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CTTA Special Video Feature – Brian Beard’s Firetrucks

Published Dec 20, 2021

Brian Beard’s Classic Firetruck Collection! All CTTA Members collect trains. Some collect cars too. But Brian collects and restores Firetrucks. He even has his own Firehall. Check out Brian’s amazing machines.

SPOTLIGHT : Cab ride with Frank Battaglia

Published January, 2014

Frank Battaglia O Gauge hi-rail layout Cab ride. Frank’s ‘Hi-Rail’ layouts are legendary to many. Take a ride around his train room, layout and incredible collection.

SPOTLIGHT : Sante Fe Railroad fun in O scale!

Published April, 2019

Take a ride with Colorado O scale modelers on some fine diesel powered passenger trains led by classic warbonnet livery. Sante Fe railroading in O scale, featuring warbonnet diesels and complete with a jazzy lounge music soundtrack.

SPOTLIGHT : Miniatur Wunderland – A journey from Christmas Village to Las Vegas!

Published March, 2019

Take a ride from the cab or a window seat on one of the finest model railroads in the world. The Amtrak F40PH 39 is riding from the Christmas village, through the Redwoods, the Grand Canyon to Nevada’s famous desert metropolis Las Vegas.

SPOTLIGHT : 2 rail O scale in 2017

Published March 14, 2018

Host Terry Terrance takes us through four great layouts and modelling in 2 rail scale. Proof here that O scale railroading isn’t just about unpainted brass and minimal scenery. These layouts feature scenery in various stages of completion using common materials. Running time 1 hour 53 minutes

SPOTLIGHT : 2 rail O scale in 2016

Published Nov 2, 2016

Host Terry Terrance takes us through examples of some great layouts and modelling in 2 rail scale. Proof here that you don’t need massive space, a huge budget and are limited in equipment selection. Running time 1 hour 53 minutes

SPOTLIGHT : Miniatur Wunderland

Located in Hamburg, Germany and one of the most popular tourist attractions ever, this could be the worlds largest and most amazing model railway. Covering 1300 square meters, the railway receives more than 1 million visitors a year. It’s made up of 8 distinct sections and has over 13 km of track. Sections feature scenes of Scandinavia, Germany, Austria, Switzerland and the United States. Each day 900 trains and 12,000 rail cars (wagons) travel several hundred kilometers. There’s cruise ships on the seas, a working airport with aircraft taking off and landing that took 6 years to complete. Countless computer controlled vehicles move about fully animated scenes, including firetrucks battling blazes and Police ticketing speeders.  More than 200,000 figures show life in all its facets. Truly an amazing display with hundreds of treasures in the details waiting to be discovered.

SPOTLIGHT : Dream City Railway

Take a walk around tour of one of the largest and finest model railways in the UK! This magnificent O scale (1:43) 2-rail tinplate layout features up to 30 trains running through 17 stations which have a grand total of 52 platforms. Roy James’ layout is 30 feet by 50 feet in size (1500 square feet), housed in five sheds. The railway is loosely based on London’s railways and consists of various lines operating in and around London, featuring various liveries that cover more than four decades of prototype operations, that range from the period of nationalization to privatization of British Railways. The railway attempts to display most of the popular classes of both diesel and steam locomotives of that period.

Addams Family movie Lionel Trains scene

If you’ve never watched the movie, or even if it’s been a while, enjoy the wild ZW-propelled ride and fiery crash at the end ! Gomez Addams takes his Lionel fleet to full throttle. Lionel trains were sometime featured in episodes of the original black & white television series that launched on September of 1964.

Addams Family Lionel Trains crash compilation

Starting with the iconic scene from the first episode aired in 1964, where Gomez takes his hands of the big ZW to press the detonator and blow up the bridge. A steam engine, F-3 diesel and GP-9 diesel crash in flames.

Member videos on our YouTube channel

Click here to visit the Canadian Toy Train Association’s YouTube video channel!

The videos here are from our members, and reflect all aspects of our love for Canadian Toy Trains. Enjoy these . . .

More Toy Trains on YouTube

View our ‘Playlists’ for compilations. The videos presented in these topical playlists here are some of our favourites. They have been viewed, enjoyed and recommended by CTTA members, and are publicly available on YouTube.

CTTA Special Video Feature – Mark Horne’s O Gauge Layout

Published on 23 February, 2015

Ride along in the cab of the locomotive and take a grand tour of Mark Horne’s amazing O Gauge model train railroad! In this series of 7 videos, Mark has placed a GoPro camera on a flatcar and run the trains around all of the routes both ways.

BC Rail Route on the Upper Level 

Part 1: Three MTH SD-40-2 units run this line with a TOFC unit train. This BC Rail mainline passes two red, white, and blue BC Rail diesels awaiting assignment, then slips between an ore drag and a waiting string of freight cars.  After passing the grain elevators the line crosses a five foot long curved steel bridge and then over a three foot long wooden trestle and into another tunnel.  Running time 1:26

Catenary Route

Part 2: The catenary route, operated by the Milwaukee Road and Great Northern, passes through the warehouse district, into two tunnels and under a five foot long curved steel bridge.  Barely visible is the massive locomotive serving area under wire.   Running time 1:01

Lower Level Mainline

Part 3: This lower level route goes through four tunnels and rolls past two engine maintenance facilities, an enclosed water tower by Weaver, an aluminum Rico station by Lionel and several warehouses.  It might also be called Billboard Alley as many post war Lionel billboards are visible. Spot that CTTA BC rail Caboose! Running time 1:20

Upper Level Outside Mainline

Part 4: The upper level outer double track mainline, with track controlled by the Atlas signal system, starts off crossing the Lionel Hellgate Bridge and then past the turntable, roundhouse, and coaling tower.  As it passes the GG1 at the head end of a stock car train, it curves and the lower level becomes visible on the right.  It then crosses a bridge, into another tunnel, crosses a second Hellgate bridge and finishes as we pass by the Passenger Train Terminal. Good views of other parts of the layout including the lower levels. Running time 1:27

Streetcar Desire

Part 5: This video tour is the streetcar line on the upper level. The streetcar makes a few runs into town and back past lots of nice Department 56 buildings, scale vehicles, a Presidential motorcade and the reproduction Lionel station and terrace. Running time 3:48

Upper Level Logging Route

Part 6: Backing out of the KCS shops, which maintains locomotives for a variety of different railroads, we get to sound the bell, switch onto the mainline and head around the logging loop. Crossing the Lionel metal lift bridge we can see the Passenger Terminal on the lower level as we cross another long bridge. This route passes a Weaver brass enclosed water tower, and some warehouses before crossing the Lionel bascule bridge.  The logging yards can be seen to the left with the steam engines as the main power.  Other items of Mark’s collection can be seen on shelving displays as we traverse the line. Spot the CTTA BA tanker Club Car! Running time 3:12

Highball trains and neighbourhood scenes

Part 7: In this Video Mark features some of his favourite trains in action. A scale Lionel GG-1 pulls a freight train. A pair of Alaska RR locos hustles a commuter passenger train. Triple headed BC Rail SD-40-2’s haul a TOFC unit train. A CP FM  Trainmaster pulls a mixed freight. The video closes with some shots of various neighborhood scenes around the layout. Running time 3:43

Video SPOTLIGHT : Kyle Miller’s O gauge Ultimate CN Grain Train

A variety of colorful cylindrical and smooth side covered hoppers make up this 30 car prototypical freight.

Take a track-side break as this long 30-car freight train rolls by. This huge grain train features covered hoppers from all the major manufacturers. Then, a BC Rail freight comes by the other way.

The Lionel SD-40-2 locomotives on the point feature Legacy Railsounds and diesel smoke in the power unit. At the front of the CN train are 3 large boxcars, 2 Atlas ‘O’ and a Lionel car. The first 13 cars of the grain train are prototypical accurate cylindrical hoppers lettered for the Government of Saskatchewan, Alberta and Canada. They are a mix of Lionel and MTH Premier cars.

After that comes another 13 Weaver Ultraline grain cars made in the mid 1990’s from 4 different sets. The paint schemes on these cars are prototypical, but the railcars they’re applied to are not. These Weaver cars were by custom runs, decorated to be sold by several hobby shop dealers in the US and Canada. These cars were probably the very first to display the colorful Canadian grain and potash schemes.

Coming the other way is a British Columbia  Railway mixed freight. The locomotives are also SD-40-2 models, MTH Premier models with Protosound 2.0. The consist starts with a string of Atlas ‘O’ and MTH boxcars, followed by a string of freight cars custom decorated for the CTTA. The Bulkhead flatcar and  tank cars are Atlas ‘O’ models, the White Pass & Yukon Trailer on Flatcar is the last custom decorated car produced by Weaver before they closed in 2015.

Running time: 2:44

CTTA Editor’s Choice Videos 

The Joy of Train Sets

Published in April 1, 2018

The Joy of Train Sets – The Model Railway Story: From Hornby to Triang and beyond, this documentary explores how the British have been in love with model railways for more than a century. What began as an adult obsession with building fully-engineered replicas became the iconic toy of 1950s and 60s childhood. With unique archive and contributions from modellers such as Pete Waterman, this is a celebration of the joys of miniaturisation. Just don’t call them toy trains.

Classic Lionel Trains in Action

Published on 13 Feb 2014

This video shows highlights of 0 gauge Lionel trains and accessories from the 1920’s to 1960’s. Watch coal and log stations in action, rockets being launched and many trains from the Scale Hudson to the gang car. All accessories are mounted on a large layout. (48 minutes)

The Story of the A. C. Gilbert Company

Published on 29 Nov 2013

2013 was the 100th Anniversary of the introduction of the ERECTOR SET. This is the story of that event and the company behind it. It also shows the era of the heyday of the company, its production of ‘S’ gauge electric toy trains, then its eventual demise and why that happened due to sociological changes. (30 minutes)

American Tinplate Trains – Lionel and American Flyer

Published on 28 Apr 2014

Here are three examples of American tinplate production from the 1920’s. First up is the American Flyer No. 7011 Steeple Cab locomotive with 3000 series Illini passenger cars from 1929. The Illini cars include 9-1/2 inch #3000 Baggage/RPO, #3001 Pullman & #3001 Observation. This was an uncatalogued Montgomery Ward set. Next up is the Lionel Outfit No. 94 from 1923. Included is the No. 153 electric outline engine, two #629 four wheel passenger cars and a #630 observation. Last is the beautiful No. 3020 Box Cab locomotive produced by American Flyer from 1922 to 1925. This came with the older Illini cars comprising a #3000 Baggage/RPO and #3001 Pullman. This set represents the greatest variety and complexity of coupling systems ever produced by any manufacturer. Hope you enjoy the show. (2 minutes)

So you want a model railroad? 

1955 Comedy Documentary! A wall-to-wall Lionel O-Gauge model train layout and an obsessive collector – Joe McDoakes – leads to a number of comical situations. 

S Gauge Disappearing Train Video #1

Published on 17 Aug 2009

Disappearing S Gauge train – a fourteen foot long train disappears into a 4 foot long tunnel. This layout has been built for a couple of years but just had scenery and detail added this year. Numerous people just walk past the layout at shows thinking it is a train going thru a tunnel on an oval layout. Those that actually stand and watch it for a few minutes realize that it disappears and the smiles come!

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #1

Published on 26 May 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 12:11

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #2

Published on 29 July 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 11:41

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #3

Published on 12 June 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 12:14

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #4

Published on 23 June 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 12:00

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #5

Published on 29 July 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 14:24

Boys AMERICAN FLYER TRAINS Railroad Club – episode #6

Published on 29 July 2012

Did you have American Flyer trains when you were a kid? Or an Erector Set, Chemistry or Microscope set? If you did, then you know the name of Gilbert, and A.C. Gilbert. Running time: 15:38