All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm
Cowcatcher readers recognized 14 who represent the best of model railroading and rail enthusiasm in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas, Louisiana and Kansas and Missouri in the 2012 Cowcatcher Magazine Gold Rail Awards, announced in January.
Categories and nominations were selected by a panel of model railroad and rail enthusiasts. Write-in votes were accepted in all categories, and not all respondents voted in all categories.
For the second straight year, reader response was the highest since magazine began the annual awards in 2009.
For the fourth straight year, the Oklahoma CIty Train show earned Best Train Show. Also, Chairman Ed Birch, Jr., received the Gold Rail Achievement Award, chosen by the publisher.
Several others claimed a Four-Peat, including the Ark-La-Tex Model Railroad Club in Shreveport, LA (Best Club Layout, Permanent), the Texas State Railroad (Best Excursion Railroad and Best Excursion Railroad Theme Train), Discount Model Trains in Addison, TX (Best Model Train Store), Fort Worth & Western (Best Regional Freight Railroad) and the Saginaw, TX, Depot (Best Railfanning Spot).
In Fort Worth, the supremacy for best permanent club layout shifted to the Texas Western club. The HO-scale group captured Best Club Layout, Permanent for the first time, knocking of Lockheed Martin Recreation Association. The clubs tied for the honor last year.
Also, “24 Hours at Saginaw” lost its grip on Best Rail Special Event after readers voted in Union Pacific’s 844 “150 Express” tour that roamed the region throughout the year. “24 Hours” finished second.
The Museum of the American Railroad, although closed for its move from Dallas to Frisco, repeated as Best Railroad Museum.
Walthers’ HO Santa Fe El Capitan F7 and passenger set took Best New Model Railroad Product.
Trinity Railway Express won Best Passenger Rail Commuter/Light Rail. – Cowcatcher Magazine
“We had another great year for the Gold Rail Awards,” Cowcatcher Magazine Editor/Publisher Tim Blackwell said. “Each year participation increases. We congratulation the winners.
For more on the 2012 Cowcatcher Gold Rail Awards, pick up the January/February 2012 Cowcatcher Magazine at a location near you.
Best Train Show
1. Oklahoma City Train Show
2. Dallas Area Train Show.
Other Nominees – Lockheed Martin Train Show, SAMRA Jamboree, Wichita Train. Show Others Receiving Votes – Greater Houston Train Show, Fort Worth Train Show, Centr-A-Mod Train Show.
Best Club Layout, Permanent
1. Texas Western Model Railroad Club, Fort Worth, TX
2. LMRA Gulf & Denver Railroad Authority, Fort Worth, TX
Other Nominees – All Points North Model Railroad Club, Kansas City Garden Railway Society, SAMRA San Antonio & Northern. Others Receiving Votes – Centr-A-Mod, Spring Creek Model Railroad Club, Crescent City Model Railroad Club, Houston N’ Crowd, Houston Tinplate Operators Society.
Best Club Layout, Modular
1. Ark-La-Tex Model Railroad Club, Shreveport, LA
2. Trinity N Trak, Fort Worth, TX
Other Nominees – 35/45 Z-Bend Track, Central Arkansas Model Railroad Club, Trinity N-Trak, Gulf Western Modular Railroad Society. Others Receiving Votes – Spring Creek Model Railroad Club, East Texas and Gulf RMA, Lone Star Flyer, Austin N Trak, TrainTown Kansas City.
Best Excursion Railroad
1. Texas State Railroad, Palestine, TX
2. Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Springdale, AR
Other Nominees – Grapevine Vintage Railroad, Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Eureka Springs ; North Arkansas Railway, Columbia Star Dinner Train.
Best Excursion Railroad Theme Train
1. Polar Express, Texas State Railroad
2 (tie) Fall Foliage Express, Arkansas & Missouri Railroad; North Pole Express, Grapevine Vintage Railroad
Other Nominees – Ghost Train, Jefferson Steam Train; North Pole Flyer, Austin Steam Train Association.
Best Railroad Museum
1. Museum of the American Railroad, Frisco, TX
2. Galveston Railroad Museum, Galveston, TX
Other Nominees – Arkansas Railroad Museum, Houston Railroad Museum, Temple Railroad Museum, Oklahoma Railroad Museum, T&P Railway Museum. Others Receiving Votes – R.D. Moses Model Railroad Museum.
Best Rail Special Event
1. Union Pacific No. 844 150th Anniversary Tour, Union Pacific Railroad
2. “24 Hours at Saginaw”, North Texas/NRHS,
Other Nominees – “Railfest 2012, Texas State Railroad; “Gulf Coast Limited/LSR Convention”. Others Receiving Votes – Jefferson Train Days
Best Regional Freight Railroad
1. Fort Worth & Western Railroad, Fort Worth, TX
2. Arkansas & Missouri Railroad, Springdale, AR
Other Nominees – Arkansas & Oklahoma Railroad; South Kansas & Oklahoma Railroad, Farmrail, Blacklands Railroad. Others Receiving Votes – Galveston Railroad, Austin Western.
Best Railfanning Spot
1. Saginaw Depot, Saginaw, TX;
2. T&P Railway Museum, Marshall, TX.
Other Nominees – Flatonia Railroad Pavilion, Temple Railroad & Heritage Museum. Others Receiving Votes – R.D. Moses T&P Museum, Jefferson, TX; Harvey House & AT&SF Depot, Waynoka, OK; Amtrak Depot, Beaumont, TX; Navasota Jct., Navasota, TX; LaPlata, MO Rail Lookout; BNSF Yard, Tulsa, OK; Santa Fe Depot, Marceline, MO; Gardner, KS.
Best New Model Railroad Product
1. Walthers HO Santa Fe El Capitan F7 & Passenger Set
2. Athearn GP7/9 HO Locomotive
Other Nominees – ExactRail P-S 5344 Cu. Ft. HO Box Car, InterMountain N R-70-20 Refrigerator Car, Kat N MAXI-1 Well Cars, Woodland Scenics TidyTrack System, Rapido HO Canadian Complete Trainset. Others Receiving Votes – Lionel Legacy American Flyer Locomotives, InterMountain HO ES44AC Bicentennial, JMRI Operations Modules, Scenic Cruiser Greyhound Bus, Con-Cor Zephyr, A-Line #11003 Bulls Eye Drill Jig.
Best Passenger Rail
(Regional Rail)
1. Amtrak Texas Eagle,
2. Amtrak Heartland Flyer.
Other Nominees – Amtrak Sunset Limited, Amtrak Crescent City.
(Commuter/Light Rail)
1. Trinity Railway Express, Fort Worth, TX
2. Austin Capital Metro, Austin, TX
Other Nominees – Dallas Area Rapid Transit, Dallas, TX; A-train, Denton, TX; Houston METRORail, MetroLink St. Louis.
Best Model Train Store (Write-in Vote Only)
1. Discount Model Trains, Addison, TX;
2. Silver Spike Hobbies, Denton, TX
Others Receiving Votes – Papa Ben’s, Houston, TX; Show Me Model RR Co., Grandview, MO; Dibble’s Hobbies, San Antonio, TX; Model Train Crossing, Hurst, TX; Hub Hobby Shop, Metairie, LA; One Track Mind, Little Rock, AR; M-A-L Hobby Shop, Irving, TX; Pufferbelly’s, Waco, TX; Larry’s Hobbies, Houston, TX; Spring Creek Model Trains, Deshler, NE; Hobby Junction Express, Quebec, Canada; Arkansas Traveler Hobbies, Bald Knob, AR; Engine House Hobbies, Wichita, KS; Hobby Shop Deluxe, Dardenville, AR; Berkman Co., Urbana, IL.
Cowcatcher Achievement Award: Ed Birch, Jr., Chairman, Oklahoma City Train Show
WATCH FOR THE 2013 COWCATCHER GOLD RAIL AWARDS!
DETAILS COMING SOON!
