern offerings are out of touch with people who just want to watch a train run in circles lol. But yes, post more about your ongoing journey to the dark side of nonrealistic but fun O gauge trains!
Those postwar Lionels have some great smoke units in them, they just put out so much smoke very reliably.
O scale is my scale of preference, welcome to the club, you can never leave
Oh no!
Anyways...
Does any one remember Lionel's Film called "The wonderful world of trains" That film really showed people how fun trains used to be and not just realistic toys for Rivet counters
I got my start in O gauge when my dad bought a little layout jam-packed with scenery and a MTH train set to go with it. For my birthday I got the erics trains es44 which i was super happy to get. (I also ordered the matching caboose as well) I would say that O gauge is very fun to just mess around with. No matter how old, they will keep on chugging along like they are brand new.
Great video. I like how you are interested in a lot of the older items. I can’t remember the last time I heard somebody say they didn’t want fast track but instead wanted to old tubular track. I love it! I would love to see more o gauge content
Totally tubular dudeeeee
O tubular track is easy to use and really affordable, with a little effort (ties and paint) can be made to look good
Welcome to the O Gauge world my friend. As someone who’s been into O Gauge for a long time, it’s great to see others discover the magic of these trains.
I've loved trains since I was a little kid, and I'm 70 now. I don't have any permanent layout because I have no room for it, but I own a set of HO, N and Z scale. Recently I bought a small set of O gauge from Menard's (I had to mail order it because there are no Menard's stores near me). I only rarely play with any of them, but there is film of all of them running here on the Tube.
I enjoyed your video.
I got into O gauge when a guy who brings my family and I firewood brought me a Lionel O gauge train set, I've since increased it to several Lionel postwar, one Lionchief locomotive, and three Bachmann Williams locomotives. You should get a Bachmann Williams 4-6-0, I got one of my own, and even after doing a repair job on its tender, she's a good runner
Keep on training on,o gauge is fun,my grandpa has a o scale in a storage room in the basement/ground floor of his house,it consists of:1 steam locomotive with tender(the steam engine resembles the Blue Streak Freight set,but black metal,and has a 3 wheel driving configuration),the loco used to have bogie things on the front and back,but they had to be removed,the tender is nothing special,1 big black flatbed type car with walls(possibly a coal carrier,resembles the red flatbed type car,but of course,black)tanker,the tank part is grey,1 caboose,a billion straight and curved track pieces(im exaggerating,but there is a lot of them,they resemble the track your friend gave you,but cleaner and most of the pieces have black ties),and 2 switches(a bit rusty,but still functional,and even detailed with red and green signals,solid,not transparent,and no lights,which you turn to switch the track,it’s on a big black base,and is Less compact than your switches)
2:49 Can confirm they are like drugs I spend hours on ebay looking for stuff.
Dang, this video made me want to get out my grandfather's old Lionel, now in my collection. So many fun memories with that!
Santa brought my father and I my first layout in 1949.Two Lionel post war sets, Pensy GG1, steam turbine.Still working in my garage. I'm 78.Thank you Mr. Cowen.Yes start the O series. I keep ordering from Menard's. Just got the movie theatre! I have a working drive-in.I play intermissions all night!
I grew up on Lionel O gauge and only got into HO within the last few years. Even though I love my fancy new HO trains, there really is just something special about old Lionel. :)
One of the fun things about O guage is that there are so many options. O guage trains have such a long history that one may choose from over a century of toy trains and they will all run on the same track. There are so many fine products from the long history of Lionel, but there are also great trains, rolling stock, and accessories from Marx, K-line, Pre-War American Flyer, Williams, and so many lesser known makers and it will all run on that track from Menards. It opens up over ahundred years worth of fun for the collector and operator.
9:52 a lot of the more modern o gauge engines can run at reasonably prototypical speeds. I’d also reccomend going with a minimum curve radius of O 54 although I highly recommend o72 curves. The higher speeds won’t cause derailments, and if you ever get any larger engines, a lot of them won’t run on O31 (some of older “scale” sized ones can be found for reasonable prices at train shows and occasionally on the used market online). Great video. The old postwar and MPC stuff can be really fun
Traditional O is about fun, a reminder that sometimes it's just nice to sit down and play trains. Would definitely watch more O gauge stuff if you do it.
Do O-27 myself, lets me squeeze a lot of train action into a fairly small space. Big fan of the operating accesories like the loaders and dumpers, gives the trains something to do.
Have you considered mounting your track to a board with some casters on the bottom so you can just stow a layout under a couch or bed so you don't have to keep taking it apart?
I have, but I just have no real place for storage, so it just lives in sections under the ho table for now
Understandable, was in that situation myself for the longest time until I cleaned out an old closet to make a little train room.
Could always make it fold up, one side being the layout and the other being shelving or suchlike you could use when the layout's folded up.
If you want to get really far down the rabbit hole, i recommend looking into lionel postwar operating accessories. Especially the ones that will unload cargo from the freight cars.
I have some of those, my favorite is the tower with a red and green signal light on top that balances on a lightbulb that simultaneously illuminates it while also making it spin, but I fear the day it finally burns out because where in the world am I gonna get another lightbulb that has a dent in the top of it?
Thanks for a great vid! O gauge has it's high points, not to mention some history to it. The first train set I ever played with was an old, hand me down Marx set that first belonged to my older brother. At some point someone gave me an old lionel engine and tender and some track. I still remember my dad showing me how to make the smoke work and playing with set with me, one of my fondest and earliest memories. It's been over 40 years since I had an o gauge, now I have a Marx wind up set in o gauge. Marx made nice sets, and I'm glad to be back into it. Best of luck to you!
I currently have a Menards Weathered Santa Fe Boxcar and a Reading and Northern Hopper. The couplings for both cars which I obtained in 2019 have this metal latch on the bottom which means you have to pull the latch to get the coupling to open. (Not Lionel-Style) I'm curious to see how buying new Menards freight wagons will turn out for me.
BTW, In case anyone is wondering, Menards has their model trains in their stores for a few months up to christmas. But they are sold year-round online so that's good news.
This video strikes a real chord with many viewers….it sums up the addictive nature of O gauge. You have a fun layout, and that’s what it is all about. Now add a Lionel 60 trolley, and you are well on your way!
Such a great video! Thanks for holding down the fort for Gen Z. We play with trains, too!
I'm at that stage in life where I'm getting back into the hobby. Although I had HO, O, and G as a kid, I'm diving head first into O. There's just a level of fun in that gauge that the other's can't replicate. If I wanted something real, I'd go outside. I want to recreate the kind of operating and interactive layout that my local hobby shop had.
PS: I just subbed, so I'd love to see more O gauge content!
I just joined your channel…I started HO….took me one year to convert…I agree with previous comments….MPC Williams K Line for engines easily available for engines affordable…Menards a God sent for track cars and buildings
Looks like your off to a great start! Love your general! I just got back into o gauge trains just this year after some 35 to 40 years! My start was with marx wind up trains. Now I have two wind up loco's and two electric ones. The fun thing about o gauge is that you can do what you want to and no one will really care. (at least for me) I wish you luck, and thanks for sharing!
In one of his books, Tom McComas writes an interesting story about your 8303 Blue Streak locomotive. Both the 8303 and what became known as the "Baby Madison" passenger cars were first produced in 1973. Lionel was actually considering mating the cheap plastic 8303 with some equally cheap matching passenger cars and calling it the... wait for it now...The Blue Comet! They even made prototypes! Thankfully long time Lionel employee Lennie Dean talked them out of it; saying they should save the Blue Comet name for a higher quality set. Which Lionel did in 1978, using a MUCH higher quality metal 4-6-4 Hudson and upgraded with 6 wheel metal trucks version of the Baby Madison cars!
O-gauge for me has always been the one where you can get away with more silly stuff. I'd probably collect some, too, but I don't have much room in my house, lol.
Yes, until recently, you could get a O gauge set with 0-27 track and it would fit into a smaller space then your HO sets. Yes, the wider radius track looks better and you can run the trains faster on that curves, but it does take up more space. Just like the true to scale stuff.
Hopefully is a month I will have a 45" by 162" set up in my kitchen area. Problem is I found that the floor has a problem and needs fixed ASAP, now by me, and maybe the foundation is in question as well. So this has delayed my next rain set up plans and I hate it... A set up like yours would fit in that spot.
I’ve been getting back into O gauge over the last few years. Buying stuff like the operating accessories from Lionel that we could never afford back in the 90s. Semi scale or postwar mostly but with at least one scale Hudson in the planning purchase stage. MTH Railking is generally a good buy and you get some unique locos like the streamliners of the 30s.
My dad had a old o gauge train and tender but with not track, or a transformer or clip. But he was at Menards and he found the tracks and the train works like a charm! He also got the transformer from a eBay listing
I have a bunch of O gauge stuff at my grandparents house. Most of it’s pretty old, with a lot of extra track which is heavily rusted in some places. All the engines work great.
Hey, I have a question as I want to get into O gauge and do a dual gauge Ho scale train layout, at 3:06 is that HO scale car riding between the middle rail and outer rail of the O gauge track? If so, the reason I want to know is because in riverside there’s a small amusement park railroad with 2 trains that have different gauges, one is 14in gauge and another is 2ft gauge, for my model I’d like to have dual gauge comparability with the 14in being HO gauge and the 2ft being O gauge
I just fulfilled my childhood dream of a 4-4-0 this week with the purchase of a 77 W&A.R.R General #3
Considering most train set prices, you got a steal on everything you got right there!
Welcome to the O gauge world. I dove in about 3 years ago, and am looking back with no regrets.
To stop the tracks from coming apart you can use pliers to squeeze the holes on the track tighter
You are on your way , keep going strong ! Your going to love it .
I had Lionel O gauge when I was a kid back in the '60s, a 1130 steam engine and some cars like the exploding box car that worked like a mouse trap spring when the missile hit it from my missile launcher. Such fun!
Many years later I've been getting back into it. My childhood set is long gone, but I've found that I can get lots of the same stuff used on Ebay. There are apparently a lot of other guys bidding on it too, and they seem to have more money than I have, so I lose a lot of auctions. But every now and then I get something really dirt cheap because I guess nobody else wanted it.
The things I get are usually advertised as 'not working', 'for parts only', 'does not run', etc. But I've found that most of the time all an old legacy engine needs is to have its motor brushes cleaned and its axles and gears oiled and it runs like new. Sometimes they come with missing parts, like the rear wheels and its hitch that connects it to the coal tender. I figured out that I can fabricate a hitch out of popsicle sticks and some wood glue that works just fine. I paint it black so it matches the engine shell and it blends in so well you would never know it was made of wood instead of metal. With a little experience I've figured out how to make all kinds of repairs on these engines and the majority of my 'does not run' 'for parts only' purchases run just fine now.
Sometimes they don't even need that. My most recent acquisition on Ebay is a 8633 engine that was advertised as 'not running' and 'untested'. Nobody else bid on it so I got it for $13. (plus shipping which was another $13). When I put it on the track to see what was wrong with it, it took off and ran perfectly, no repair or maintenance or anything needed. Some sellers just don't know how to test these engines so they sell them for whatever they can get someone to pay for them, and a lot of buyers won't buy anything that is advertised as 'does not run'.
Playing this game on Ebay for the past several years I now have nearly a dozen 1130 engines just like the one I had as a kid back in the '60s. And I have them all running. 😁
I really hate the couplers too and sometimes they dont open wide enough for them to couple up.
I model Finescale O, it's much finer detail and accuracy but the tinplate on the carpet looks like fun!
Glad to watch a O gauge series as we are going all in...
I still have my father's Lionel 262 steam loco and cars from 1931 that my grandfather bought for him. It runs great, and I love the ozone smell. Ever now and then l'll set up a "Carpet Central" làyout and run them.
I just realized the turbine headlight randomly started working for like 3 shots
I have a O gauge layout and I sell old cars at train shows. If you can get to a train show then you can pick up some good cars for cheap.
If you want to get into trains for fun rather than realism, and you don't mind the "toy train" vibe, then get Lego 9v trains. They're indestructible. You can deliberately crash them, send them flying off stairs or the edge of a table, and the worst thing that will happen is that you'll have to reassemble the train from the Legos. There's a guy on YT who builds Lego layouts with inverted loops like a roller coaster and all kinds of crazy stunts, and his trains often turn into piles of random Lego bricks, lol. If a Lego brick breaks (which is near impossible) it can be cheaply replaced. Just keep a few baggies of various colored Lego bricks lying around if you're worried about it.
Zip ties work good to hold the track together.
Can you do a video on the difference between lionel "g gauge" and "ready to play"?
I dont know if you figured this out yet, but using rubberbands to hold the menards track together is what I do. Just wrap it around ties.
i’ve just bought a marx train set from ebay and i’ve gotta say, this is the only good addiction someone could have
I'm thinking "O" gauge too. It has the fun stuff to add to the fun of the train. I'm now looking at Lionel, but open to other manufacturers as well.
oh wow the smoke really adds something...esp when viewing the train from a low angle. so cute!
i don't think i'll ever had space for a train set...but it's in the back of my mind...i don't know why..i'm not very familiar with trains..though i have ridden amtrak in the past but i normally never saw other types of trains...so i don't feel terribly connected to the freight cars
I would love to see more O gauge series. There are so many accessories to add that integrate easily into the track system and everything is just 2 wires
Son, you're a brave man indeed running traditional three-rail track on a white carpet!
Watch out for oil and grease drippage!
Anyway, welcome to the pure fun world of O Gauge! And this is a great time to get into it with prices dropping (some faster than others) on Post-War, MPC, and LTI Lionel products. And add to that some early MTH products are to be had pretty reasonably.
Jus a few tips. For those couplers that refuse to stay shut I use plastic wire ties. As I don't do any switching a semi-permanently closed couple doesn't bother me and at any rate those ties can be easily removed with a pair of wire cutters. They're esily found in the electrical sections of most hardware stores.
They may even work for holdling that Menards three-rail track together. Barring that there's track pliers made just for the purpose of crimping loose three-rail connections (Available from Henning's Trains) or you can just use a good set of pliers yourself.
You've just started a fun journey and remember, "Three railers have three times the fun!"
@@joeyBirskovich Hi yourself!
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 dont be mean
@@wayneantoniazzi2706 dont be mean!
@@joeyBirskovich Sorry, I didn't mean to offend! How's "Hi back at you! 🤩"
@@joeyBirskovich Hey, no problem!
The tubular track comes apart because it's supposed to be screwed down to a table. The LAME and expensive for no reason "FastTrack" is okay for temporary layouts and the good steel tube track is better for more permanent layouts
4-6-0 when please I need more background research on the boy
7:57
American Flyer and G-Scale Aristocraft Forney: *allow us to introduce ourselves*
Modern O is expensive for sure, but I think your venture proves that as long as you stick with the second-hand market, it can be about the same or sometimes even cheaper than the smaller scales. I also recommend looking to Marx if you want more budget-friendly O Gauge items (For real! I only spent $4 on a caboose once).
I have the O scale santa fe super chief I got it from my uncle but I don't know what year it was released
You know what? I couldn’t agree more. Because I’m about to get started owning my own o gauge train set. The tubular track is way better than the fast track.
MTE!!! Please open up the tender on the blue engine and check the foam keeping the sound board from grounding with the frame. Even if the foam looks ok replace it with new foam. If the board hits the frame there’s no more sound as it fries the soundboard.
It’s been replaced. One of the first things I ever did with o
More o gauge, please, I'm currently building one for my grandson. Its become a family affair.
The next time you go to Menards get a north folk and western caboose i have one and it looks super good
10:38, train out of compliance, that scale car is supposed to be handled ahead of the caboose
As somebody who does HO, O and Gauge 1; we need to get you into a Gauge 1. HO is good for detail, O is good for fun, but Gauge 1 is good for a true hands-on experience. You haven't run a model train, until you've run live steam.
Not going there just yet. Could we skip and go 1/1 first?
I like O for booth fun and realism if you wanted love both. and on the opposite ends are Standard Guage for fun and HO for realism but O bridges that gap and you can really go any direction with it
I’m gonna guess your track switches are Lionel cus I haven’t seen Menards track switches yet.
welcome to o scale! hope you have a good time :]
when neal young bought lionel , the prices went through the roof i started and stoooed in the mpc era.
One thing I don’t like about O gauge is height. For some reason, the General’s taller than a fucking PRR Turbine in Lionel.
I have a 12x4 ho lionel layout. A 4x4 027 lionel layout. A 27inch x 45 inch temporary Christmas 027 layout. And a 2x2 n layout. Enjoy all you scales. Great video
I got a friend of mine who enjoys older O gauge stuff!
Bring on the O !!! No one will ever say, my dad had one about H/O trains. Lionel is an American tradition.
The preview of the Blue Streak got my attention. Yes, if you are not to picky you can get some nice working used things in almost any scale or gauge. Anyhow about the Blue Streak. You might already know this but on the sound systems of the 1970's to maybe the 1990's the electronic circuit board is setting on a piece of foam. It ages away and then the board will touch the metal bottom of the tender, then short out and die... So if you have not opened the tender you should and then remove the rotted foam and put in several layers of double sided tape, or other good foam or even cardboard. Be careful about getting it back together, that large capacitor has a spot it has to fit into inside the tender. Also many of these due to age the capacitors get weak and need to be replaced. Sadly due to the age of these if you never heard a good working one you would claim the sound of steam is just static or hum. That set was on the cover of the 1973 Lionel MPC catalog. I have several sets of the Blue Streak and a few more engines and tenders as well of that set. Other O gauge past brands to check out. MarX, Industrial Rail, RMT, Taylor made Toys, Atlas, Weaver, Williams, American Flyer, Ives, MTH, Kusan. You know many of these from that price guide you have there...
0:00 so you have an Australian model train?
And also yes I do kinda miss your workshop.
HO is a cool mix of detail and smaller size, but not too small. That being said, O guage is my all time favorite. I mean I like both, but O guage will always be my first love haha.
will you do a ho scale collection video
As both a O and ho gauger, I can say with joy that you NEED a hudson
The Menards Locos are great, just lightly grease the trucks and axel bearings.
TBF, if you are able to go or proxy a Greeneberg show you can get pretty much anything you can think of for under $150.
I would like to get that blue streak set i really like it
Ok I started with tubular track second year couldn’t run my engine cause the track shorted out, so I saw the light and switched to Fastrack no more shorts, third year I got track clips to keep the track from coming apart I had a o-31 oval connected to a o-60 oval by four switches. Is this expensive, yes but I love it.
I really like the American tender it makes a perfect Edward tender
LGB can be had for cheap too so can bachmann big hauler
I kinda want to make a video on how I got into o-27 now thanks for the inspiration
HE HAS THE PYGMY TURBINE
Welcome back to the light side of the force...
The front smoke box door on the turbine comes off replace the bulb
O gauge?! Really cool and fancy!
Love menards o gauge trains and track. It's a great builder and very affordable for new stock. Does it have some issues, we'll some but not all. It's great stuff.
I wish there were a source for affordable tubular switches.
Moving to a new house and thinking about building a layout in the basement... I want to run O-72 mainline curves, so it will probably run along the walls...
You know working with the layout I have here I was taking some of the track apart for that new line out track and I discovered some of our marx switches the clips for the track which is nails with the head cut off I'm serious whoever thought the idea of put nails for railroad tubular what you call them I just
Call it classic Lionel track
I know i will get hate for owning a Lionel berk but it’s for a manorial to someone who I miss very much my grandfather he loved berks
I like the old o scale whistle
Marklin gauge 1 and KM1 Gauge 1 will make lionel seem cheap.
Can’t afford it, don’t have enough space, and don’t want to bother