About Us

 An introduction and friendly story of sorts of who we are and where we came from.

I'm Joe, business owner and own this website. My son is Nicholas - my assistant,  part-time valuable web design critic, customer relations, packaging. A small USA manufacturer with added services. Nick, and I enjoy today being a business that I started in 1997. We offer our own very unique weathering products for professional Custom Model Railroading. From a very successful certified and travelled career in residential and commercial construction, machine shop and locomotive assembly at General Electric,  I've gained experiences to also create new or improved products for value in the model train hobby which I have held a passion for. I began collecting in the hobby toward my future layout for years!

I developed and began selling just one product on eBay when eBay was first incorporated in 1995. The Decal & Detail Remover. Got that Idea to sell online from some hobby shop's customers that favored it. A lot!

 Initially I desired to re-number about 50 Nickel Plate Road coal cars. I began experimenting with paint removers, brake fluid, you name it. Today it is evolving with the new paint and ink formulas the hobby train manufacturers use in painting our models. So it is a continually updated formula.

Owing to that love of Trains.. during my years at General Electric in 1974, but prior to, I built a 6' x 32' (1.8m x 9.8m) HO layout in my parent's 3rd fl. apartment building. Back then it was brass track. 

That era is when I first became obsessed with the sides of my track not looking like real life. Rusty! My first idea was using black and brown Magic Marker pens. Does that sound familiar today? So yes, I been there and done that! The sharp track rail ties shredded the marker tips i no time at all into a fuzzy stub getting ink coats on the tops of the conductive rails. Still funny how and why today modelers are still trying it! So the idea for weathering model railroad track and more has stuck with me. I developed / invented a reusable, refillable mini paint roller (albeit with many trials) specially designed for painting model railroad track. The Rusty Rails Painter. 

Joes Custom Weathering Dyes. Admittedly, not being much of an artist I wanted to my weather scenery, buildings, and rolling stock. Powders and paints were '"ok", but then I needed to seal it with clear coat. Just so it wouldn't fall off or smear when handled- Not because it was a finished , "I love the results" creation. So I began formulating colored dyes with the idea and goal- that when they dry- Do not need any sealer and can be reworked by a liquid solution again. 

The only change since 2022 was going back to a powder with the Limestone color. I learned that there really are many color tones to this Limestone color and can be mixed / blended with the other liquid dyes to yield more better custom results. 

Real Rocks Ballast is real crushed stone. Made with an added colored dye powder and baked for color fastness at the manufacturer. Better than much lighter crushed and dyed walnut shell. It keeps small rolling stock on the tracks better too. The edges are not sharp like crushed rock is the only trade off. But that is so picky. As really- do you need actual railroad crushed rock and re-grind it to scale and desirability? Yeah. Skip that!                                    

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Where we are.

Our home and office is not a brick & mortar hobby store. Once in a while train enthusiasts via Google Maps or a Yelp inquiry have ventured here hoping to find a retail store. Nope! Nice warm welcomes when or if you catch me here but then have to leave disappointed with money left in the wallets.🙂.  Or I'm on a job somewhere doing my work. But call ahead if you are passing through town and want to stop and pick up your product ordered online and say hello!

When the Covid-19 pandemic came, many in our hobby wondered what happened to us! Many in our model trains retail business quit for one reason or another. Since then, strange economic times for model railroading have seen a new normal. For example, we used to supply several hobby dealerships in France and the UK. Just like the historic Bromsgrove Models in the UK, they are gone. Today you may notice hobby shops in general do not even carry as much inventory. Here at Joe's Model Trains we have the weathering materials in supply to serve your online shopping needs! 

 Keeping Model Railroads Great!

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