Hello and welcome back to the Quick Hits! This time around, I’ve decided to make this an O-Gauge heavy article, and wound up with a neat list of goodies. From legends to unsung heroes, this week has it all. So get the Fastrack ready, snap together the Realtraxx, and let’s have some fun with O-Gauge trains this week!
Lionel 6-18952 O Gauge ATSF Alco PA-1 Powered Diesel Locomotive #2000
Well, there’s not much introduction needed for this diesel engine. Whether you’ve browsed through O-Gauge trains on Trainz.com or been inside a hobby shop lately, chances are you’ve stumbled upon Lionel’s Santa Fe PA-1 diesel locomotive. It’s heavily advertised for a reason – despite being one of the more mass produced models, the ever-resilient Santa Fe PA-1 still somehow manages to find its way to O-Gauge layouts.
From being the perfect starter engine for up and coming hobbyists to filling the “old faithful” role for long time O-Gauge operators, Santa Fe’s PA-1 excelled thanks to its user-friendly versatility. It’s one of the most everlasting diesel O-Gauge trains having iterations from multiple eras dating back to Post-War and sticking around present day. Seriously, you’d be hard-pressed to find a more popular Diesel Engine amongst hobbyists – EVERYBODY has owned one of these trains at some point.
Don’t let the phrase ‘mass-produced’ scare you either. Lionel doesn’t skimp on quality with these units, and ensures your model train adventures are in good hands with the Santa Fe PA-1. The dual motors in more recent models guarantee some awesome pulling power, and the handling is top-notch – hitting curves with confidence and grace. I’ve got a listing for you here if you’re thinking about some Westward expansion with this diesel engine. Oh, and don’t forget to check out the rest of the O-Gauge trains we have back at the Trainz.com engine house.
Product Info:
Manufacturer: Lionel
Model Number: 6-18952
Years Manufactured: 1997 - 1997
Road Name: Atchison Topeka Santa Fe (ATSF)
Scale/Era: O Modern
Model Type: Diesel Loco
Lionel 6-8551 O Gauge Pennsylvania "Little Joe" EP-5 Electric Locomotive
The MPC era was heralded for a number of reasons from the famous Lionel Soda Pop set to the legendary Great Northern 4-6-4. But, I’ve decided to go with a different locomotive that saw a return in the MPC era. Lionel’s 6-8551 Penssylvnaia ‘Little Joe’ EP-5 gets the showcase today, and with good reason. The original production of this model EP-5 started way back in 1975, and with the 50th anniversary of this model fast approaching, I figured I’d get the champagne popping early.
Boasting the vintage Pennsylvania Railroad design, and packed with Lionel technology, it’s like watching time rewind and go forward at the same time. You’d think with so much time passing since these models were released that most would be in the scrapyard, but it’s the complete opposite actually. Lots of these models were preserved and kept in great shape thanks to their status as ‘favorites’ in collections, and continue to roll on O-Gauge layouts today.
If you’re browsing for new (well, actually old) O-Gauge trains, the ‘Little Joe’ is certainly worth the experience. I’ve got the listing here, and a slew of O-Gauge trains from the MPC era back at home base.
Product Info:
Manufacturer: Lionel
Model Number: 6-8551
Years Manufactured: 1975 - 1976
Road Name: Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)
Scale/Era: O MPC
Model Type: Electric Loco
K-Line K2436-1001 O CalTrain F40PH Diesel Locomotive #919
While scouring through our extensive collection of O-Gauge trains, I found a little diesel engine I haven’t seen before. To put it into perspective, I've already seen over four thousand different model trains for 2024 alone, so this was especially exciting for me. It’s not often I get to see something I haven’t at this point in my model train career.
This F40PH diesel engine is rocking a sleek silver design with some small subtle detail coming from the road name decal. Speaking of the road name – Caltrains – you heard of ‘em? I sure haven't, so getting to unbox this O-Gauge goodie was especially exciting. Coming from K-Line, I knew it was going to be a high quality O-Gauge model, but I had to know more about the railroad company stamped on the shell.
The Caltrain railroad network was established way back in the 19th century by transportation giant Southern Pacific. The late 80s would see the emergence of Caltrain under new leadership consisting of three different agencies from three different California counties. Since the partnership, Caltrain has expanded to a variety of different passenger services, and even introduced the “Baby Bullet” in 2004 to a massively positive response from the public.
Well, now that you’re a little familiar with Caltrain, I think it’s only fitting you finally decide to go through with those California layout plans. The Caltrain F40PH can be found here, and don’t worry – it runs just as good as it looks.
Product Info:
Manufacturer: K-Line
Model Number: K2436-1001
Road Name: Caltrain (JPBX)
Scale/Era: O Modern
Model Type: Diesel Loco
Lionel 6-9672 Disney Mickey Mouse 50th Anniversary Car
So your O-Gauge trains are going to need some O-Gauge rolling stock, and I’ve got the perfect freight car for you. In 1978, Lionel decided to collaborate with Disney to celebrate 100 years of Mickey Mouse. The result of the collaboration was the inception of one of the rarest MPC boxcars on the market today. The Disney Mickey Mouse 50th Anniversary boxcar (model # 6-9672) is beautifully designed, and is at the top of my own personal wishlist.
Per our own website – “This car is part of the extremely popular and hard to find Mickey Mouse set in the late 70s. The 9672 was an uncataloged add-on to the set and is one of the hardest MPC Era cars to find” – ok, now I HAVE to have it. Coincidentally enough, this boxcar is going to be celebrating its own 50 year anniversary in 2028. We’ve managed to keep the few we have in our inventory in phenomenal shape, and I’ve got a listing for you here. And if you want to check out some more Disney rolling stock, I’ve got plenty for you in our catalog.
Product Info:
Manufacturer: Lionel
Model Number: 6-9672
Years Manufactured: 1978 - 1978
Road Name: Disney
Scale/Era: O MPC
Model Type: Freight Cars
Lionel 6-18632 O Gauge Pennsylvania 4-4-2 Steam Locomotive & Tender #8632
So a lot was happening in 1997 – the Green Bay Packers led by Brett Farvre just won their first Super Bowl in 30 years, South Africa just built the biggest blimp in history, and a certain crocodile hunter made his television debut. Oh, and this week’s budget pick just hit the shelves too.
Lionel released this Pennsylvania 4-4-2 steam locomotive (model # 6-18632), adding to a jam packed decade of O-Gauge trains. Also, wow, the Pennsylvania Railroad is getting a ton of love this week, not by design might I add – I’m definitely more of a New York Central guy. My love for the NYC system won’t blind me from a great product, and that’s what we have here with the budget pick. Coming in at under $100, this locomotive tender combo is hard to ignore, and is a perfect candidate to lead its own fleet.
You can check out more of this O-Gauge model here, and don’t be shy of checking out all of the angles – this steam engine is a ‘looker’.
Product Info:
Manufacturer: Lionel
Model Number: 6-18632
Years Manufactured: 1997 - 1997
Road Name: Pennsylvania Railroad (PRR)
Scale/Era: O Modern
Model Type: Steam Loco