Remember me… the one and only TrainDame from TW TrainWorx? Please believe me when I say that I’ve been diligently focused on keeping up with the Traingineers in 2023 who’ve continued; designing, fabricating, installing layouts all over the country, collaborating with new clients, introducing new product and at the same time find ourselves all dealing with… LIFE 🙂

Ok – my last blog post was way back in 2022, uh… YIKES!!! So much to catch up with, hmmmm where to begin??

Let’s start with the LIFE part.

I believe all of us will agree when I say how much of an upheaval we’ve experienced since Rona hit in 2020 – certainly NOT on my radar to start off the new decade with having to; temporarily close down business, lay off employees, deal with health issues, and virtually stop all layouts under construction – I mean…GEEZ!

Seriously – you can knock me over with a feather thinking about our Traintastic customers who patiently worked with the Traingineers to bring us through ’20, ’21, ’22 and in ’23 it continues to blow my mind with new toy train loving folks who want to hop onboard the Traingineer’s Design/Build Schedule but are unfortunately getting the “So sorry but we’re currently booked through 4th quarter 2024” reality check 🙁

Get a load of this, so far in 2023, the Traveling Traingineers have successfully installed TW TrainWorx Custom Residential Layouts in; Wisconsin, Washington, Omaha, Utah, Texas and soon; Indiana, Maine, New Jersey and North Carolina 🙂 Hot Diggity Dog!

Since 2010, TW TrainWorx has been designing, fabricating, and installing the annual Trains at NorthPark train display for the amazing folks with the Ronald McDonald Charities of Dallas and currently we are preparing for the ’23 – ’24 Holiday Season as this year they will be in a new space on the Lower level of NorthPark Mall. Please SAVE THE DATE: Saturday, November 11th The Trains At NorthPark will be OPEN TO THE PUBLIC.

So, although we’re still hitting triple digits here in the great state of Texas… it’s beginning to feel a lot like Christmas with sections of the Trains at NorthPark layout coming together once again.

I am making it my mission to update my TrainDame Blog more than once a year (so bad… lol) and again, appreciate everyone’s Traintastic interest and support of everyone here at TW TrainWorx where every day we set out to create YOUR Memory Making, Unique, Amazing – TW TrainWorx Custom Layout!

Yepper, TW TrainWorx – a Division of TW Design is turning 40 in 2022!!

What a phenomenal journey this has been and what an incredible accomplishment for Roger to have started this business a mere 7 months after the birth of our first child, Frank, who just turned 40 a couple of days ago.

December 1, 1982, Roger founded Theatrical Warehouse Inc to be a business serving the Theatrical Community here in Dallas, TX where he led – design, fabrication, and installation of stage sets primarily for theatres. The quick synopsis goes like this…

Initial focus encompassed design and construction of stage sets for Theatres which expanded into design/construction for; Corporate Industrial Shows, Toy Fair Showrooms, Tradeshow Exhibits, Museum Displays, Amusement Parks, and for the ’99 NY Toy Fair, Roger designed a custom booth for MTH incorporating running toy trains!  In 2005, TW TrainWorx became the Official Layout Builder for Lionel when Jerry Calabrese was at the helm of Lionel, participating in shows across the country.

In 2009 we created our TW TrainWorx (TWX) Division and now, thirteen years later 100% of our business is designing/building/installing toy train layouts for both residential and commercial customers all over the USA and… even in Canada!

Knock me over with a feather, never in my wildest imagination did I see Toy Trains and Custom Layouts as becoming 100% of our business. Who’d a thunk a young man in his late 30’s, with a wife, 7-month-old baby boy, no business/management education, working a second job at the Dallas Summer Musicals, and in the early 80’s declaring himself a “businessman by default” is now, in 2022, celebrating *40* years in his thriving family owned business!!! Absolutely Mind Boggling I tell you!

What’s that you ask? When did I come onboard with Theatrical Warehouse Inc dba TW Design/TrainWorx? After the birth of our second child, Lindsay in 1983, I went back into the work force doing some marketing for another startup company and Roger asked me;

“Why don’t you do what you’re doing for them for me?” We made it official in March of 1985 and although I wouldn’t necessarily recommend being in business with your spouse for every young couple… for Roger and me, it’s made our phenomenal journey quite extraordinary!!!!

Speaking of Phenomenal and Extraordinary I am in awe and grateful to say – we are booked solid for 2022 and have even started a 2023 waiting list for custom layouts! Our family-owned business is truly blessed beyond measure to have on staff the Incredibly Talented Traingineers, Our East Coast Division headed up by the one and only, Mike Reagan, and honest to God we do have the absolute BEST CUSTOMERS who continue sharing the legacy of Toy Trains all the while making eyes pop, jaws drop and while sharing the experience of their own custom TWX Layout.

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2022 projects on the Traingineer Board in Dallas and/or Concord that are either – in design, under construction and/or delivered include; Six O Gauge Residential Layouts with final destinations in: California, Utah, Washington, Wisconsin, Virginia, and one custom residential layout being modified to be set up inside the Texas Scottish Rite Hospital in Frisco!

Our talented Traingineer Crew headed out to Omaha to install the BNSF Layout for the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder’s Meeting after a two year hiatus, and in March, Roger, Reagan and I visited the fine folks at the Muncie Children’s Museum as we discussed their new TWX O Gauge layout installing next year!

Traingineers… Traingineering – Enjoy!

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Be sure to follow me on Instagram @traindame1 and check out TWX on Facebook

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC
(214) 634-2965
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com

EST: 1982

Where do I begin in reviewing our 2021? At the beginning of course! Excitedly, the first six months proved to be strong with every indication it was going to be a record breaking year. We started the year dismantling the Trains at NorthPark Display and had half a dozen layouts on the studio floor all in various stages of fabrication. Chief Traingineer, Roger Farkash, was designing layouts for several residential customers and two museums as well.

Our East Coast Director, Mike Reagan, was contracted by MTH to organize and optimize MTH’s extensive parts department. This endeavor started in July of 2020 and involved the renaming of over 24K (yes, thousand!) parts. The newly formed company; MTH Parts & Sales LLC launched their new website on 9/24/21. The company is continuing to post new exploded view diagrams for all of their products (and will be for the next several years!).

The talented Traingineer’s had a North Texas residential layout installation in March (actually, that ended up being the last topic I posted on my blog until now) which went great, followed up by a Suspended RR installation for a North Texas Commercial Office Setting.

*** July started off with fireworks – July 4th kinda fireworks and then… July 25th – fire engine and ambulance sirens/lights kinda fireworks in front of our home to take Roger to the hospital with an Oxygen level reading in the high 40’s, absolutely frightening!

Roger and I both got the Rona at the same time and I was able to recover without a hospital stay, but Roger had several complications and quite frankly “close calls” that lead to a 53 day Hospitalization with far too many of them in ICU, and then a 16 day stint to begin his initial Rehabilitation. He was released from the Rehabilitation Hospital October 1st and started his now, three month, at home Physical and Occupational Therapy. His accomplishments since being home have been tremendous and we both get into the studio three to four times a week.

During the upheaval and physical struggle Roger was dealing with – our fearless and courageous TW TrainWorx Traingineers never missed a beat! We both are so incredibly grateful for their amazing talents, their commitment and dedication to their work and to all of our Traintastic customers as well. With that in mind, let me share why everyday we counted our blessings during that time frame and what was accomplished:

• HO Layout install – Texas
• O Gauge Layout install – Georgia
• O Gauge Layout install – Texas
• Illinois Railroad Museum install – Illinois
• TANP Display Design/Installation – Texas
• Onsite layout service call – Nevada
• Charlotte, NC O Gauge Layout install
• Online Orders – Country Wide

To be here NOW, at the finish line of 2021 is truly an astounding miracle! We have SO much to look forward to, especially with a four decades in the making milestone that I invite you to celebrate with me ALL YEAR LONG!!!! And just what might that milestone be???

Roger founded Theatrical Warehouse Inc (hence the T W of TrainWorx) DECEMBER 1, 1982 – four decades ago – 2022 is our 40th year in business!!!! 1982 – 2022 !! Say what???? Yup – forty years. (I think God wanted him to be around for the milestone… in the flesh.)

What’s on the Traingineering Board for 2022?

• Residential layout design/fabrication/installations in; California, Wisconsin, Georgia, Washington, & Utah
• Commercial layout installations in; Texas, Indiana, & North Carolina
• Custom Model Building

Most importantly, the continuation of getting back on track with the strong recovery of our Founder, Fearless Leader, and Creative Director aka Chief Traingineer – Roger!

With profound gratitude I thank YOU the readers and the followers of my blog for YOUR love of toy trains, model making, layout building, mountain carving, and following the behind the scenes adventures of the TW TrainWorx Traingineers!

God Bless, Be Well, and Happy New Year!!

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The Traingineers will be finishing up an installation for a North Texas Residential Layout this week leaving space on the studio floor to be filled with four other incoming layouts!

I do often sound like a broken record and here I go again – the Traingineers absolutely outdid themselves in every aspect of craftsmanship with this 200 square foot O Gauge Layout!

Chief Traingineer, Roger Farkash, designed this layout to incorporate six built-in display areas with five metal shelves in each for a total of 160 feet of shelving in the base made out Red Oak. The elevated track loop oversees several Traingineer hand crafted models; including the Hotel Settles, Big Spring, TX Station, Dallas Union Terminal, replica of church customers were married in and a high rise business office that can be seen off the Dallas Tollway!

Enjoy some photos of preparing for final walk-through with customer, dismantling, and installing in Dallas, TX USA!

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Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie
TW TrainWorx
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC
(214) 634-2965
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com
http://www.twtrainworx.com

I love forward thinking to fall while it’s still summertime in Texas and Hotter Than a Pistol. Indulge me here…

So we’re all on this turbulent, unpredictable, 2020 Coronacoaster Ride and experiencing the wild high’s and downer lows but thanks to all of our *Traintastic Customers, Family, Friends, Employees, Vendors, and TW TrainWorx Fans – I’m super grateful that everyday I continue to count many more blessings than hardships. Here’s something we can ALL be grateful for… we’re a little more than half through 2020 >>> Can I get a YEE HAW???? 🙂 🙂 🙂

So thanks for the indulgement (Maybe a Traindame word) and now on to the September Surprise.

*** WARNING *** *** WARNING *** *** ENVY ALERT *** *** ENVY ALERT ***

For all you Ferroequinologist who may not yet have a train layout – be sure to show your wife this:

I received a call from Sandy who doesn’t know ANYTHING about trains but thought it would be cool to have someone do a Suspended RR over her and her husband’s hunting lodge bar/main room – – – and wouldn’t it be Super Special to have it installed, up and running, to present to her husband for a SURPRISE SEPTEMBER BIRTHDAY PRESENT!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Now gentlemen, I know you’d agree… that is one Traintastic wife!

The Traingineer’s are fast tracking this project to complete her Birthday Surprise Suspended RR wish by September 1st!

Thanks to our Traintastic Customers as well as the PPP Loan, we’ve been able to continue operations with our Talented Traingineers having successfully completed and continue working on several projects (List first – pictures to follow):

Modeled and installed over a dozen custom models for the Plano Interurban Museum, Installation of the Kansas City Union Station/Science City, Children’s Train Layout, two local Dallas/Metroplex residential layout enhancements, Reagan is finishing up a residential layout that will be installed in Florida and he just returned from a site-survey in Ohio for custom residential layout we’ll be designing/fabricating/installing this year.

Because of the ongoing, extraordinary, and crazy creative brainstorming that continues between the incredible duo of Farkash and Reagan – we’ve introduced the following new O Gauge products into our TW TrainWorx On Line Store:

*Modern Cell Tower Kit
*Three Company House Kits (Bonus Kitchen with Bundle Kit)
*Church Kit
*Enhanced our Chicago Union Station
*Dallas Union Station

Oh… I forgot to mention, now that we have a CNC in-house, Farkash decided to design our very own TW TrainWorx Showroom Suspended RR so we’re cutting pieces for not only Sandy’s Suspended RR but our own as well! More news on another TWX Product… s u s p e n s e is killing me >>> LOL

And now some photos, starting with the Suspended RR in process – Enjoy 🙂

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Plano Interurban Models

New O Gauge Kits!

Traingineering on the Studio Floor…

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com

Happy May!

Thought I’d share some GREAT NEWS! TW TrainWorx and the Traingineers will be getting back to Traingineering this month!!! We are shooting for May 11th to get the Traingineers back in the Dallas Studio and we will be extremely mindful of precautions that have been put in place to protect our health: social distancing, good/consistent hygiene, and staying home when not feeling well – WE’VE GOT THIS!

I want to especially thank all our Trainiac friends for making April 2020 one of the highest online sales to date!! We are so appreciative of your support and making our continued Traingineering journey possible – THANK YOU!!!!

We are coming out with two new Kit products that should be included in our TrainWorx Store by mid month; O Scale Church Kit and O Scale Cell Tower so be on the lookout 🙂

What were the Traingineers working on eight years ago?? The BNSF Corporate Layout! Thought you’d get a kick out of seeing some of the circa 2012 photos of making the One and Only BNSF Corporate layout in our McGowan Street Studio – Enjoy!

Today, we should have been setting up the BNSF Layout in Omaha for the Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder’s Meeting but… well, you know – so we set up here 🙂 Enjoy!

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie
TW TrainWorx
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com
http://www.twtrainworx.com

 

That’s right, we’re only 48 days into the new year… new decade and today, we find some of our Traveling Traingineers in the Super Bowl Champion City of Kansas City, MO where they are just beginning installation on a custom TW TrainWorx O Gauge Layout designed and fabricated exclusively for Science City – Kansas City Union Station’s brand new TRAIN themed Children’s museum opening in the Spring 2020.

Let’s see so far in the first 48 days of this year the Traingineers have:

*Designed new layout for existing Traintastic Floridian customer and have approval to fabricate and install layout during second quarter
*Lined up meeting with New York Historical Society discussing new layout potential 🙂
*Dismantled the TWX custom Holiday Layout in Charlotte, NC where it will be stored until this year’s Holiday Season Set-up
*Dismantled The Trains at NorthPark Train Exhibit
*Dismantled two residential Holiday Layouts
*Worked “in house” at three different North Texas residential layouts where new mountains have moved in, streams have been poured, custom models of homes have been finished, engine shed modifications and continued Traingineer   activity for the remainder of the first quarter.
*Finished an extension to a Traintastic Customer’s O Gauge Layout to be installed in the Hill Country of Texas very soon
*Completed custom model’s; (3) Chrysler Buildings, Grand Central Terminal Base, Met Life Building, Empire State Building, and a Denver Union Station
*Finished fabrication on the Science City Museum
*Reagan, when not in Dallas, flew to Reno to assist with some electrical challenges on a layout ( not ours) and last week, before
flying out to Kansas City, handled a layout assessment
*Participated in two train shows

How about some pictures? First up 300 Express Holiday Layout displayed inside the Lobby of 300 Tryon in Charlotte, NC

Trains at NorthPark – Dallas, TX:

Hill Country Extension: North Texas Residential Layout:

Classic Landmark Series Buildings Under Construction:

Science City in McGowan St. Studio:

Science City Install – Kansas City, MO

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com