Chief Traingineer Roger Farkash – TrainDame Blog Station

Traingineers Begin the Great Thaw of February 2021!

Whoa! What a Valentine’s Week we had here in the great Lone Star State of Texas. Certainly did not have the entire week blocked off the calendar to be cuddled up at home with loved ones starring in our own Hallmark Movie but boy howdy… Traingineers have not been back inside 0ur Dallas McGowan Street Studio since February 12th, 2021.

First and foremost – we are all ok! So very appreciative of all our Traintastic Friends for reaching out to us, checking in to see how we’re faring and sharing wonderful encouragement – thank you! Our fearless leader and Chief Traingineer, Roger, pulled double duty often staying at the studio in our small “apartment” to ensure heaters in the studio were on in order to prevent water pipes from freezing as well as assuring all the paint did not freeze in the frigid temperatures!

Status from the aftermath of Texas 2021 Snowpocalypse for TW TrainWorx:

No broken pipes!
No frozen paint!
No rolling blackouts!
No loss of water!
Two broken heaters!
Layouts in process all protected and anxiously awaiting the return of our talented Traingineers!

Speaking of our Talented Traingineers, I am happy to say, they also came through the Snowpocalypse although some are now dealing with broken pipes and starting the repair process. There is going to be an abundance of work for plumbers, electricians… tradesmen for quite some time going forward. But forward we WILL GO and continue to service our Traintastic Family creating amazing train layouts, kits, and buildings!

I will say the highlight of this past week has come from; emails, texts, and phone calls from past and current customers that are so thankful to have made the investment in their own custom TW TrainWorx Layout. They all share just how their love of trains has provided extreme mental and emotional well being across the board but especially during these times of isolation we all find ourselves in! Such a blessing to get that kind of feedback and how encouraging it is to see Grandfathers/Dads, in a position to provide and share the great entertainment, history, and good ole fashion family memory making moments all while running trains!!

Speaking of running trains, let’s go down memory lane to a winter scene the Traingineers created and installed for the 2019 Holiday Season in Charlotte, NC with absolutely NO threats of freezing water pipes from the “icy scenes” 🙂

Enjoy the wintery scenes from this custom commercial layout we did for Rogers and Gala that was displayed for public viewing in a downtown Charlotte skyscraper’s lobby:

Just added a TrainDame *Steal-of-A-Deal through the end of the month, February 28, 2021: Save $200 at checkout using Code: THAW200 on ANY of our Classic Landmark Series Online Products! Here is the link for YOU: Classic Landmark Series

Happy Tracks!

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

2020…The TRAINTASTIC Twenties!

Happy New Year – Happy New Decade to all of our Trainiac friends 🙂

The Traingineers ended the decade accomplishing absolutely remarkable custom layout installations all over the country and a first…even in Canada! We are so blessed by each of our Top Traintastic Customers with Roger and I continuing to be in awe of the gifted group of employees we employ and passionately refer to as our Talented Traingineer Team!

Special shout-out of gratitude to each Traingineer Team Member: Paul Munger, Mike Reagan, Mike Ellis, Garrett Broyles, Eugene Kollman, George Watson, Dennis Magee, Judy Ellis, Jeff Matney, Nick Ellis, Ethan Tait, Abraham Alvarado, and Ulises Mendez. YIKES! I would be remiss not mentioning three honorary Traingineers; Joe Holtzinger, Stephanie Reagan, and Alex Mallaie, who’ve pitched in to assist and we’re very appreciative to have each “on Traingineer Duty Call”!

We expanded our reach and increased services we offer by adding the uber talented Mike Reagan to our team in 2017. Mike became our East Coast Director based out of Concord, NC. and from his East Coast Studio headed up fabrication/design/installation of three custom residential layouts for customers in Santa Fe, NM – Warren, NJ – Providence, RI and we’ve sent him all over the country for layout assessments, installations, service calls, and events; New York, Nevada, Texas, Kansas, Colorado, Pennsylvania, Virginia, Iowa, Florida, North Carolina and even Canada!

Going down Memory Lane a bit, Roger Farkash, founded Theatrical Warehouse Inc dba TW TrainWorx in 1982 – making this decade #4 for our small family owned business being in operation – truly a miracle in and of itself! Both of us will reach our 70’s in this decade and you’d think our founder and Creative Director would be talking the *R* word, right? Hmmm, not seeing that happen any time soon when his design calendar is just about booked for the first quarter of 2020 and his HUGE passion for what he does certainly is not subsiding!

Happy to say we’re starting out 2020 with a younger generation of Traingineers (almost half of our Traingineers are in their 20’s – early 40’s) and they are being mentored/taught by the Absolute Best of the Best in the toy train layout industry!

All this to say, we’re building a TW TrainWorx Legacy, and we’d love to have YOU become part of it! The Traintastic Traingineer Team is Still believing the Train Layout possibilities are endless : )

What a decade that was… in pictures, Enjoy!

Happy New Year Trainiac friends – wishing YOU and YOURS an extraordinarily blessed and prosperous 2020.

Happy Tracks,

TrainDame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com
http://www.layoutassessment.com
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com

It’s… Traingineers MOST Wonderful Time of YEAR!

Personally, I’ve never; been to the North Pole, visited Santa’s Workshop, petted any of Santa’s Reindeer, ridden over rooftops in Santa’s Sleigh, been elbow to elbow with all the elves BUT I bet it’s pretty darn close to what I get to experience up close and personal – right here this time of year, inside the McGowan Street Studio! With all the Holiday Activity going on for the TW TrainWorx Traingineers it’s truly crazy to see SO much Terrifically Traintastic layouts being; wired up, touched up, started up, finished up, designed, and/or installed all over this great country of ours… Makes this TrainDame’s head spin 🙂

Our Traingineer-ette, Judy just created a list of TW TrainWorx Holiday Train Display’s that YOU… yes YOU, can see and experience throughout the Holiday Season. Proud to present Six of our commercial custom layouts that YOU must be sure to add to YOUR Holiday Event Plans:

Ho Ho Ho and Merry Christmas ya’ll – from deep in the heart of Texas 🙂

Happy Tracks,

TrainDame aka Dorcie
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com
http://www.twtrainworx.com

P.S. Also, if you’d like a print out of the list above, please feel free to download this PDF: TW TrainWorx Holiday Train Displays

What???? Haven’t posted since March???

Cheers Trainiac Friends!

Boy oh boy, wouldn’t have believed it had I not seen it myself…and all I can say is that our Magnificent Month of March rolled right into an Amazing April…. Meteoric May… and now almost halfway through a Jamming, Jiving, Jumping June!!! What a spectacular year we are experiencing in 2019!

Ok, let me bring you up to speed on what the TW TrainWorx Traingineers have been up to the last couple of months :).

Well, to start off – we are completely BOOKED for 2019 Layout Design/Fabrication/Installation and NOW booking for first quarter 2020!!! Folks, that is a FIRST for TW TrainWorx…Absolutely Extraordinary!

We are working at full capacity in both our Dallas – McGowan Street Studio and Concord, NC Studio with both commercial and residential layouts.

East Coast Director, Mike Reagan, lead designer, on an over 400 sq. ft. O Gauge custom residential layout installing in Rhode Island end of August is currently UNDER CONSTRUCTION – – – > Let’s let some pictures do the talking:

Turning my focus back to our Dallas, McGowan Street Studio, Traingineers (since March) have completed Design/Fabrication on: 3 – O Gauge residential layouts, 1 Standard Gauge residential layout, 1 Combo O Gauge/Standard Gauge Residential Layout, 1 Commercial Wooden RR layout, Denver Union Station Model, Custom Scranton Electric Building Model, Radio City Music Hall Model, One Time Square Model and traveled to Omaha for the annual Berkshire Hathaway Shareholder’s Meeting, where we set up the Corporate BNSF Layout! Check it out…

Two Traintastically exciting NEW commercial layouts we’re working on now, YOU will be able to see up close and personal IF you are in Charlotte, NC this Holiday Season and/or come first quarter 2020 at the new Train Themed Children’s Museum opening in Kansas City Union Station’s – Science City!!! The centerpiece of this children’s museum layout is going to be our O Scale model of the existing, Kansas City Union Station. Let me share some in process photos with you of both of these custom commercial layouts:

Oh… and another layout for a brand new customer that we started this week for his commercial real estate office lobby during the holidays! We’ve designed the table that will include his Christmas tree – right smack dab in the middle of it!

Ok… I better get this posted before it turns into October!!!! Yee Haw – having some fun now 🙂

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
dorcie@traindame.com
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC USA

http://www.trainworxlayouts.com
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com
http://www.twtrainworx.com

P.S. Just posted TW TrainWorx Office Rule #2 🙂 🙂

The most wonderful time of the year!

Roger and I are truly blessed to celebrate T W Design/TrainWorx 36th Corporate Anniversary this past Saturday, December 1st – what a way to start off the month aka…. the most wonderful time of the year 🙂

2018 has been extraordinary for TW TrainWorx, collaborating with some of the most amazing folks… our Totally Terrific Traintastic Customers! One of my all time favorite things is hearing from customers and how their experience with TW TrainWorx and the Traingineers has wonderfully impacted their lives… that’s what it’s all about and the mission set out, some 36 years ago by our founder, and kid at heart, Roger Farkash.

This past Monday, a local CBS Affiliate aired the below interview with Roger about his creative contribution to the Trains at NorthPark Event that the TW TrainWorx Traingineers have been involved with since 2010.

Enjoy!

In 2016 Roger designed a 1300 plus square foot display for the Houston Museum of Natural Science… TRAINS OVER TEXAS and they shared some recent publicity about the success that display is also receiving. Here is the link to read the article: Trains Over Texas and below is a FACEBOOK LIVE Video with Glen Rosenbaum giving an up close and personal grand tour! Heads up… this was a LIVE Video and unfortunately the last minute or so there is no sound but still a wonderful treat to see!

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
Dallas, TX | Concord, NC | USA

http://www.thetrainsatnorthpark.com

http://www.trainworxlayouts.com
http://www.twtrainworxstore.com

It’s all in a DAY…

Without going into all the gory details of Mr. Day’s disastrous experience with his initial train layout (NOT from TW TrainWorx) other than to say, after our initial assessment in 2015 it became apparent that Mr. Day had a decision to make; 1) because of the unfortunate inability of his existing layout to literally RUN TRAINS and an ultimatum from his wife to get the trains running otherwise your train room will be my craft room… OR, 2) take a leap of faith, bite the bullet, take a chance with TW TrainWorx and literally ‘trash’ the old layout to make room for his new custom TW TrainWorx Layout!

Decision made… Leap was taken… bite crunched… the Day Layout went on the TW TrainWorx Board for Design, Fabrication, and Installation!!

A couple of fun facts about Mr. Day’s custom TW TrainWorx Layout… it was our first layout constructed entirely by Mike Reagan in his North Carolina studio! Other than the custom lift bridge which was designed & laser cut in Dallas then shipped up to Mike and having Roger fly in to assist with carving! We are extremely proud of the results that came out of our East Coast Division!!!

Let’s let the pictures do the talking, first up: Photos from TW TrainWorx East Coast Division: Concord, NC:

Fabrication was finished in December, 2017 and Mike loaded the truck up in North Carolina and made the trip to Santa Fe, NM through Dallas, Texas. Once the truck and layout made it to Dallas, Traingineer and Road Warrior, Eugene Kollman drove the layout to Mr. Day’s home to start “Operation Day Installation” on Monday – January 8th, 2018.

First item to take care of was demolishing the old and completely dysfunctional layout… Gotta Go!

Out with the old…in with the new!

OH HAPPY DAY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
(pun intended… lol)

Happy Tracks!

TrainDame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com

Dallas, TX | Concord NC

Lone Star State Custom Layouts by TW TrainWorx Traingineers

I was working on gathering photos for a new photo book I’m doing… what’s that? YOU didn’t know that TW TrainWorx Top Custom Layout Customers receive a photo book depicting the collaborative process from design…. fabrication… to installation? Well it’s true and yours truly has the pure enjoyment of creating each photo journal book – but I get OFF TRACK 🙂 Anywho’s (quoting my daughter) I blew myself away looking back at all the custom layouts Roger Farkash (Chief Traingineer & Creative Director) has designed and our truly talented Traingineers have engineered and fabricated over the years!

Nuff said (Texas slang) let the pictures do the talking… Enjoy shots of Lone Star State – that’d be TEXAS, custom layouts; Designed, Fabricated, and Installed by TW TrainWorx Traingineers – YEE HAW!!!!

Happy Tracks!

Traindame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
2808 McGowan Street
Dallas, Texas 75203
(214) 634-2965
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com

Layout Trifecta – New Jersey

This custom layout installation was actually two additional sections we added to the existing TW TrainWorx Custom Hellgate/Subway Layout we did for Jim in 2015.

Enjoy a few process photos followed by the installation photos:

What a Jumping June for the Traingineers – June Trifecta of Installations is now in the History Books!

I bet you’re saying to yourself…. I want a TW TrainWorx Custom Layout 🙂 Lets GO FOR IT!!!

Happy Tracks!

Traindame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965
http://www.trainworxlayouts.com

Dallas, Texas | North Carolina | USA!!

Layout Trifecta – New York

TW TrainWorx, in the style of Polar Express Layout, was completed yesterday by the Traingineers…

Enjoy these pictures from the installation:

Check out these photos I just received from our very Hap Hap Happy Customer that he took under the ‘blue lights’ he added. Talk about SUPER AWESOME 🙂

Right now – I am offering one of Traindame’s CRAZY…. SUPER DUPER AMAZING…. Steal-of-a-Deals to get YOUR OWN Polar Express Table Top/Base in time for the 2017 Holidays by placing YOUR order and getting on the Traingineer’s fabrication calendar by July 10th! More information is right here: http://wp.me/P1JoOq-jp

Also, please feel free to download our Polar Express Track Plan here: 2017PolarExpressTrackPlan

Happy Tracks!

Traindame aka Dorcie Farkash
TW TrainWorx
(214) 634-2965

Experience the Art of The Train!

http://www.trainworxlayouts.com

Custom Layout Trifecta of June Installs!!

FLORIDA NEW JERSEY NEW YORK

The TW TrainWorx Traingineers have been having a BLAST bringing to life three custom layouts we’ve completed for three of our Traintastic Top TW TrainWorx existing customers! That’s right, each of these gentlemen enhanced their existing TW TrainWorx custom layout or in the case of Skip, he ordered up an entirely new Polar Express Train Layout that will be enjoyed by many during this year’s Holiday Season. Can I get a HO HO HO!!!

First install was completed last week in Florida where the industrial yard portion of Steve’s layout was enhanced with some very meaningful custom buildings, a way cool Service Yard and a boat where some very happy swimming Dolphins can be seen enjoying the water.

PROCESS SHOTS IN MCGOWAN STREET STUDIO: