The Mystery of Old Trains

My wife says I’m a man of few words, and I’d say that’s probably an accurate description. She also thinks old train stations and vintage trains have a “sort of mysterious romanticism…” Maybe she has a point there.

I can recall visiting Buffalo’s Central Terminal with my dad in the mid-1980s, long after it was closed as a train station. In those days, we simply walked right in. We were greeted by a giant golden buffalo statue that had an interesting cast from the morning light shining through the old complex.

There was an eerie stillness in the abandoned structure, yet a palpable sensation of an intense, unseen energy cultivated from the many decades countless numbers of people from every walk of life passed through the building.

This place – and every person who passed through it – had a rich history, a unique story to tell, that piqued my curiosity. It represented a long-gone era in American history that I wanted to both preserve and to know more about.

HO Trains Are a Perfect Fit

I’ve always loved history, fine details, understanding how things work, and figuring out ways to fix just about anything mechanical. For me, HO scale trains were a perfect fit for my interest in American history and the enjoyment I experience working with my hands.

When my wife and I bought our first home, I sold most of my entire collection of HO locomotives and ended up dismantling my prized layout simply because we couldn’t move it out of our old basement without taking it down into pieces.

A New Track to Journey On

For many years, I got away from the HO train hobby as I focused on renovating our home, working, and the countless other responsibilities in life

Following a serious injury, I rediscovered my enthusiasm for HO scale trains. I visited a local train show … and the rest is history, as they say.

As we start to expand our offerings of HO scale trains, we hope you’ll check back often to see what we have in our little corner of the HO train world.

20th Century Limited

Dubbed by the New York Central as the most famous train in the world, the iconic streamlined design was the work of industrial designer Henry Dreyfuss. A 1938 article said the famed “luxury liner” even featured air conditioning.

Nickel Plate Road 765

Completed in September 1944, the 765 was a 2-8-4 Berkshire type steam locomotive. Thanks to the Berkshire class, the Nickel Plate Road became known for high-speed service, which eventually became the company’s motto.