Lionel Hogwart's Express


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Written by Paul D. Race for

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Harry Potter's Hogwarts Express^TM - At long last, an model of the Hogwarts Express^TM that is big enough for small hands to operate. Fantasy lovers will enjoy a magical journey that is portrayed in J.K. Rowling's enchanting Harry Potter series. Train lovers will enjoy a truly historic event in the world of toy and model trains. This is Lionel's first ever model of an historic British train, which required completely new tooling and molds.

New for 2019: Hogwarts Express Background and Modeling Ideas

After finally purchasing an O gauge Lionel Hogwarts Express train and some extra pieces, and spending several days at the Wizarding World parts of Universal Studios Orlando, Paul Race wrote up the history of the real-world trains that have been repurposed to serve Hogwarts students in the movies and theme parks. He also added descriptions of the models available and a project for repurposing toy castles to serve as backgrounds for his outdoor version of the Hogwarts express.

The Real Hogwarts Express - On a recent trip to Universal studios, we met up with two genuine Great Western Railways Hall class locomotives - decommissioned by 1965 - that had been cleaned up and repainted for Hogwarts Express. This article digs into the history of the Hall locomotives, including why they were chosen for the movies, and opportunities to model them. Probably more than you ever wanted to know, but I had a great time learning this stuff.
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Trashbashing Fisher Price Castles - When we considered using a discontinued G gauge Hogwarts Express train for our annual Christmas-themed open railroad, we also wondered how to make that train look at home without spending hundreds of dollars or hundreds of hours, or both, trying to build a representation of Hogwarts Castle. We settled for repurposing some battered old toy castles in a way that would let us use them for other purposes. But they served this purpose just fine, I think.
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Update for 2011: By now Lionel has run out of stock and restocked this set several times. They have upgraded the features more than once, as well, so when you go shopping, you'll see some different prices. The Bluetooth-ready version is the latest, but except for control options, the trains are identical.

They have also offered add-on cars, including a "Dementors Coach", which shows the outlines of the creepy Askaban guards through the windows.

Other add-on packages have come and gone, including several we have listed here over the years.

A Unique Model for Lionel

Click to see railroad collections just for Halloween.

Railfans will notice the "buffers" (bumpers) on the front, the "splashers" (fenders) over the drivers, and the "missing" sand dome (the sand reservoirs are attached elsewhere). All of these details give this die-cast 4-6-0 locomotive an appearance that is streamlined, classic, and uniquely British.

In fact, fans of English railroads will quickly recognize a Great Western Railway "Hall" class locomotive, one of the most successful steam locomotives ever built. Olton Hall was built in 1937 and is one of about eleven Hall class locomotives to be preserved. Unlike its brethren, which tend to be painted deep green, Olton Hall was painted a rich scarlet for the movie "Harry Potter and the Chamber of Secrets," and has not been green since. For a photograph (by Phil Scott) of the original locomotive used in the motion picture, click here

The illuminated passenger cars also represent the kind of cars used on British railways for nearly a century, and also used in the film. They also required all new tooling.

Compatible With Other Lionel, Including Thomas(r)

Here's some more good news - this train runs on the same track as Lionel's other sets, including the Thomas and Friends(r) sets. In fact, James the Red Engine(tm) is based on a similar British engine. So if Thomas and James have given you an appreciation for British railroading, but you're ready for something a little more realistic, this is an ideal "step up" for your family.

Note about Suppliers: While we try to help you get the trains and other products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose to provide your trains are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier should any problems occur. (They almost never do, but you want to be on the safe side.)

Click a "check stock" button at the right for more details or to check on availability, but don't wait too long to make up your mind about this historical offering.

Set Includes

4-6-0 Locomotive

Transformer controlled forward, neutral, and reverse operation
Operating headlight
Powerful maintenance-free motor
Two traction tires
Puffing smoke
Separately applied metal handrails
Die-cast metal locomotive body

Coal Tender, includes:

Operating coupler on rear of tender
Air whistle

One Baggage Car (Some Europeans call this a "Brake Coach" or "Coach with Service Area")

Passenger car features include:

Interior lighting
Operating couplers
Soft molded diaphragms between cars

Two Passenger Coaches (Some Europeans call these Compartment Coaches or Composite Coaches)

Three straight FasTrack track sections and one FasTrack Terminal section

Eight curved FasTrack track sections

Powerful CW-80 Transformer

Other Specifications

Gauge: Traditional O Gauge
Minimum Curve: O-36
Length of Train: Approx. 63"
Layout Dimensions: 40" x 60" with supplied track (Other track available, see below)

Click a "check stock" button at the right for more details or to check on availability today. If you click on the Train Discounts button, be sure to add the train to your shopping cart to see your final price.)

Note: HARRY POTTER, characters, names and related indicia are trademarks of and � Warner Bros. Entertainment Inc.Harry Potter Publishing Rights � JKR. (s07)

Expand Your Empire With More Track. Most of the trains on this page come with Lionel's new "FasTrack," which looks better and goes together easier than traditional O-27 track. To give your train a little more room to run, consider adding a few pieces. This 10-inch Straight Track Section is the same as the pieces that come with the Polar Express. Please click on the button to check price and availability.

Lionel FasTrack Curves A set of four curved pieces, along with a few more straight pieces, will give you many more choices of how to set up your Polar Express Train. These are what Lionel calls O-36 curves, the same curves that come with the Polar Express. Please click on a supplier button to check price and availability.

Lionel FasTrack Railer - The Railer is used to help you and your family easily roll your locomotives and rolling stock onto the tracks. No more fiddling with the wheels to get them on correctly. Instead, you set this on top of the track temporarily and "feed" each car through it to get it onto the track. Great for kids who are just learning about trains. This product works with all the train sets on this page.

In addition, the O-Scale Accessories page includes many relatively inexpensive details such as bridges, fencing, and stations, that will bring life to any O-Scale or O-Gauge railroad. Click on the picture at the right to see that product page.

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