Category: Model Railroading

James Pekarek joked that his hands and wrist would probably need medical attention. Every few minutes, he turned the key and wound vintage locomotives that pulled a handful of cars around a couple of loops of track. When the trains stopped, another quick wind revved them up again.

The trains, on display at March’s Ozarks Model Railroad Association spring train show in Springfield, MO., offered a glimpse of early-day model railroading that didn’t require the then-luxury of electricity.

“I got my first train set when I was 2½ years old,” said the Strafford, MO, resident, who also dabbles in 12-gauge railroading (a hand-built Frisco caboose flanked the windup display). “These are kind of a forgotten thing, and I like them because they represent basic fun. I like to buy them and fix them up.”

Pekarek, 43, estimates that he has about seven dozen locomotives. He relished a find at the show, a windup that only needed a new running gear. He paid just a few bucks for it.

Marklin and Joy Line were among early makers of windup trains, sometimes called clockwork trains that date to the 1800s. A series of gears and springs turn wheels under tension after being wound like a timepiece. Depending on the mechanism, each wind from the key creates 65 revolutions from the wheels.

Marx became a major player in the windup world after purchasing Joy Line in 1934 to provide a quality, low-cost alternative to toy trains marketed by Lionel and American Flyer. Like the Joy Line trains, the first Marx trains were key-wound and made from inexpensive tin. Locomotives and cars sported lithographed logos (New York Central was popular), and an early five-piece set without track sold for $2.

“It’s amazing that you get people who come through here and say, ‘I’ve never seen anything wind up,’ ” Pekarek said.

More on this story in the May/June 2013 issue of Cowcatcher Magazine!

Michael Stephens, Walthers’ Vice President of Proprietary Products, died Tuesday after a long illness, according to a company statement issued today.

Stephens, 59, spent much of his life in the model railroading industry, working first at age 14 to help his dad, Hugh, in the family’s model train importing business, Amro Ltd. in Cedarburg, WI. He advanced to senior level management with Kalmbach Publishing and Athearn Trains before joining Walthers in 2010.

In the mid-1970s, Stephens took his first position with Kalmbach Publishing, starting as a researcher for Airliners International magazine. His career path took him into both advertising and marketing for various Milwaukee-based agencies, eventually bringing him back to Kalmbach in 1998 as vice president of marketing.

While at Kalmbach, Stephens was instrumental in creating the firm’s online presence, and helped develop and guide the World’s Greatest Hobby promotion campaign, sponsored by Walthers, Kalmbach and several other model railroad companies.

Described as passionate, dedicated and a tireless supporter of model railroading by friends and colleagues, Stephens ascended to high-ranking positions with two of the industry’s leading model manufacturers and distributors.

In 2007, Stephens became the third president to lead Athearn Trains, founded by industry icon Irv Athearn in 1947. He was tasked with raising the bar at one the industry’s cornerstone businesses while maintaining the founder’s mantra to offer quality model railroad products at a good price.

“That’s a continuing part of our DNA,” Stephens told the Cowcatcher in a March 2007 interview. “At the end of the day, I want to see continuing elevation of quality in the aesthetics of our models, but I never want to see that the model doesn’t represent our goal of value to the hobbyist.”

His run at Athearn, however, was brief. A long-time friend of the entire Walthers family, he joined Walthers three years later to direct and develop a major overhaul and update of Walthers product branding. During his tenure, the company created the new WalthersProto™, WalthersMainline™, WalthersTrainline™ and Walthers SceneMaster™ brands. Stephens also played a significant role in the development and promotion of new Walthers products, including the Hulett Unloader and some yet to be released projects, while building relationships with vendors and suppliers worldwide.

“Michael Stephens was a dear friend, an accomplished professional and valuable team member,” Walthers President Phil Walthers said. “In the relatively short time he was with Walthers, he accomplished a significant overhaul of the product branding that had eluded us for many years. He was a selfless mentor who cared deeply about the hobby of model railroading, its future and everyone that he worked with. I treasure the time that I spent with him and will miss him greatly. The Walthers team and family will miss him greatly as well.”

The World’s Greatest Hobby on Tour, a popular show that introduces model railroading to the general public, likely will reach an attendance milestone in 2013, and either Fort Worth, TX or St. Louis, MO could be in on the celebration.

 WGH on Tour announced in July that the one millionth attendee will be recognized at one of its four shows next year.  Since opening in 2004 with one show in Edison, NJ, WGH on Tour has attracted 968,285 and averaged more than 25,000 per show.

For the first time in four years, the show makes return engagements to Fort Worth and St. Louis, and one is likely to mark No. 1,000,000.  Fort Worth starts the slate on Jan. 5-6 at Will Rogers Memorial Center, followed by St. Louis at America’s Center Jan. 12-13. San Diego, CA (Feb. 9-10) and Sacramento (Feb. 23-24) complete the schedule.

Unless Fort Worth has a better turnout than it did in 2007, WGH on Tour probably will recognize the one millionth attendee at the St. Louis show, spokesman Randy Bachmann said. Five years ago, Fort Worth drew a little more than 21,000.

Whether it’s Fort Worth or St. Louis, WGH on Tour will break out the confetti.

“We are planning to do something to mark the milestone,” he said. “We’re going to have some sort of recognition, maybe a giveaway, and it’s going to be something special.” 

At 38 venues, WGH on Tour has averaged better than 25,481, with a record 41,036 attending the Washington D.C. show in 2010. The turnout eclipsed the previous record of 40,152 set a year earlier in Philadelphia, PA.

The East Coast has traditionally had the highest draws, but WGH on Tour has fared well in five region appearances, including posting 33,000 in St. Louis at the second-ever show in 2005. Houston topped that mark with 33,431 in 2006 at the George R. Brown Convention Center.

Also, the show visited Kansas City, MO in 2008 and San Antonio, TX in 2009, averaging 19,500.

Last year’s Tour included stops in Indianapolis, IN, Chicago, IL, Salt Lake City, UT, Portland, OR and Cincinnati, OH.

Many of the model railroad industry’s top manufacturers – including Kato, Walthers, Athearn, Con-Cor, Atlas, Broadway Limited, Lionel and Bachman – set up exhibits and demonstrate new products at the show, which tours different U.S. cities each year. Operating layouts by local clubs are featured.