All about the community of model railroading and rail enthusiasm
COWCATCHER MAGAZINE
North Texas Rail Experience 2023
The Cowcatcher’s first special edition, “North Texas Rail Experience 2023,” was published exclusively for the NMRA National Convention and National Train Show in August 2023 in Grapevine, TX. The 24-page, full-color print edition is a look at passenger, freight and model railroading in the Dallas/Fort Worth area and beyond.
Featured on the cover is the Museum of the American Railroad in Frisco, which is closing in on its vision of becoming a world-class repository of rail history.
Inside are articles on how North Texas became a key commercial center with the arrival of the Houston & Texas Central and Missouri-Kansas-Texas Railway in the 1870s; on the Texas Electric Railway, which was the second largest interurban system west of the Mississippi River; and on the Metroplex’s iconic passenger depots and Saginaw, a popular railfanning spot where grains meet trains.
Order “North Texas Rail Experience 2023” today! $6.95 (includes shipping)
North Texas Rail Experience 2023
Order Today $6.95
Current Issue: July/Aug 2026
$6.95 (U.S. Orders Only)
Mardis Gras
A group of rail advocates led by John Robert Smith and Transportation for America would not take no for an answer while trying to return Amtrak passenger service along the Gulf Coast following Hurricane Katrina's devastation. Transportation for America guided the Southern Rail Commission through 20 years of muck, mud and political jambalaya to re-energize a route from New Orleans, LA, to Mobile, AL. In just seven months after its August 2025 launch the train posted 100,000 boardings — shattering Amtrak’s original target of 42,000 annual riders. Ridership topped 18,000 the first month, and by the second had eclipsed Amtrak’s estimate.
Midwest Salute
The Missouri-Kansas-Texas and Missouri Pacific railroads traveled on similar paths from Missouri to the Southwest. One model railroad manufacturer has paid tribute to these railroads that eventually were merged into the Union Pacific system with HO-scale GP40 and C36-7 models.
Outdoor Storage
OmniTRAX recently opened an outdoor storage facility in Blue Island, IL, launching a new concept where companies can store anything from road equipment to tons of gravel without the need for a warehouse.
Plus
BNSF and Norfolk Southern introduce a wealth of patriotic diesel schemes leading up to America's 250th anniversary, the Railway Express Agency ensured that packages, parcels - even a hog - arrived quickly and on time, and the key to success for a Wisconsin model railroad club is opening its doors to the community, something it has done for the past 80 years. And more!
