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Written by Paul D. Race for and |
Trains and villages aren't just for Christmas anymore! - Since companies like Hawthorne Village® /a>and Department 56® brought Christmas villages and trains back into style, many people have been sad to see their collectibles go back into the box after New Years'. Now they don't have to. Hawthorne Village® and affiliated companies have introduced villages and trains that can be used every month of the year.
Most of the products on this page are available by subscription, which means that you sign up for them like you would a magazine and get a package about every four weeks for the next four months. For more information on subscription trains, please refer to the "About Subscription Trains" article. The accessory packages, however, are sold as single-purchase packages.
All of the trains on this page are On30 in scale, just the right size for Holiday villages by companies like Hawthorne Village®, Dept. 56® and Lemax. That means that these trains are almost as big as the Lionel trains®, but they run on Bachmann HO gauge EZ-Track, which you can fit almost anywhere. Every train is exquisitely detailed and warranteed for one year against manufacturing defects by Hawthorne Village®. The mechanical parts of each train are manufactured and warranteed by the Bachmann company, the world's largest model railroad manufacturer, so parts, service, and accessories will always be available.
Note for September, 2011: Since Bradford Exchange's reorganization in 2009, they have not been issuing as many new trains and towns as their predecessor Collectibles Today used to. They also seem to be making smaller "runs" of products. What this means in this case is that I have just had to remove from this page eleven products that were available last year and are no longer made. In other words, if you see a train or town you would like, do not wait too long to make up your mind. (A good number of the e-mails we receive about these products is asking us to track down trains and towns that are no longer available, so as Dave Barry used to say, we're not making this up!)
Note about Suppliers: While we try to help you get the products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose to provide your trains are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier should any problems occur. (They almost never do, but you want to be on the safe side.)
So take a good look now at the wonderful products available, and decide for yourself if you need to stop enjoying your collectibles just because Christmas is over.
Spirit Of Ireland Express Subscription Train![]() Irish Blessings Express Train Set Shines with the Warm Spirit of Ireland! An Exclusive Heirloom-quality Irish Collectible! - Ride the rolling emerald green hills, lush meadows and misty glens of Ireland on the Irish Blessings Express Train! Each car is graced with the breathtaking landscape art of Irish artist Edmund Sullivan. Adorned with traditional Irish-themed accents, like shamrocks, Irish flags, golden Claddaghs, and the words of the cherished Irish blessing - "May the Road Rise Up to Meet You." In addition, every window of this limited-edition Irish On30 scale collectible express train set lights up with a welcoming Irish glow. FREE nickel silver 16-piece track set and power-pack - a $60 value! Click on the link below to purchase or for more information. |
Autumn Harvest Trains and VillagesThomas Kinkade End of a Perfect Day Subscription Train
The collection also comes with a nickel silver 16-piece track set and power pack, a $60 value, yours FREE! Go ahead, relax and watch the old-fashioned steam engine chug around the track, hauling your every care far, far away! Order now! Click on the link below to purchase or for more information. |
Winter (Not Christmas) Trains and VillagesIf you've visited any of our Big Christmas Trains pages, you know that we have Christmas trains and villages of all shapes and sizes. The products in this section are decorated for winter, but not for Christmas. Sure, they look great with Christmas trains and villages, but after the Christmas tree comes down you can still celebrate winter's frosty charms with these fine products. |
Silver Moon Express Wolf Art Express Subscription TrainElectric Train Set Answers the Call of the Wild! Wolf Art by Al Agnew on Exclusive Collectible Model Train! - Encounter the majesty of the noble wolf on an heirloom quality electric train set! |
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Note: Family Garden Trains™, Garden Train Store™, and Big Christmas Trains™ are trademarks of Breakthrough Communications (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are
Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006, 2007, 2008, 2009 by Paul D. Race.
Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically
forbidden.
For more information, please contact us.

