I Love Toy Trains

Tom McComas became involved with toy trains by accident and with reluctance. It was 1970. McComas ran his own film production company in Chicago. He produced documentaries and commercials. He also produced a promotional film for a friend who had invented a new toy. The toy failed. "He wanted to leave town," recalls McComas, "but he felt bad about the money he owed me so he offered me three boxes of old trains." McComas was single, living on the North side of Chicago and had no use for the trains. "The last thing I needed was three boxes of old trains." But the friend insisted, so McComas took the old trains. A year later, McComas had some guests over for dinner. One guest was a train collector. McComas told him about the trains. After di

  • Episode 37   •   Air Date: Dec 23, 2019
    Christmas Train Spectacular - pt 2

    More Christmas layouts featuring Lionel trains, Dept. 56 buildings, and original music that will make you remember.

    Episode 36   •   Air Date: Dec 16, 2019
    Lionel Christmas 2B

    More Christmas layouts featuring Lionel trains, Dept. 56 buildings, and original music that will make you remember Christmases past.

    Episode 35   •   Air Date: Dec 09, 2019
    Christmas Train Spectacular - pt 1

    Christmas layouts featuring Lionel trains, Dept 56 buildings, and original music that will make you remember.

    Episode 34   •   Air Date: Dec 02, 2019
    Lionel Christmas 2A

    Christmas layouts featuring Lionel trains, Dept 56 buildings, and original Christmas songs that will take you back to Christmases long ago.

    Episode 33   •   Air Date: Sep 16, 2019
    Half City / Half Mtn. Layout

    Half city, half mountain layout with O and S gauges. Modern era featuring unit trains.

    Episode 32   •   Air Date: Sep 09, 2019
    Scratch-Built Lay; Scenery

    Incredible scratch-built O scale layout. How to create and add scenery.

    Episode 31   •   Air Date: Sep 02, 2019
    Hi-Tech Train Control

    How hi-tech train control works, Lone Star Club layout, and Modern Era layout.

    Episode 30   •   Air Date: Aug 26, 2019
    Post-War Lay with Lighting

    Postwar Lionel layout and Hi-Rail MTH with fabulous lighting.

    Episode 29   •   Air Date: Aug 19, 2019
    Multi-level Lay; Mtn. Lay

    Multi-level high-rail layout, how to build a layout and build mountain.

    Episode 28   •   Air Date: Aug 12, 2019
    Post-war Trains/Fast Trains

    Postwar trains by Lionel, Marx and American Flyer. Fastest trains – the 999 Steamer & Turbo Train.

    Episode 27   •   Air Date: Aug 05, 2019
    Lionel Collectors

    An in-depth look at the LCCA: Lionel Collectors Club of America, and their love for Lionel toy trains.

    Episode 26   •   Air Date: Jul 29, 2019
    Tinplate 4B

    Exciting layout action featuring Lionel trains from the 40s and 50s.

    Episode 25   •   Air Date: Jul 22, 2019
    Tinplate 4A

    Exciting layout action featuring Lionel trains from the 40s and 50s.

    Episode 24   •   Air Date: Jul 15, 2019
    Golden Age of Toy Trains 2B

    More interviews with Baby Boomers who remember Lionel, American Flyer, and Marx.

    Episode 23   •   Air Date: Jul 08, 2019
    Golden Age of Toy Trains 1A

    Interviews with Baby Boomers who remember Lionel, American Flyer, and Marx.

    Episode 22   •   Air Date: Jul 01, 2019
    Lionel Nation 8C

    Lionel’s operating cars, a Christmas layout, and Lionel’s latest scale trains in action.

    Episode 21   •   Air Date: Jun 24, 2019
    Lionel Nation 8B

    Layouts featuring lots of accessory action (Milk car, etc.), intro to Lionel’s Legacy control system, and more new locomotives.

    Episode 20   •   Air Date: Jun 17, 2019
    Lionel Nation - 8A

    Giant layout built by Milwaukee Lionel Club, a 50s dealer display, and more.

    Episode 19   •   Air Date: Jun 10, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 3C

    More New York Central's Museum and a scale layout in San Francisco.

    Episode 18   •   Air Date: Jun 03, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 3B

    New York Central's Museum and a scale layout in San Francisco.

    Episode 17   •   Air Date: May 27, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 3A

    New York City Central Museum features many vintage railroad items and a large scale detailed layout.

    Episode 16   •   Air Date: May 20, 2019
    Tinplate Legends - 3B

    Magnificent scale layouts from both coasts. Prepare to be dazzled.

    Episode 15   •   Air Date: May 13, 2019
    Tinplate Legends - 3A

    The world's finest Standard Gauge collection including a history and trains in action.

    Episode 14   •   Air Date: May 06, 2019
    Lionel Nation 7 - pt 1

    Features a realistically detailed layout and a 1950's toy train layout.

    Episode 13   •   Air Date: Apr 29, 2019
    Tinplate Legends 2 - B

    More from the New Jersey Hi-Railers plus the Nassau Society of Engineers, another club who has built an impressive train layout.

    Episode 12   •   Air Date: Apr 22, 2019
    Tinplate Legends 2 - A

    The New Jersey Hi-Railers Train Club boasts a gigantic layout where members can run their trains plus Tom Snyder's Standard gauge layout.

    Episode 11   •   Air Date: Apr 15, 2019
    Railroads On Parade - B

    Craig Chidester has an impressive collection of Lionel trains made in the 1940s, 50s, and 60s. Plus a look at real New York Central trains and the model versions made by Lionel.

    Episode 10   •   Air Date: Apr 08, 2019
    Railroads On Parade - A

    George Werderich shares his impressive toy train layout and collection with his son and grandson. Learn about the Ferdinand Magellan, the official presidential railcar used before the days of Air Force One.

    Episode 9   •   Air Date: Apr 01, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 2B

    More great Lionel train action. Trains from the 50s and the latest from Lionel.

    Episode 8   •   Air Date: Mar 25, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 2A

    More spectacular Lionel train action - operating accessories, steamers, sleek diesels - new and old.

    Episode 7   •   Air Date: Mar 18, 2019
    Lionel Nation - 6B

    Railroads on Parade, Part 2, features an HO gauge train display of Prince Edward Island, a giant O gauge layout, and an exhibit of the New York Subway system.

    Episode 6   •   Air Date: Mar 11, 2019
    Lionel Nation - 6A

    Broadway set designer Clarke Dunham and his team have created Railroads on Parade, a 5,000 square foot museum of various operating train layouts and displays.

    Episode 5   •   Air Date: Mar 04, 2019
    Tinplate Legends - 1

    Bob Irnscher is in the landscaping business. He incorporated his trade into building an impressive and realistic train layout.

    Episode 4   •   Air Date: Feb 25, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 1B

    Dennis Peffer grew up with toy trains but today he prefers running scale trains made by MTH. Carl Tuveson runs realistic looking 2-rail S gauge trains.

    Episode 3   •   Air Date: Feb 18, 2019
    Hi-Rail Layouts - 1A

    Lionel has made many whimsical animated cars to add action to a layout; also featured is the multi-level multi-era train layout of Wayne Koebel.

    Episode 2   •   Air Date: Feb 11, 2019
    Lionel Nation 5 - pt 2

    Largest World Class O Gauge model train layout in America plus operating tips, amazing realism.

    Episode 1   •   Air Date: Feb 04, 2019
    Lionel Nation 5 - pt 1

    Tinplate trains are works of art from the days before World War II. John Pisano and Paul Carlisle are two collectors of these types of trains.