Long Black Friday Premium Upgrade Discount

Thanksgiving is a wonderful holiday that reminds us to be grateful for all we have in the world. If you're thankful for your model train collection, take advantage of our "Long Black Friday" sale to save $ 25 on a DASH Premium upgrade. 

There's no better way to support and enjoy the railroading hobby than with a DASH Premium upgrade. You might already know how many amazing features you get for a $ 60 yearly investment, but have always considered the price too high. Well now's your chance to become a Premium member for almost half the price!

If you see a $ 60 price on the checkout page, you will be refunded $ 25 after your purchase. 

This is the best deal we've ever had on our premium upgrades, and it'll be a long time before it's offered this affordably again. You've only got until Monday December 2nd to upgrade at this reduced price, so don't take too long to board this long black train of a promotion. 

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Big at the Boxcar Office: Back to the Train

Model Railroading has been around longer than any of us can remember, and sometimes it's wonderful to step back into a foregone era of the hobby. Today's video takes us to the past and earns its "box office" treatment with a little nostalgia.

Today's layout isn't actually the highlight, but the video itself is the treasure. It's an educational film from the '50s that will take you through a cherished period of model railroading. You'll instantly step back in time thanks to the antique trains and black-and-white look at them. It's much like the time-traveling present in the movie Back to the Future, and today's ride is well worth the trip through time.

Back to the Train

Even through the dusty old film and shaky camera work, you can see how stunning this old layout is. The trains might look quaint to us today, but taken as a whole, this enormous layout still remains impressive some 60 years later. When it's combined with the rich educational voiceover and glimpse into some of the engineering techniques of decades ago, this video truly stands the test of time as a charming look into the hobby's past. 

Whether you're still working on a new layout or you've been improving the same one for 50 years, we'd love to see a video of it on your Collection Showcase page. Even if it's in black-and-white! Feel free to share any of your favorite layout videos from around the web as well, because we're always look for the next great layout to share right here in the next edition of Big at the Boxcar Office!

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Lionel Spotlights American Flyer Christmas Trains

Every railroader's favorite time of year is the Christmas season. We're taken back to years of old when new trains awaited us underneath the tree. And now we're able to surround our own trees with a train of our own, like these latest products from Lionel. 

It's never too late to start adding holiday cars to the line running around your Christmas tree. You could certainly have a very special American Flyer Christmas this year if you're able to add any of these cool new trains to your collection. Check out all the details and images on these new products straight from Lionel below. 

New Product Spotlight – American Flyer Christmas

This season marks the introduction of several new Christmas items in our American Flyer S Gauge line. These trains will be perfect for starting or expanding your collection and Christmas displays.

Dockside Steam Locomotive

Whether it is busy shifting cars at the North Pole workshops or endlessly coming ’round the tree, this 0-6-0 Dockside switcher will look great hauling your Christmas cars. The locomotive features transformer-controlled forward-neutral-reverse operation, directional headlight and backup light, puffing smoke, operating front and rear couplers, powerful maintenance-free motor and traction tires.

The colorful tank engine retails for $ 94.99 and, like all of the cars shown here, will negotiate an S-36 minimum curve.

6-42567 Christmas Dockside Switcher

Christmas Mint Car

For the first time in S Gauge, the classic “mint car” comes to the Christmas line. Santa’s checking his list to see who will receive the coal and who gets the presents seen inside the car’s big windows.

The car features a metal frame and die-cast trucks with operating couplers.

The car retails for $ 59.99.

6-48844 Mint Car

Naughty / Nice Covered Gondola

Continuing the naughty and nice theme, this covered gondola has compartments for the good and mischievous as well. The two “coil covers” are removable so you can load it with whatever you’d like.

The car also features die-cast trucks and operating couplers.

Retail price is $ 69.99.

6-48572 Covered Gondola

Santa’s Sleigh Flatcar

This flatcar was so popular in 2012 we brought it back with new decoration in 2013.

The flatcar features die-cast trucks and operating couplers. Santa and his sleigh and reindeer are a removable figure. Retail price is $ 69.99 – don’t miss it this year!

6-48577 Flatcar with Sleigh

Cylindrical Covered Hopper

For the scale-minded modeler, our new cylindrical covered hopper will bring some Christmas cheer to your display. Filled with sugar for “Mrs Claus Sugar Plums and Confections” and decorated for the season this car combines the whimsy of the holidays with the detail and features of our 1:64 scale freight cars.

The covered hopper features die-cast trucks with scale wheels and operating couplers. For those who use other couplers, the truck-mounted couplers are designed for easy removal and mounting locations for scale couplers are provided on the car. The car also features many separately applied metal detail parts including the see-through tread walkways around the top.

Retail for this new car is $ 79.99.

6-48664 Scale Cylindrical Covered Hopper

If you're into holiday-themed trains, you ought to be giddy after seeing these! They might not be realistic and they're definitely a little goofy, but they are indisputably Christmasy. I love the Mint Car that features a load of coal for the naughty boy and girls! The North Pole Express locomotive is actually a very sharp train, as is the Sugar Plums & Confections hopper seen directly above. 

Any railroader who gets one of these cool items under their tree will definitely be filled with the holiday spirit! Keep your eyes out for these Lionel trains and other great Christmas products on the DASH Marketplace. 

Holiday Special - First 10 Sales FREE in December

If you've been waiting to sell trains on the DASH Marketplace, now is the perfect time. Throughout the month of December, your first 10 sales will be totally free!

That means NO FEES. Zip. Nada. Nothing. Absolutely zero risk! We want you to try DASH as a new way to sell model trains, so we're removing all barriers. Thousands of model trains are sold to hundreds of buyers each and every month on the DASH Marketplace. Now All you have to do is start listing.

Here’s how:

		The simplest way to list is by filling in good, old-fashioned form. Here is a quick video to show how straightforward this method is on DASH.				You can also leverage the full power of the DASH Catalog to simplify the listing process. You can reuse item titles, descriptions and stock photos with this method.
		If you are a dealer, DASH has tools to take a list of your full inventory and create listings for you. Watch this video to see how you can automate the creation and management of your listings.				Particularly for new items, DASH can really speed the listing process using the “Express” method. To manage your listings, you have to do no systems management at all.

If you have any questions about this promotion or run into any problems while trying to sell, don't hesitate to contact us for additional assistance. We look forward to seeing your trains on the DASH Marketplace.

Trainz Helps 15 Boy Scouts Earn Railroading Merit Badge

Many railroaders spent the early parts of their life alongside fellow Boy Scouts of America, and many members of our community are still influencing Scouts with their railroading ways. One such person is Scott Griggs of Trainz.com (a prominent seller here on DASH), and he's got a wonderful story of his recent weekend with the Scouts. 

Story From Trainz.com

The Trainz.com Chief Engineer Scott Griggs is also a scoutmaster in the Boy Scouts. What better thing for a Boy Scout Leader and model train enthusiast to do than teach the Railroading merit badge? Saturday, May 10^th was the date for the Advance-a-Rama for the Chattahoochee district of the Northeast Georgia Council. About 60 boys of all ages and ranks attended the event from all over northeast Georgia, and 15 of them choose to learn about railroading. The class was from 9:00AM to 4:00PM and covered everything you ever wanted to know about trains. Scott brought in 3 large boxes of Lionel Fastrak for the boys to set up however they wanted and supplies to build a diorama complete with a car kit, abuilding, trees, and people. In the morning we covered the history of Railroads; how locomotives work; what all the different types of railroad cars are for; how Amtrak came about and how it operates; what is operation lifesaver all about and why the train always wins and there are no ties; what railroad signals and block are for; and other fascinating facts about trains.  Then we broke for lunch and took over the Bojangles next door.

Then after lunch it was a crash course in making a diorama and putting together an HO car kit, a building kit, making trees, laying track, ballasting the track, and adding ground cover. The outdoor patio at the Winder 1^st UMC was a busy place and a test to see how many questions Scott could answer and how many boys could he help at the same time!

Scott is also taking the Boy Scouts Wood Badge Leadership Training program course, the top-level course that BSA offers to its leaders. It makes a lot of sense. If the purpose of Boy Scouts is to teach boys life skills, character, and leadership, then you better make sure that you have adults leaders trained to model it. Scott has attend the two 3-day weekend from sun-up to sun-down immersed in team building, scout skills and leadership training. Then after the two camping/training weekends he needs to complete five “tickets” to complete the program that each participant chooses. Scotts five tickets are:

1. Teach the disabilities awareness merit badge course (Completed at the fall 2013 Advance-a-Rama) (Scott also has a son with disabilities). Done!
2. Form a Pack Committee for the cub scout pack that Scott is the chairman of. Done!
3. Teach the Railroading Merit Badge. Done!
4.  Sit in on five boy’s Eagle Board of Reviews, the final step for the boy to earn his eagle rank. 3 of 5 done so far!
5. Take the wilderness first aid training – This is another full weekend program and Scott plans to take it in the fall of 2014.

For complete requirements for those of you that just need to know here is the Railroading Merit Badge requirements page.

I'd like to thank Scott for sharing his story, and thank him even more for helping more young men discover the joys that railroading can provide. I wish I could've been a part of this great event myself!  

Thomas the Tank Engine Theme Park Headed to Boston

Thomas the Tank Engine has helped generations of children find a love of trains thanks to his television show and book series, and now his presence is about to get even bigger in the real world thanks to a new theme park being constructed in his honor. 

USA Today has reported that a Thomas The Tank Engine-themed section will be added to the Boston metro area Edaville USA Railroad attraction. "Thomas Land," as it's going to be called, will be built on 11 acres of the park and feature 14 rides based on the lovable characters of the show. There are already two "Thomas Land" parks in the United Kingdom and Japan, but this will be the biggest and first such park in America, making it a must-see attraction for stateside railroaders. 

You can read more details on the project straight from USA Today in the excerpt below. 

Thomas the Tank Engine theme park coming

Thomas the Tank Engine, the iconic talking cartoon train that has thrilled millions of children around the world, and Edaville USA Railroad, a favorite destination of generations of southeastern New England families, are teaming up on a permanent Thomas-themed park.

Groundbreaking on the first Thomas Land in the U.S. is scheduled for next month, and the park is expected to open for business in summer 2015.

Adding Thomas Land will turn Edaville from a regional attraction to a national attraction, backers hope, quadrupling current attendance to 1 million a year. s attendance, currently at about 250,000 people a year, to quadruple. Thomas Land, being built on about 11 of Edaville's 250 acres, will have 14 rides based on the television show, with the highlight being a 20-minute train ride on a life-sized Thomas the Tank Engine.

A roller coaster, drop tower, Ferris wheel and other rides will feature more Thomas characters, including Toby, Cranky the Crane and Harold the Helicopter. Children will even be able to meet Sir Topham Hatt.

Carver, the site of the development, is about 50 miles south of Boston, next-door to Plymouth. "Thomas fits Edaville like a glove," Edaville owner Jon Delli Priscoli said. Edaville began operating as a tourist railroad in 1947, after Ellis D. Atwood bought abandoned railcars from a defunct railroad to carry cranberries and workers across his 1,500 acres of cranberry bogs. The train was named using Atwood's initials: EDA.

Edaville, already one of the town's largest employers, is expected to triple its workforce from about 100 to 300 full- and part-time employees, he said. The town will also benefit from the park's spinoff business, as visitors eat at area restaurants and shop in local stores.

"This is going to completely remake and revitalize the Edaville experience," he said.

There's nothing quite like a day spent with trains, and this new park will provide a rich experience doing exactly that. Thomas the Tank Engine is beloved by millions of kids and adults all over the world, so this park will surely attract railroaders from across the country, and maybe even reignite the passion for trains in a few of them! Only one question remains: how will we be able to wait a full year to visit this incredible place? 

Big at the Boxcar Office: The Grand Budapest Train

America has its share of beautiful layouts and dedicated railroaders, but amazing models aren't limited to our shores. Today's featured layout video hails from across the sea and earns it spot at the "box office" thanks to some incredible views and perfect details.

This stunning layout is seemingly one of a kind thanks to its wonderful winding tracks, elegant landscapes, and realistic rolling stock. Much like the charming new film The Grand Budapest Hotel takes its viewers on a visually engaging trip across Europe, this layout video takes us on a similar journey that's just as lovable. 

The Grand Budapest Train

I love getting a closer look at European trains, and this video provides a wonderful trip through Europe on the rails that I've yet to experience in real life. The layout itself is well executed, and the video captures it in action perfectly. It's nearly as good as seeing it in person! You can find lots of lovingly-crafted details in every scene and I didn't notice a single thing that looked out of place!

If this layout video wasn't enough for you, please share your own on your Collection Showcase page. We know not every layout can be as perfect as this one, but we still appreciate them all! You should also share a link to your favorite video from around the web in the comments below because it might just show up right here in the next edition of Big at the Boxcar Office!

Lionel Spotlights Scale Christmas Trains

We already showed you some of Lionel's newest Christmas-themed toy trains, and now we've got a closer look at their scale-proportioned products centered on Christmas. These trains are more realistic and will fit right into a layout, but still carry the joy and excitement of the holiday season. 

Whether you buy them for yourself to decorate your Christmas tree or put them on your list so that others will help you build your collection, these Christmas trains from Lionel are the perfect fit for the serious collector. Check out all the details and photos below. 

New Product Spotlight – Scale Christmas

For our modelers who enjoy Christmas trains but also prefer scale-proportions to match the rest of their models, Lionel has several new offerings sure to brighten any layout for 2013. These models have all of the features, size and details you’ll find in our scale models decorated for their specific prototypes but with graphics that are pure Christmas fun.

Christmas Pioneer Zephyr

The Zephyr may have derived its name from the “West Wind” but this train is screaming like an arctic front down from the North Pole!

The train features all of the same great features of the Pioneer Zephyr. This version is decorated for the North Pole Central with red and green accents added to the gleaming carbody.

The train features:

• LEGACY Control – also capable of running on TMCC or Conventional
• Odyssey II Speed Control
• LEGACY RailSounds including
  • CrewTalk and TowerCom dialog
  • 6 Railroad speeds
  • 8 Diesel RPM levels
  • LEGACY Quilling horn
  • Single hit or continuous mechanical bell
  • Sequence control provides sounds and dialog for an entire trip around your layout
  • Current speed and fuel dialog and refueling sounds 
• Realistic Articulation between cars
• Dual motors with flywheels
• Refined Transformer Control with lower starting speeds
• Traction Tires (4)
• Fan-driven smoke unit with adjustable output – smoke emits from all four stacks
• Working headlight on locomotive and tail light on observation car
• Working Marker Lights on locomotive and observation car
• Lighted and detailed cab and car interiors with crew and passenger figures
• Metal frames
• Die-cast metal bodies, trucks and vestibules
• O-54 minimum curve

The train retails for $ 1099.99 and is available at your dealers now.

North Pole Central Freight

Complement your passenger service with this great freight power and equipment for the North Pole Central!

GP35 Diesels

The reliable and venerable GP35 is just what the North Pole Central needs to ensure the timely delivery of its parcels. So you can handle any surge in holiday traffic, the GP35 is available in two powered and one non-powered road number.

The festive red, green, white and gray locomotives feature:

Powered locomotives feature:

• LEGACY Control System – able to run on LEGACY, TMCC or Conventional control layouts
• Odyssey II Speed Control with On / Off switch
• LEGACY RailSounds including
  • CrewTalk and TowerCom dialog
  • 6 Official railroad speeds
  • 8 Diesel RPM levels
  • Quilling Horn
  • Bell (single hit and continuous)
  • Sequence Control
  • Current speed and fuel dialog
  • Refueling sounds
• Dual maintenance-free motors
• Traction Control
• Refined Conventional Control mode with lower starting speeds
• Front and Rear ElectroCouplers
• Fan-driven smoke with adjustable output
• Directional lighting
• Marker Lights – front and rear
• Lighted cab interior with crew
• Metal frame, pilots, trucks and fuel tank
• MSRP: $ 499.99

Non-Powered model features:

• Metal frame, pilots, trucks and fuel tank
• Front and rear magnetic couplers
• Select separately applied details
• Detailed cab interior
• MSRP: $ 259.99

All of these locomotives are available now. See your dealers!

 

Boxcar and Caboose

Those Geeps need something to pull!  Start with the North Pole Central PS-1 boxcar. Decorated in colorful “Christmas Eve Freight Service” graphics, the car is reminiscent of the many less-than-car-load freight forwarding cars seen in the golden era of railroads.

Our boxcar features:

• Die-cast sprung trucks with operating couplers
• Hidden uncoupling tabs
• Opening Doors
• Die-cast metal frame
• Many separately applied details including metal underframe brake detail.

The boxcar retails for $ 69.99.

And of course, you’ll need a proper caboose to bring up the train. Our North Pole Central extended-vision caboose is the perfect end to a train of southbound packages. It features:

The extended vision caboose is the perfect way to end any Christmas train.

• Die-cast sprung trucks with operating couplers
• Hidden uncoupling tabs
• Smoke unit with on/off control
• Interior illumination
• Painted and detailed interior including crew figure
• Many separately applied details including metal underframe brake detail.

Retail price for the caboose is $ 94.99. See your dealers now for all of these Christmas items!

The Zephyr is a beautiful train in its normal colors, but it looks even sharper with a little Christmas red-and-green! This is perfect shiny silver train that adds a flash of the holidays while its runs beneath your Christmas tree. And if the Zephyr's holiday decor is just a hair too subtle for you, the North Pole Central Freight options might be right up your alley. In both powered and non-powered varieties, this freight line proudly bears the red-and-green coloring, but also features a snowflake paint deco that really adds to its looks. 

You just can't go wrong as a railroader around the holidays, and these trains are proof of that fact! They're perfect for casual railfans or the most hardcore collectors. Keep an eye out for these Christmas trains and many others on the DASH Marketplace as the season approaches!

Closer Look at MTH's Premier Line O Gauge EP-5 Electric Locomotive

O Gauge railroaders with a love for the Northeast ought to be very excited about MTH's latest product spotlight. It brings the beloved EP-5 "Jets" of the New Haven Railroad back to life in outstanding fashion. 

MTH is bringing the EP-5 back to their Premier Line for the first time in a decade, and it certainly looks better than ever this time around. The New Haven Railroad's sharp red-white-and-black color patterns look gorgeous on the shell, and it's a sight to behold when the train comes to life on the tracks. Check out the details, video, and new photos of the train below.   

Check Out The Details And See It In Action: Premier Line O Gauge EP-5 Electric Locomotive

December 11, 2013 - Spanning a career of over 20 years, EP-5 "Jets" were the prize of the New Haven Railroad. While they always ran in the shadow of the Pennsy's GG-1, EP-5's outperformed their electric counterparts in many ways. With its unparalleled acceleration capabilities, EP-5's were able to keep fast, tight schedules between northeast passenger stops. Their electric systems were much more advanced than those of the GG-1 and ultimately became the standard for electric locomotives in the U.S.

Now returning to the M.T.H. Premier line for the first time in ten years, the EP-5 is sure to be a welcome sight on your O gauge layout. Unlike other 3-rail EP-5's, the M.T.H. Premier version features prototypically detailed 6-wheel die-cast trucks. Riding atop the trucks is a metal chassis and an intricately detailed ABS shell. Operating, motorized metal pantographs and other details make this the best O gauge EP-5 ever produced. Inside the engine, you will find two flywheel-equipped motors and the awesome sounds and features of the Proto-Sound 3.0 Digital Sound and Train Control System.

It's not hard to see how finely-crafter this train is. You can see the intricate details everywhere, and taken as a whole, it really delivers an accurate portrait of a classic Northeastern locomotive. Co,bining its beautiful appearance with all the functionality of MTH's Proto-Sound 3.0 Digital Sound and Train Control System, this train is sure to win over any O Gauge railroader. 

This locomotive is also available in New Haven McGinnis Yellow, New Haven Green, and Penn Central if the sleek black, red, and white look doesn't catch your eye. You can't go wrong with any of the road names or colors available, because each and every one looks impressive. You can keep an eye out for all these trains and other MTH Premier Line products right here on the DASH Marketplace. 

New Video Tutorials for Selling on DASH

We're always looking for ways to make the DASH selling experience easier for our users. That's why we created a new series of video tutorials to walk you through the various ways to list model trains for sale on the DASH Marketplace.

There are currently four ways to list trains depending on the type of seller you are. For regular users looking to unload a few extra pieces, you can list a few items quickly and easily using the manual list method seen below. 

List Using Manual Method

Another quick way to list items that are already in your collection on DASH is to use the Catalog to fill up the listing details. This makes listing super fast and helps you build a great listing in no time. Check out the steps to accomplish this in the video below. 

Catalog Based Listing Method

If you're looking to list items in larger numbers, the express method may be perfect for you. Whether you have dozens of trains to sell or thousands, you can build listings quickly and efficiently using this method. 

List Using the Express Method

The final way to list is a bulk import tool that allows you to build extremely detailed and full-featured listings in large quantities. This is the ultimate upload tool for high volume dealers looking to build attractive listings. 

Using the Bulk Load Import

Any of the above listing methods will get your on the DASH Marketplace and in front of thousands of model train buyers. If you'd prefer to read a step-by-step guide, check out our How to Sell documentation for even more detailed instructions. You can also contact us if you run into any problems or have any questions. 

MTH Shows Off Their Latest Trains

There are few things I like more than looking at pictures of new model trains. Every new train that comes out seems to be more detailed, have more features, and look better than the ones before it. That's especially true of the newest stuff from MTH! 

We've got new images and closer looks at four new trains from MTH, including some gorgeous O Gauge locomotives and a very special Tinplate train that'll leave you breathless! They all look even better when shot on MTH's in-house layout, so keep reading to see insightful product descriptions and stunning photos straight from the folks at MTH below.

MTH RailKing O Gauge Chessie 4-8-4 Northern Steam Engine

Just a few flurries falling outside here at the office in Columbia, Maryland this morning. At the car shed though we have the just arrived and in-stock MTH RailKing O Gauge Chessie 4-8-4 Northern Steam Engine. Featured in the 2013 Volume 2 RailKing & Premier O-Gauge Trains Catalog this RailKing Northern comes in Santa Fe 30-1604-1, Reading 30-1605-1, Chessie 30-1606-1, and Great Northern 30-1607-1 road names. These will be heading out to MTH Dealers this week and would be a great addition to any layout this Christmas.

No. 6 Electric Express Locomotive

The No. 6 Locomotive was first introduced by The Lionel Manufacturing Company around 1910. The Lionel catalog of the time proclaimed the No. 6 Electric Express Locomotive "Beyond Comparison" and "...is the most perfect miniature model ever placed on sale." Today The Lionel Tinplate Corporation is proud to bring the No. 6 Steam Engine back with this all new Western & Atlantic Railroad WARR General paint scheme. Arriving in early 2014 the No. 6 would be a great addition to any Standard Gauge Tinplate layout. Ask your MTH or Lionel Corporation Dealer about ordering one today. To see the entire line of Lionel Corporation Tinplate here is a link the the on-line catalog.

MTH Premier O Gauge Climax Logging Steam Engine

Today we have a production sample of the MTH Premier O Gauge Climax Logging Steam Engine. This Premier Steam Locomotive will be arriving in the first part of 2014 and comes in Canadian Forest Products Ltd. 20-3445-1, British Columbia Forest Products 20-3446-1, and two HillCrest Lumber Company (cab #10 shown 30-3443-1) (Cab #3 black 30-3444-1) road names. Ask your MTH Dealer about ordering one today. For more information about the Premier HillCrest Climax featured on facebook 30-3443-1 here is a link to the item on the MTH Website.

MTH Premier O Gauge Jersey Central Blue Comet 4-6-2 P47 Baldwin Pacific Steam Engine

On this cold December morning we have the new and in-stock MTH Premier O Gauge Jersey Central Blue Comet 4-6-2 P47 Baldwin Pacific Steam Engine. The Blue Comet Passenger Train traveled twice-daily between Jersey City and Atlantic City in the 1920's. This famed locomotive so captured the imagination that it inspired Lionel Trains in the 1930's and 40's to use the paint scheme on their 390, 400E Standard Gauge and 263E O Gauge Tinplate locomotives. The same models our own Lionel Corporation Tinplate reproduces today. Clearly we have come along way in model trains since then as this Premier O Scale Jersey Central Blue Comet shows. The 2013 Premier P47 comes in Hi-Rail Wheels (3-rail) and Scale Wheels (2-Rail) both in traditional black and the more famed Blue Comet Paint Scheme. Ask your MTH Dealer about the Premier Jersey Central P47 today. For more details on this item check out this link to the MTH website.

It doesn't get much better than that! Despite the stunningly sharp No. 6, I think The Blue Comet is my favorite of the above trains. Its rich blue color is just perfect. It would undoubtedly brighten up any layout or bring a new spark to any collector's shelf. Then again, all of these trains would do that! One could look at these pictures for hours and not spot every amazing detail that's been crammed into these trains, and that's a sign that MTH has really put some love and care into their creation. 

Keep an eye out for these trains and more great MTH products on the DASH Marketplace. We've got thousands of MTH trains right now, and more are being added every day. And if you're looking for all the latest news and trains on MTH, don't stray too far from DASH Flash, because we've got it all. 

Closer Look at Lionel's Christmas Freight Cars

We've already given you closer looks at Lionel's American Flyer Christmas trains and their scale Christmas trains, and now we have a look at a load of holiday freight cars that'll make you want to take a train ride through the snow. 

Christmas is the best time of year to be a fan of trains, and Lionel makes the holiday memorable every year with another line of incredible products. Just take a look at the 14 freight cars below to see how special a Lionel Christmas can be. 

New Product Spotlight – Christmas Freight Cars

This year we’ve added many new Christmas-themed freight cars to our catalog to help brighten your layout. Whatever your model interest, we’ve got something to help trim your trains!

Postwar Inspired

For those who still thrill at the memories of Christmas’ past we have four new cars inspired by some of our classic Postwar trains.

6-27946 Christmas Savings Boxcar

The 6050-25 Christmas Savings Club boxcar features AAR-style die-cast trucks and a coin slot in the roof (so you can start saving for more trains!) It retails for $ 54.99.

6-27948 Great Northern Christmas Boxcar

Our 6464-25 Great Northern Christmas boxcar has operating doors and bar-end style die-cast trucks. It has a metal frame and retails for $ 59.99. All of our Postwar Inspired and other Christmas cars seen here have operating couplers.

6-27947 Reindeer Transport Car

The 6473-25 Reindeer Transport Car is sure to be a hit with kids of all ages. The reindeer heads bob in and out of the side windows as the stock car rolls along the track. Retail price: $ 59.99

6-27949 Christmas PRR Merchandise Car

For even more action, the Merchandise Car returns with the 3854-25 PRR Christmas Merchandise Car. With the press of a button, the doors of the green car open automatically as presents are dispensed from the car. The car includes six colorful packages and retails for $ 74.99.

Traditional Freight Cars

These festive cars will all fit in with any traditional layout. Many are will complement our existing licensed train sets as well.

6-26489 Hershey’s Christmas Bells Boxcar

It’s just not Christmas without chocolate! Add to your Hershey’s trains with the Hershey’s Christmas Bells Boxcar. The car features die-cast sprung trucks, metal frame and opening doors. Retail: $ 64.99

6-29698 Tree Topper Transport

Top things off with our Tree Topper Transport bulkhead flatcar. The red and green car comes loaded with three large gold stars which are removable. This car also has sprung die-cast trucks and retails for $ 79.99.

6-26481 BSA Christmas Gondola

We salute the Boy Scouts’ spirit of giving with the BSA Christmas Gondola. A perfect addition to your Christmas trains or your BSA set, this gondola comes loaded with crates and decorated for the Scouting for Food and Clothing drive. Car features die-cast trucks and retails for $ 64.99.

6-25977 Leg Lamp Mint Car

The Leg Lamp – need we say more? It has become a holiday icon of “major” proportions and now its warm glow can draw neighbors from all around to your layout. The Christmas Story “Leg Lamp” Mint Car features a look into the windows in that timeless movie scene. The lighted car features die-cast trucks, metal frame and a lighted interior. Retail price is $ 79.99. Don’t worry, it’s not nearly as “Fra-Gee-Lay” as the original!

6-29792 Angela Trotta Thomas Toyland Express Boxcar

From the living room window to the storefront display… This year’s Angela Trotta Thomas boxcar features “Toyland Express.” Angela’s painting captures all of the warmth and excitement of those classic Lionel train displays. The boxcar features sprung die-cast trucks, metal frame and opening doors. Retail price: $ 64.99

6-25960 Christmas Tree Transparent Boxcar

Railroads were at one time a leading shipper of Christmas trees every December. Now you can add these movements to your railroad with the North Pole Central Christmas Tree Transparent Boxcar. The car has see-through sides and opening doors along with die-cast trucks. Retail price: $ 74.99.

6-29697 Santa’s Submarine Flatcar

From the starry skies to the deep blue oceans, Santa has to get around! We’d love to see what stories you’ll come up with to go along with the new Santa’s Submarine Flatcar. No doubt this car will be a treat for kids of all ages with its removable sub. The car retails for $ 69.99.

6-29699 Silver and Gold Mint Car

The new Silver and Gold Mint Car comes decorated in Christmas decor and loaded with bars of silver and gold bullion. This classic car will look great in any Christmas consist. With die-cast sprung trucks and a metal frame it retails for $ 69.99.

6-39364 2013 Christmas Boxcar

And of course we couldn’t leave 2013 behind without our annual commemorative boxcar. This year’s car features a silver background, green sides and ends and a red door with graphics of a classic toy train rushing through the snow. The car features sprung metal trucks, metal frame and opening doors and retails for $ 59.99.

Wishing you all a Merry Christmas from Lionel Trains!

It would be impossible to go wrong with these festive cars. Whether you like things on the goofier side with Santa's Submarine Flatcar or want a more classic look with the Great Northern Christmas Boxcar, there are lots of options to make your Christmas train more fun and more compelling. I really love the PRR Merchandise Car with the dispensing gifts, because I think it'd be easy to convert it into an interactive candy dish for the holidays! 

Be sure to make the most of your hobby this holiday season by grabbing a few extra Christmas cars like these. You can keep your eyes peeled on the DASH Marketplace for these cars and others like them, or just grab a DASH upgraded membership as a special holiday treat for the most special railroader of all... yourself!

Big at the Boxcar Office: The Train Around the Corner

Christmas brings out the railroader in everyone. Trains are pulled out to circle trees, stories of the Polar Express fill our hearts, and we're taken back to a time when the train meant so much. This Christmas layout may not be traditional, but it's full of the spirit of the season and earns its place at the "box office". 

Most Christmas trains and layouts are especially festive. There are glowing lights, heavy-handed decorations, and a rush of Christmas that rarely reflects reality. But today's train tones down the glowing lights, ringing bells, and holiday extras. In its place we're given a real portrait of Christmas in a beautiful European scene, and I can't imagine anything more beautiful. Much like the second-most-popular Jimmy Stewart Christmas tale presented in The Shop Around the Corner, this train will leave your heart full of joy.

The Train Around the Corner

I hope you feel like you've been transported to a gorgeous foreign land where the holiday season is thick in the air and even thicker on the ground. The heavy snows, unbelievable mountain scape, the stunning homes, and little Christmas touches all combine to make this a wonderful treat of a layout. We might not be able to recreate such an intricate scene around our Christmas trees each year, but we can certainly imagine trains rolling through the snowy countryside on a beautiful Christmas day. 

If you've got a Christmas layout of your own, we'd absolute love to see it on your Collection Showcase page. It doesn't have to be as spectacular as this one! I promise we'll still think it's a wonderful tribute to the season. And always feel free to share a link to other layouts you love in the comments below. You never know which one will show up right here in the next edition of Big at the Boxcar Office!

Holiday Gift From DASH - Save $25 on a Premium Upgrade

Christmas is almost here, and we have a special gift just for you! We've reduced the price of our Premium upgrade to $ 35, meaning you can save a hefty $ 25 between now and the new year!

You've probably already heard all about a DASH Premium membership, but even Santa can't deliver all the amazing features you normally get for $ 60 a year. And right now it's only $ 35 if you take advantage of our gift! Become a Premium member for almost half the price!

If you see a $ 60 price on the checkout page, you will be refunded $ 25 after your purchase. 

We don't plan to ever offer upgrades at a lower price than this one, so buy yourself the ultimate Christmas present and become a railroader that truly has every collecting tool at your disposal. You've only got until January 1st to upgrade at this reduced price, so don't miss Santa before he heads back to the North Pole. 

DASH Wishes You a Merry Christmas

There's simply no time like the holiday season for railroaders. Trains surround our trees and carry the Christmas spirit with them. Here at DASH, we want to wish you all a merry Christmas and a wonderful new year full of trains. 

And that's why I decided to create a Christmas tree using the trains we all know and love. With a little help from technology and lots of patience, I put together more than 50 trains to build a tree that really captures the relationship between trains and Christmas. 

You might see a hunk of green trains at first glance, but a closer inspection and a little holiday spirit will reveal a beautiful Christmas tree with red garland and a thick brown trunk. We think this might just be the best model train Christmas tree ever created, and we're happy to share it with our users and the world.

I hope you have a wonderful Christmas and take a moment to pass along our special little tree and the joy that comes with it to your friends, family, and fellow railroaders. 

Lionel Spotlights CP Rail Grain Train Set

Most railroaders don't often take the time to appreciate the rich history and diversity in the Canadian rail system, but Lionel's latest spotlight will have you paying more attention. 

They've got a new set that brings the Canadian Pacific's agricultural service to life in magnificent color and style. You can read the full details and history of this CP Rail Gran Train set straight from Lionel below. 

New Product Spotlight – CP Rail Grain Train Set

Now the excitement of those long and colorful unit trains of Canadian grain can be brought to layouts of any size with this new Ready-to-Run set. Based on some of the many popular paint schemes of the Canadian cylindrical covered hoppers and powered by a locomotive in the attractive “Dual Flags” scheme of CP Rail, this set is ready for the wheat rush.
set

Beginning in 1972, the Canadian government began financing the construction of several thousand covered hoppers for agricultural service. These would finally bring an end to the days of loading grain in 4o foot boxcars. Most of the cars were financed by the national government and wore a variety of colorful schemes. They were leased to Canadian Pacific and Canadian National with CPWX or CNWX reporting marks on the cars.
Alberta

Several provincial governments also supplied cars to the pool. The bright blue Alberta cars featured unique names of towns and counties. Saskatchewan has recently added new cars in one of the most colorful schemes yet. In addition to all of these, the major Canadian railroads ordered their own cars. All together, these cars operated out of a general pool so they would be available wherever and whenever needed.

Much of the grain carried in these cars was destined for ports and shipment overseas. As CP and CN expanded their networks in the 1990s with the purchase of some strategic American railroads the sight of the Canadian covered hoppers and locomotives south of the border became even more common.

Now you can handle this lucrative traffic on your railroad with the new CP Rail Grain Train. This complete set includes a CW-80 transformer, 60″ x 40″ oval of FasTrack, U36B locomotive, three covered hoppers and a caboose. The locomotive features:

• Transformer Controlled Forward / Neutral / Reverse
• RailSounds RTR including diesel engine revving, horn, bell and operator-activated crew dialog
• Dual Motors
• Traction Tires
• Metal Frame
• Operating Headlight
• Illuminated Cab Interior
• Dual Operating Couplers
• Engineer and conductor figures

The covered hoppers feature operating couplers, and sprung die-cast metal trucks. The caboose features a metal frame, ladders, smokestack and trucks plus interior illumination. All of the cars and locomotive will negotiate an O-27 curve.

I think this is a stunningly beautiful starter set. It has some of the most colorful cars and stylish logos of any I've seen in a long time, and it's enough to brighten up any young railroader's collection. The distinctive Canadian flair is just icing on the cake for me, making it an even more unique and visually attractive little train. The "dual flags" motif on the locomotive is a fun reminder of the rail's increasing presence in the States. Just imagine this picturesque train rolling through golden grain fields on a backdrop of rich blue sky.  

Once you do, I can't imagine anyone regretting this train's vibrant addition to their layout or collection. You can keep an eye out for this rainbow-colored train on the DASH Marketplace, along with other amazing Lionel starter sets and grain cars. 

A DASH Family Tour of the Atlanta Botanical Garden Railroad

The Atlanta Botanical Garden and its beautiful garden railroad entertain thousands of visitors every holiday season, and DASH founder Bill Jones was lucky enough to spend New Year's Eve taking in its splendor alongside his family. He sent along some incredible pictures to give us all a tour of the lovely sights.

As you can tell from the following photos, the Atlanta Botanical Garden railroad is fun for the whole family, whether they love your trains or loathe them! Here are our intrepid adventurers as they're about to embark on their railroading journey.

And here are the trains! You'll see a variety of G Scale trains set across six independent tracks. They whir past small towns, glide through gorgeous greenery, and whistle their way along bridges, creeks, and loads more environmental highlights. Seeing trains weave their way throughout the natural scenery of the garden is a real pleasure. 

Although many garden railroads are perfectly manicured and meticulously designed, this one has a more natural and organic feel to it. It gives onlookers a more realistic view of the area's native plant life and landscape, while still conveying the grandeur of the railroad with huge trestles, sweeping waterside vistas, and complex track layouts.  

It might be a humble control box, but the results speak for themselves! Although this garden railroad looks great in the sunlight, I recommend staying until the sun sets to see it really glow. That's when things take a turn toward stunning and the trains are given new life with the "Garden Lights."

It's like stepping into a winter wonderland full of wheels, whistles, and wide smiles!

If you're in the Atlanta area, swinging by the Atlanta Botanical Garden is certainly worth a trip. You can catch the Holiday Model Train Show until January 4th, so there are only a few more days to enjoy the sounds, sights, and lights of one of the coolest trains in the entire state.

You might just see Bill and his family heading back for even more fun the next time around, so be sure to stop and say hello!