To all my trainiac friends, it’s been far too long since I last sat down to write here, and so much has happened since then.
Let’s start with two little words that, back in January of this year, caused quite a stir: “I think it’s time to phase out.” When Roger and I first started saying that out loud, people heard “retirement,” “adios,” “the train is gonna leave the station and not come back!” The concern was real… WHAT? Don’t tell me TW TrainWorx is closing the station for good – the trains are going to stop running? Tell me it ain’t so, Casey!
Here’s the truth. I have been truly humbled by the support and concern I’ve received from so many of YOU train enthusiasts who have been onboard this journey, as customers or fans. If the TrainDame and Chief Traingineer chug on down and then “off” the tracks in our retirement years – what happens next?
Deep breath – I hear y’all! Phasing out is turning out to mean something entirely different than R E T I R I N G! Get a load of this: since February, the Traingineers have finished up one of the largest projects EVER, and YOU can experience an O Gauge, G Gauge Suspended RR, HO Gauge, N Gauge and, last but clearly not least, a LIFE SIZE SANTA FE CABOOSE at the Miller Model Train Museum inside the Mabank Depot in Mabank, Texas.
Then the phone started ringing!
- First up, the Houston Museum of Natural Science called and asked if we could redo the Trains Over Texas exhibit we built for them TEN YEARS AGO, in 2016! It’s kinda BIG.
- Then I was in our parking lot with Flash (more on him later – we have an Aussie… cutest dog EVER) when Rick and Becky drove in saying TW TrainWorx came highly recommended, and they wanted us to design and build their dream layout! Their custom HO layout is on the shop floor right now 🙂
- One of our very first layout customers, Mark, wanted several additions to his layout, ready for the summer event at his new Barndominium for the Lone Star HiRailers Club and the TCA Convention Tour.
- Another Dallas residential O Gauge layout, for Robert, was installed in July. Also in July, Roger and I got to see the Big Boy running right outside of Denver after checking out the action and friends at the Denver LCCA Convention.
- The Traingineers were out at the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholders Meeting setting up and running the BNSF layout we designed and fabricated back in 2012. We’ve run it every year since, and BNSF wants us to continue – it’s already on the calendar for 2027!
- Speaking of the shareholders meeting in Omaha, that’s where we met Jeff and Kelly, who are building a new home and want us to move their existing layout and/or design an entirely new O Gauge layout, installing in 2027 in Iowa!
- Another customer near and dear to our hearts, the Ronald McDonald House of Dallas: the Traingineers are finishing setup for Trains at NorthPark, opening November 14, 2026, and we’ll keep that annual event going too.
- And what I call the “Winter Wonderland Layout,” which we designed and fabricated in 2019, gets installed every holiday season in the lobby at 300 South Tryon in Charlotte, NC. It’s already on the 2027 calendar as well!
So what’s next? Phasing out the true Traingineering way and, God willing, continuing the legacy, with the TrainDame and Chief Traingineer exploring new roles in our 7th decade of loving trains and YOU!
Thanks for being here! More layouts, more stories, and more behind-the-scenes peeks are coming right here on the blog. I’d love for you to come along for the ride.
Want a piece of the magic to take home? Visit the TW TrainWorx Store and use code BLOG for 10% off through November 14!
All aboard!
TrainDame