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All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm

COWCATCHER MAGAZINE

Cowcatcher Train Order

List Your Show/Event for Free!

Thank you for listing your event or show in Train Order. Cowcatcher
Magazine
provides show and convention/conference listings as a service to
our readers and the show industry.

Basic Listings in Train Order are published free of charge, on a space-available basis, as a service to non-profit clubs and organizations. Postings are generally limited to public shows, events and conventions and will be edited as necessary.

When you are finished entering information, your listing will appear in the following format in a future Cowcatcher edition as space is available: 

SAMPLE

Aug. 20-21 2024 WXYZ Model Railroad Show, 1313 WXYZ Blvd, The WXYZ City, TX; Hours: Saturday 9 a.m. to 5 p.m.; Sunday 9 a.m. to 4 p.m.; For more information, contact Your Name at 555-555-5555 or visit Website Address

By filling out our form, you will help us ensure accuracy of the listing in an upcoming edition of Cowcatcher Magazine. Listings will be published at the publisher’s discretion.

Purchase a Highlighted Listing $35

For guaranteed placement, we encourage you to place an advertisement or
purchase a Highlighted Listing. Highlighted listings include up to 15 lines
following the Train Order format in a shaded box with higher visibility.
Highlighted Listings include more information (clinics, food, entertainment,
contests, discounted tickets, etc.) about the show or event. Cost is $35.

To place a Highlighted Listing, please email us at cowcatcher@verizon.net or call 817-379-5528.

START ENTERING YOUR INFORMATION!

To complete your free listing, start typing away to on the form below! Note: Your name, phone and/or email at the top of the form is for contact by Cowcatcher staff only and will not be published. The contact information at the bottom of the form will be published.

Not good at filling out forms online (we aren’t either!)? Just email your show/event information according to the order of the form or the sample above. Send to: cowcatcher@verizon.net. The subject line MUST include “Train Order Submission.” DO NOT SEND US A SHOW/EVENT FLYER! We will not extract information from the flyer.

Thank you!

 

 

 

 

Current Issue: May/June 2025

$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)

Tuned In

Spring is when large-scale model railroaders with their green thumbs plant and prune colorful foliage grown nearly to scale. In some areas, maintaining outdoor layouts is quite challenging because of changing weather. Nancy Norris, an author who builds garden railroads professionally, says some plant varieties have become more difficult to grow in certain Hardiness Zones. In some cases it means garden railroaders having to put more emphasis on growing native plants rather than relying on varieties more susceptible to extreme conditions. She recommends new gardeners consult with their local nurseries for the best choices for an outdoor layout. Norris also has a few recommendations of her own.

Tariffs Cause Concern

Sweeping tariffs imposed on goods imported into the United States are stirring model railroad manufacturers. As a result, model railroading and other hobbies will cost more. In February the U.S. applied a 10 percent tariff on goods imported from China, and the tax has since escalated. Suppliers – including Athearn, InterMountain Railway Co., Broadway Limited, Rapido Trains and ScaleTrains – have been putting dealers and customers on notice that prices will increase tariffs are implemented.

Managing Freight Cars

The first rule of railroading is “expect movement on any track at any time in any direction.”  This may seem like an overabundance of caution, but railroading is a dangerous sport. Always expect a train when you’re around the tracks. The second rule of railroading is that there is an exception to every rule. The North American freight car fleet in 2023 consisted of 2.03 million rail cars, according to Railinc’s Umler Equipment Index. Rail car fleet management — how empty cars get dispatched to move to their next loading point — is an ever-moving process and often requires fleet car managers to be nimble.

Plus

A vintage Lionel store display is always a crowd pleaser, Atlas' N-scale True-Track is the right solution for a new test track on the Whitehurst & Pine Ridge Railroad, The Green Diamond was Illinois Central's gem on the St. Louis-to-Chicago route and more!