When Lionel introduced its new FasTrack system in 2004, model train enthusiasts quickly warmed to the increased realism—right down to the integrated roadbed and darkened center rail—and the greater ease of use. In this book, the author of The Big Book of Lionel presents the first complete guide to the FasTrack system. Amply illustrated with color photographs and 36 track diagrams, the book instructs readers on every aspect of the system, from assembling and disassembling FasTrack to building a simply oval, planning a layout within various space constraints, building tracks for two trains and reversing trains, and designing unique layouts—even yard layouts.

"This officially licensed, centennial celebration of the Lionel electric train tells the story of the first one hundred years of Lionel and showcases stunning, full-color photographs of some of the famous--as well as some of the rarest--examples of the Lionel output."--Cover.

Big Brother is a striking novel about siblings, marriage, and obesity from Lionel Shriver, the acclaimed author the international bestseller We Need to Talk About Kevin. For Pandora, cooking is a form of love. Alas, her husband, Fletcher, a self-employed high-end cabinetmaker, now spurns the “toxic” dishes that he’d savored through their courtship, and spends hours each day to manic cycling. Then, when Pandora picks up her older brother Edison at the airport, she doesn’t recognize him. In the years since they’ve seen one another, the once slim, hip New York jazz pianist has gained hundreds of pounds. What happened? After Edison has more than overstayed his welcome, Fletcher delivers his wife an ultimatum: It’s him or me. Rich with Shriver’s distinctive wit and ferocious energy, Big Brother is about fat: an issue both social and excruciatingly personal. It asks just how much sacrifice we'll make to save single members of our families, and whether it's ever possible to save loved ones from themselves.

Presents a unique look at the history of Lionel from a collector's point of view. It includes hundreds of photographs of individual train layouts, locomotives, rolling stock and accessories, plus engaging stories from Lionel enthusiasts nationwide.

Shows how to wire a basic Lionel layout. Explains standard electrical principles and recommends tools and supplies. Includes detailed photos and diagrams for powering track, operating accessories, and troubleshooting circuits.

As model railroaders began demanding ever-greater realism, Lionel responded in 2004 with its FasTrack system featuring an integrated roadbed, scale-sized ties, and a less-obvious center rail. Veteran hobby author Bob Schleicher follows up his The Lionel FasTrack Book with a closer, more detailed look at Lionel’s revolutionary O-gauge system. This guide gives enthusiasts a deeper sense of how to take advantage of the FasTrack’s ease of use and unprecedented realism in large-scale model railroading. The book includes 150 color photos and track diagrams for 10 scenicked FasTrack layouts ranging from 6x6-foot tabletop models to an 11x30-foot scale-size empire. Schleicher also provides instructions for building tables to support the layouts, advice for creating both rural and urban scenery, and an appendix of recommended suppliers.

The inspiration for the film starring Tilda Swinton and John C. Reilly, this resonant story of a mother’s unsettling quest to understand her teenage son’s deadly violence, her own ambivalence toward motherhood, and the explosive link between them remains terrifyingly prescient. Eva never really wanted to be a mother. And certainly not the mother of a boy who murdered seven of his fellow high school students, a cafeteria worker, and a much–adored teacher in a school shooting two days before his sixteenth birthday. Neither nature nor nurture exclusively shapes a child's character. But Eva was always uneasy with the sacrifices and social demotion of motherhood. Did her internalized dislike for her own son shape him into the killer he’s become? How much is her fault? Now, two years later, it is time for her to come to terms with Kevin’s horrific rampage, all in a series of startlingly direct correspondences with her estranged husband, Franklin. A piercing, unforgettable, and penetrating exploration of violence and responsibility, a book that the Boston Globe describes as “impossible to put down,” is a stunning examination of how tragedy affects a town, a marriage, and a family.

Learn words that describe opposites like over and under, up and down as the train travels through the night.

From Atlantis to Nostradamus, Masons to Templars, Lionel and Patricia Fanthorpe have explored some of the greatest mysteries in this world and beyond. Now they attempt to answer even more questions about vampires, Sasquatch, and the Pyramids. No element of the unknown is safe from the Fanthorpes scrutinizing eyes.