New Track Installed at St. Michael’s on “Lionel Lines”

e*Train Issue: May 2008 | Posted in: Operating & Layouts

By Mike Stella

When I designed “Lionel Lines” (The Largest Lionel Railroad on my Block) I utilized a point-to-point track plan with two terminal yards, a mid-way division yard and several switching towns in each division where most of my Lionel operating accessories are located.

I used 0-72 switches where I could and many more Hirth Century 100 switches on the main line but did not have enough for many sidings etc. But as the years have passed, I have acquired additional Hirth switches and even a few more 0-72’s and finally decided to replace and rebuild several portions of “Lionel Lines”

Using these new switches will allow many larger locomotives in my roster to move about the yards and sidings. Better looking and much better operation.

St. Michael’s is a town in the foothills of the high plains where the steam rails of “Lionel Lines” now become ELECTRIFIED and catenary wire appears over the small yard. It is here where steam locomotives are removed from Westbound trains and replaced with a variety of “Juice Jacks” to continue their journey over the summit and onto the coast.

It is also where a pair of modified 0-22 switches were used to reach the several industries ( a Lionel #497; 342; 345; milk platform; and water tower) and now will be replaced with high speed Hirth Century 100 switches. This will allow much larger electric locomotives to be stored here as well as easing the local switcher’s job of shunting cars about.

The original track was so well laid that to remove even a single switch required taking up about 20 sections of track to get the required leverage to pull pins etc. Also, new pieces had to be cut-to-fit but overall alignments remained the same and the entire job took only a few hours.

Yet to be completed are the installation of new twin coil switch machines; push button controls on the local St. Michael’s panel, ballasting of track; and repair of some scenery. And while I am at it, I probably will finally hook up all those Lionel accessories too!

Replacing these two switches at St. Michael’s on “Lionel Lines” is just the first such “upgrading” that has been planned for some time. We have already completed “Project Two” which will be discussed in a second article for this issue.

There are several more in the planning stages and we will bring them to you as they occur. It is only fitting that the Greatest Lionel Collector of our time also continues to be the Greatest Lionel Operator in the world!

Happy Collecting but more importantly GET THOSE TRAINS OFF THE SHELVES AND ONTO THE TRACK!!!

**Here are the original 0-22’s installed 20 years ago!**

**The new HIRTH Hi-Speed switches have been installed**.

**I’ve collected HIRTH switches for two decades!**

**Here is the finished new trackage at St. Michael’s. Catenary has yet to be installed**.

Shop Amazon and Help TCA

TCA members who shop at Amazon.com can have each of their normal purchases generate a modest payment to TCA! And it won’t cost you anything!

The Train Collectors Association is now a participant with AmazonSmile, which is a special website operated by Amazon that lets customers enjoy the same wide selection of products, low prices and convenient shopping features as on Amazon.com.

The difference is that when customers shop at AmazonSmile (smile.amazon.com), the AmazonSmile Foundation donates 0.5% of the price of eligible purchases to the charitable organizations selected by customers.

The process is simple. Just search for and select Train Collectors Association when you sign up and shop at smile.amazon.com.

You use your regular Amazon.com username and password, but when you log in to smile.amazon.com, you’ll see that you are supporting TCA with your purchases:

Note that if you just log in to the regular amazon.com, this benefit does not operate.

There are no costs to either you or TCA, but TCA benefits!

This is a great way for TCA to earn extra cash to offset costs, so sign up today to help support TCA.

* Note: TCA is not a party to any of your Amazon transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors.

Helping TCA with your ebay purchases when you use PayPal

If you’re an ebay user and have a PayPal account you use to make payments, you can designate a donation for TCA when you’re checking out — any amount, small or large.
If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can pre-designate a percentage of your sales to be donated automatically in your name to TCA as long as the purchaser pays with their PayPal account.

In both cases, you will receive a donation receipt from the PayPal Giving Fund, and enjoy applicable tax advantages.

How to do it:

Click on the image above, or use this link. This will take you to ebay, where you will see the following page (log in to ebay if you are not already):

This offers TCA as an option. Click on the “Add to My Charities” button where indicated with the red arrow. Thereafter, when you make a purchase, at checkout you will be offered the option to make a donation to TCA in any amount of your choosing. Small amounts add up, larger ones are great! It’s always up to you!

The option will appear at the lower part of your checkout page, something like this:

If you’re a regular seller on ebay, you can allocate a portion of your sales proceeds to be donated to TCA. Look at the green arrow marked “Optional” above to see how to do it. Details on how ebay calculates the donation may be read here. This is a wonderful way to share the financial benefits of your hobby with the organization that promotes it!

An added benefit to TCA is that these donations are not subject to normal processing fees, so that makes your donation work harder!

* Note. TCA is not a party to any of your eBay transactions, and does not endorse any products or vendors. PayPal issues the receipts to you for your donation, not TCA.

New Track Installed at St. Michael’s on “Lionel Lines”

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