The Lionel Collectors Club of America’s annual convention rolls into Denver today. Get onboard with these train accessories from Colorado stores and museums.
Carry that freight
The garden train at Littleton’s Hudson Gardens is on hiatus for repairs, so the next-best thing is to build your own. Begin with this G-scale replica of the Durango & Silverton railroad freight train from Caboose Hobbies in Denver, the world’s largest model train store and donor to the Hudson Gardens railroad. CABOOSE HOBBIES, DENVER. $145.93
Timing is everything
Make sure you catch your train on time with this railroad clock that glows neon green in the dark. FORNEY MUSEUM OF TRANSPORTATION, DENVER. $64.95
Steamy story
Colorado is crisscrossed by narrow- gauge railroad tracks, and there’s no better way to learn about our famous steam train system than by picking up a copy of “A Ticket to Ride the Narrow Gauge, Colorado Rail Annual No. 24.” This history of the Denver & Rio Grande Western narrow gauge passenger trains from 1871 to 1981 contains 20 years’ worth of research and includes everything from timetables and equipment assignments to dining info and advertisements, along with more than 300 photos and illustrations. COLORADO RAILROAD MUSEUM BOOKSHOP, GOLDEN. $49.95
Polar Express set
The state may be teeming this week with grown men who play with thousand-dollar railroad sets, but don’t forget they started out as little boys with toy trains. Encourage your budding engineer with a Polar Express Train Set. This O-gauge Lionel model train includes a Berkshire steam locomotive complete with whistle, four cars, tracks and toy figures from the movie. HANK’S MODEL TRAINS, LOUISVILLE. $250
Empire Builder
Beginning in September, train enthusiasts can buy an HO-scale replica of the Walthers Empire Builder, the famous early 20th-century scenic train that still traverses the Western United States from Chicago to Seattle and Portland, Ore. MIZELL TRAINS & HOBBIES, WESTMINSTER. $294.98.
PUBLIC EVENTS
The Lionel Collectors Club of America’s annual convention runs through Saturday at the Denver Marriott Tech Center Hotel. Much of the week-long confab is limited to members, but plenty of the meet is open to the public:
Free appraisals of pre-1970 Lionel, American Flyer, Ives, Bing and Dorfan electric trains by toy experts on Tuesday, Wednesday, Friday and Saturday. Please, no HO- or N-gauge trains.
Shop for trains and parts at the train show, 9 a.m.-4 p.m. Saturday at the DTC Marriott. Children get in free if accompanied by an adult who pays $5 admission.
See a large modular O-gauge layout, built by members of the Denver Youth in Model Railroading Club, will run continuously Wednesday evening through Saturday afternoon at the DTC Marriott.
For more details on the convention, visit lionelcollectors.org.
