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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm)
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| Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm)
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The art of Thomas Kinkade has been in demand since it was first available to the public. Kinkade is said to "follow the grand tradition of 19th century American Luminist painting." By using countless layers of underpainting and overglazing, he creates evocative works that capture the fascinating effects of light and the fleeting moods of nature. His paintings and limited edition prints are remarkable for their beauty and value. When Kinkade began painting and designing for the collectible market, a new era began. As early as 1991, Kinkade's first limited-edition collector's plate won the coveted Best Plate of Show at the International Collectibles Exposition. Today, Kinkade's collectible village sculptures and accessories show in three dimensions 
what his paintings have always shown in two - a remarkable range of charm and detail graced by soft, natural-looking light.
Of course, this web site is about trains, so we're pleased to present not one, but three On30 collectible trains featuring artwork and other design elements from this popular author. The original Thomas Kinkade Christmas Express Train has now been joined by two other charming subscription trains from the same designer. Be certain to check out the new products, and take another look at the Christmas Express train. Remember, these are limited offerings. Even though many of the original Christmas Express trains have been made in response to consumer demand, it is a limited edition. Hawthorne Express will not take orders for this item indefinitely, and when becomes unavailable, we can't get it for you (we know because we've tried on other popular sets that sold out.)
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 or other purchases 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.)
Note: If you're interested in the sort of products you see on this page, it might be a good idea to bookmark this page now, in case you get lost looking through the vendor sites I've referenced here. (It's not hard - there's lots of choices - I've simply tried to present those which are most useful for Thomas Kinkade villages and for Christmas villages that use collectible trains.)
The Hawthorne Village(r) Thomas Kinkade trains are the most charming collectible trains ever designed. Each features artwork from reknowned artist Thomas Kinkade and is supported by a wide range of accessories.
The trains featured on this page are subscription trains. That means that you buy them in installments, like a magazine. Like many other Hawthorne Village(r) Trains, these trains are in O scale, which means that they are 1:48 the size of the "real thing," about the same scale as most of the better Lionel trains. But they run on HO gauge track, making your railroad easier to set up and to fit into a fairly small place. These trains are also built using parts from the Bachmann On30 trains, so parts and service will always be available. In addition, track and accessories that are made to go with the Bachmann On30 trains will work with these as well.
This page includes accessories that a Thomas Kinkade or Hawthorne Village(r) collector might be interested in purchasing to add interest to this set. For example, the Thomas Kinkade Christmas Village and accessories are perfectly scaled to look right with this train and to give it a community to serve.
To learn more about any of these products, or to purchase any of these products or subscriptions, please click on the "Buy" button. You are not obligated to purchase until you make your selection on the next screen.
Note: Deadlines approaching! Because these are subscription trains, each piece is actually considered a separate purchase. (The price advertised on the Hawthorne Village web site is the cost of each collectible piece.) In the first shipment, you receive the locomotive, which is an exceptional value. Then about a month later, or when the next piece is available (whichever comes first), your order for the next piece is automatically processed. That means that you can still get the locomotive before Christmas if you order early enough, so you'll have something to wrap up and put under the tree. The locomotive is also a great value, so the recipient won't be disappointed, even when he or she learns that the rest of the train is still to come. On the other hand, there is a good possibility that some of these trains will sell out between now and Christmas. If there's one you really want, don't assume that it's "safe" to wait until later - I have not heard from one reader who was disappointed with his or her train, but I have heard from many readers who were disappointed because they put off ordering a subscription until it was too late. These are delightful trains and a great value, so order your favorite soon if you don't want to miss out! For details about how a subscription train works, please click here.
Update for November, 2008! For a limited time only, you can get the first three issues of the Thomas Kinkade Christmas Express Train - enough to run a train - all at once in a Super Starter Set offering. Click here
for more information.
Update for November, 2008! For a limited time only, you can get
the first Four issues of the Thomas Kinkade Village Christmas
Subscription Plan - enough to set up a nice town - all at once in a
Super Starter Set offering. Click here
for more information.
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Track - By the way, I've been getting questions about track. The trains above come with an oval of track that is about 38" x 56", although in most cases, you don't receive the track and power supply until about the third issue of the series. To get a jump start on your railroad, or to make your railroad a little larger, you may easily add additional pieces of Bachmann EZ Track. The Bachmann EZ Track #44501 is an exact replacement for the curves that come with the train sets. #44411 matches the straight pieces. |
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| In addition, the O-Scale Accessories page includes many relatively inexpensive details such as bridges, fencing, and stations, that will bring life to any O-Scale or O-Gauge railroad. |
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Note: Family Garden Trains(tm), Garden Train Store(tm), and Big Christmas Trains(tm) are trademarks of Breakthrough Communications(tm) (www.btcomm.com). All information, data, text, and illustrations on this web site are Copyright (c) 1999, 2000, 2001, 2002, 2003, 2004, 2005, 2006 by Paul D. Race. Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically forbidden.
For more information, please contact us.
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For more information, please contact us.