About KraftTrains.com

Our History

KraftTrains began with a simple idea: to help model railroaders of all ages enjoy the hobby as much as I have. My own love for model railroading started in the early 1980s, when my father first introduced me to the hobby and we began building my first HO scale layout together.

Over the years, I continued expanding that layout and learning as I went. At the same time, I began to realize how limited and expensive many model railroading resources and materials could be. Eventually, those challenges led me to step away from the hobby during my teenage years.

In 2001, I met the woman who would become my wife, and in 2003 we started a family together. As a father, I wanted to introduce model railroading to my children, just as my father had introduced it to me. Once again, though, the cost of the hobby became an obstacle.

That led me to search online for new ideas, resources, and more affordable ways to build a model railroad with my family. In doing so, I discovered a growing online community of model railroaders, and the idea for KraftTrains.com was born.

KraftTrains.com was founded in 2012 and has continued to grow ever since. While the site has expanded over the years, its original purpose remains the same: to help people discover, build, learn, and enjoy the hobby of model railroading.

KraftTrains Today

Today, KraftTrains.com is all about sharing the fun of model railroading and making the hobby a little easier to enjoy. We focus mainly on N, HO, and O scale model railroading and offer a growing collection of free resources for beginners, experienced hobbyists, and everyone in between.

Visitors can explore free 3D printing files, printable cardstock paper models, layout ideas, scenery information, and other useful resources for building and improving a model railroad. Everything available directly on KraftTrains.com is free to use, because sharing ideas and helping other model railroaders is a big part of why the site exists.

We also maintain an international directory of model railroad clubs from around the world. The goal is to help clubs connect with new people and to give visitors a chance to discover layouts, clubs, and model railroad communities they may never have known about. If your model railroad club is not listed, you are always welcome to contact KraftTrains.com and ask to be added.

A lot of what you will find on KraftTrains.com comes from my own experiences, trial and error, and the same challenges many model railroaders face. Whether you are building your very first layout, returning to the hobby after years away, or simply looking for a new idea, I hope you find something here that helps and inspires you.

If you enjoy KraftTrains.com and would like to help support what we do, you can visit our Etsy shop for ready-made model railroad items or make an optional donation. Your support helps us continue building, creating, and sharing new resources with the model railroading community.

What started as a hobby shared between my father and me has grown into something I can now share with my own family and with model railroaders around the world. Most of all, I hope you have fun, enjoy the hobby, and find something here that helps bring your own model railroad to life.

Our Mission

Our mission is to share the joy of model railroading and help make the hobby accessible to everyone through free resources, creative projects, and a spirit of sharing. We want KraftTrains.com to be a welcoming place where model railroaders of all experience levels can discover ideas, learn something new, and simply have fun with the hobby.