Cowcatcher State of Model Railroading survey
Since 2019, Cowcatcher Magazine has taken the pulse of the model railroad industry with its State of Model Railroading survey presented in the January/February issue. The survey, which usually is released in November, allows our subscribers to give their thoughts and opinions on where the hobby has been and where it’s going.
Respondents answer 25-30 questions about their preferences regarding things like the industry’s overall model quality, costs, ease of use, availability and others. The Cowcatcher State of Model Railroading survey sheds insight into how much time respondents are spending on the hobby as well as their spending, social interactions and their thoughts about model railroading’s future. And, respondents can share in their own words whatever is on their minds.
The survey is open only by email to print edition subscribers and select recipients.
The Cowcatcher’s 2025 State of Model Railroading survey is closed! See the results in the January/February 2025 issue.
Learn more.
Ever wonder why railroads chose certain locomotives to pull freight trains? Railroads have practiced multiple-unit train control since the 1890s when Frank J. Sprague developed a system to combine motive power in electric train operation. When assigning power and consisting locomotives today, railroads generally match the horsepower per ton and tractive effort ratings to specific locomotives designed to meet specific network needs. But other factors are involved, and it's not uncommon for railroads to mix makes and models of locomotives when consisting for trains.
Response to the Cowcatcher’s 2025 State of Model Railroading survey was positive and many say the hobby is rolling along fine, maybe a bit complicated for some. The 31-question survey sent to readers across the U.S. in November earned a 42 percent response rate. Questions ranged from personal preferences and skill levels and layouts to how modelers buy and spend.
Whether shuttling power, moving cars through interline carrier agreements or running on joint lines, North America’s largest rail providers interact. One of the more obscure examples is the Milwaukee Road’s Joint Agency Yard in Kansas City, MO, where the Milwaukee Road and Kansas City Southern coexisted for 40 years. On the N-scale Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, joint yard agreements in Kansas City and Dallas make sense, allowing KCS traffic to move in and out of both ends of the layout to service grain customers without the need for another yard.
BNSF posts record agricultural volumes on the heels of a good harvest. A Milwaukee Road stock car with a storied past is now on display at the Galveston Railroad Museum. And a United Kingdom retailer and manufacturer introduces its camera car, the Eye-Choo, to the U.S. And more!
