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 selling just one product on eBay when it was first incorporated in 1995. The Decal & Detail Remover.

Owing to that love of Trains.. In 1972 I built a 6' x 32' (1.8m x 9.8m) HO layout in my parent's 3rd fl. apartment building. It was brass track. 

That is when I first became obsessed with the sides of my track not looking "real". My first idea was using black and brown Magic Marker pens. Does that sound familiar today? But this was very short lived. The sharp track rail ties shredded the tips. Dragging a felt marker across smooth metal rails was just the way. But 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 invented and developed a reusable, refillable mini paint roller (albeit with over a dozen versions) specially designed for painting model railroad track. Today known as - Rusty Rails Painter. 

About the same time came the desire to re-number about 50 Nickel Plate Road coal cars. I began experimenting with paint removers, brake fluid, you name it. Again many trials. So in 1995 Joe's Decal & Detail Remover became a thing, popular amongst a growing railroad community, then Ebay sales. Today it is evolving with the new paint and ink formulas the hobby train manufacturers use in painting our models.

Joes Custom Weathering Dyes. Not being much of an artist I wanted to weather scenery, buildings, and rolling stock. The powders and paints were ok but then one needed to seal it with clear coat so it wouldn't fall off or smear when handled. So I began formulating colored dyes that feature that when after they dry- 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. There really are many color tones to this Limestone color and can be mixed / blended with the other liquid dyes to yield more 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 is the only trade off.                                      

_____________________________________________

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. Nada! Nice warm welcomes but had to leave disappointed with money left in their wallets.🙂.  Our work-only shop is near downtown Erie. But call ahead if you are passing through town and want to stop and pick up our product 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. 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. This often times causes our items showing up as "Out Of Stock" in online listings, some with companies from years past. We apologize for that. But here at Joe's Model Trains we have the weathering materials in supply to serve your needs! 

Thank you for your valuable time here.

Keeping Model Railroads Great!

_____________________🚂-----📍_____________________