Year-'Round (Indoor) Display Villages and Trains


You Are Here.	Jump to other pages.

Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains™

This page features collectible trains and towns that are not season-specific - that is you can leave them out all year long if you have the room and will. They are limited-edition collector's items, and most of them are available through subscriptions, which means that you buy each collection an "issue" at a time. We also include links to many other pages that may be helpful.

Choose from Many Trains and Towns

collectible manufacturers

model railroad manufacturers

A Note about the Trains

Fit in places where other model trains would not, and
Have lots of charm and potential.

Most On30 trains featured on our pages fall into one of two categories:

Collectible Trains - These include the "subscription" trains from Hawthorne Village®. These are generally based on a chassis built by a major model railroad manufacturer, but they include extra detailing and special artwork from artists such as Thomas Kinkade. You pay a certain amount for each "issue," starting with the locomotive. The next two issues usually include a car and some track, until you have enough to make an oval. Additional issues include other cars and accessories. You can cancel at any time at no obligation, though. These trains are physically interchangeable with the Bachmann On30 model trains discussed below. So having an heirloom-quality collectable train to run for special occasions and a Bachmann On30 train for the kids or grandkids to run at other times is also a plan.

On30 Model Trains - These are O-scale model trains, such as those by Bachmann, that run on two rail (HO-gauge) track. Though they look good with collectible display villages, a wide assortment of non-Christmas trains is now available. Each piece is an accurate, realistic model of a real train that ran somewhere in North America between 1870 and 1940. They are reliable and reasonably priced. For descriptions of Bachmann On30 trains that are available today, please refer to the Big Train Store™ On30 Model Trains page.

To jump right to the trains on this page, click here.

Note about Availability and Pricing: Although I try to keep an eye on things and to recommend products that are reasonably available, the trains and towns featured on this page are mostly limited edition collector's items. This means that any product on this page may suddenly become unavailable without prior notice. If you "click through" to see details on a product, and nothing happens at all, or you are routed to a supplier's home page, please let me know and I will correct the page and make any recommendations I can. For an explanation of how subscriptions work, please see the article "About Subscription Trains" For more detailed information about why products seem to come and go and why I have stopped listing prices for certain products, please see my article "About Pricing and Availability."

Note about Product Descriptions - One "side effect" of these products' tendancy to "come and go" is that several trains that I spent a half a day reviewing and writing about have gone "extinct" the next week. So I have gone to using the supplier's descriptions and photographs for most products and adding my own observations where applicable. That said, if you have specific questions about any product we list, please contact me. If I don't know the answer I almost always know how to get the answer.

Note about Suppliers: While our readers have reported excellent experiences with the vendors referred to on this page, 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.)

On30 Collectible Trains for Year-Round Use

Because Hawthorne Village trains 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. On the other hand, if you want enough of the train to run by any particular time (say by Thanksgiving), you should consider getting your order in early. There is also a good possibility that some of these trains will sell out in 2007. (One popular train on this page did sell out in 2006). 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.

Thomas Kinkade End of a Perfect Day Express Train Subscription Plan

Thomas Kinkade Artwork Beckons You to the Fishing Trip of Your Dreams - Aboard an Exclusive Collectible Express Train Set! - Somewhere in the great outdoors is a special place, a retreat just for you - and you can only get there aboard this heirloom quality On30 scale collectible express train set! It's fully illuminated and richly finished in rustic hues, embellished with heartwarming fishing slogans and glowing Thomas Kinkade artwork of warmly lit cabins nestled in pristine wilderness settings!Available only from Hawthorne Village, this Thomas Kinkade collectible electric train set is crafted with extraordinary attention to detail, perfect for the true model train enthusiast. Plus, it 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!

For a bigger picture, click on the picture to the left. For more information, click on the "Buy" button below. You are under no obligation to purchase until you make your final decision on the next page.

Thomas Kinkade Lamplight Village Express Train Subscription Plan

Collectible Thomas Kinkade Lamplight Village Express Train Glows with Radiant Artwork and Authentic Details! Exclusive! - Imagine being transported to a radiant place where enchanting lamplights glow like luminous pearls on flower-lined paths! Now, this romantic dream-like vision awaits you aboard the "Thomas Kinkade Lamplight Village Express" train, a collectible treasure beautifully embellished with faithful reproductions created from original Thomas Kinkade Lamplight Village paintings! Available exclusively from Hawthorne Village, this heirloom-quality ON30 scale electric train set is loaded with authentic details, from the engine's cowcatcher, brass bell and working headlight, to the soft light that spills from the train car windows and sets each beautifully decorated car aglow. This electric train set also includes a 16-piece nickel-silver track set and power pack, a $60 value, yours FREE! Don't delay - this Thomas Kinkade electric train set is sure to be admired by Kinkade fans and train enthusiasts alike!

Other Train Resources The following links will bring you to other kinds of collectible and On30 trains.
If you're interested in collectible trains, but would rather have them decorated for Christmas, check out the Hawthorne Village™ Trains page.
If you are especially interested in Thomas Kinkade collectible trains, check out the Thomas Kinkade™ Trains page.
If you want to see "non-subscription" On30 train sets that are decorated for Christmas, check out the On30 Christmas Train page.
If you're interested in collectible trains that celebrate seasons of the year besides Christmas (such as St. Paddy's Day, 4th of July, and Halloween), check out the All Seasons Train page.
If you'd like to see On30 model trains decorated for real railroads, check out the BIG Train Store™ On30 Model Trains page. (Note: this will take you to another site.)

Display Villages and Accessories for Year-Round Use

are

Thomas Kinkade Hometown Village Subscription Plan

This is the perfect display village series to go with the Spirit of America train above. In fact, some of the accessories allow you to make the town look like the people are waiting for a Fourth of July parade. This village is also my personal favorite among the all the collectible villages, period. It evokes the Heartland of America like no other. This village includes frame country houses with big front porches, just like those you see in almost every small town in America. Accessories include a gazebo and many figures.

The Hometown village is unique, limited, and only available from Hawthorne Village. For more information, click the "Buy" button - you are under no obligation to purchase until you make your final decision on the next page. In the meantime, if you'd feel more at home in New England or on the coast, you may find the Lamplight or Seaside villages below attractive.

Summer Crossing Gate Train Accessory Set

Electric Train Crossing Gate and Block Signal Accessory Set Adds Realism to your Collectible Electric Train Set! Exclusive! - Just as a railroad crossing gate adds drama to a life-sized train, a miniature-scale crossing gate and block signals will really enhance your collectible electric train set. Meticulously handcrafted by master artisans, each detail is flawlessly re-created, from the red-and-white striped train crossing gate arms to the white crossing signs. The crossing gate's arms even lower automatically when the train passes over the track!Every magnificent detail adds a special note of realism to make this appealing electric train crossing gate and block signal accessory set a "must-have" for any prized train collection. Perfect for any Hawthorne Village train. You won't find a finer value anywhere than this Hawthorne exclusive! Order now!

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.

About Extra Track - The train sets on this page come with an oval of track that is about 38" x 56", although if you order a subscription train, you don't receive all of the track and power supply right away. To get a jump start on your railroad, or to make your railroad a little larger, you may easily add additional track.
The Bachmann EZ Track #44501 is an exact replacement for the curves that come with the train sets.
Bachmann #44411 matches the straight pieces.
In addition you can easily convert any of the train sets on this page to remote control with the Crest Basic Train Engineer.

Home Pages		Reading Index Pages		Buyer's Guide Pages

Note: Family Garden Trains™, Garden Train Store™, Big Christmas Trains™, BIG Indoor Trains™, BIG Train Store™, and Trains and Towns™ 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 by Paul D. Race. Reuse or republication without prior written permission is specifically forbidden.

For more information, please contact us

Collectible Trains - These include the "subscription" trains from Hawthorne Village®. These are generally based on a chassis built by a major model railroad manufacturer, but they include extra detailing and special artwork from artists such as Thomas Kinkade. You pay a certain amount for each "issue," starting with the locomotive. The next two issues usually include a car and some track, until you have enough to make an oval. Additional issues include other cars and accessories. You can cancel at any time at no obligation, though. These trains are physically interchangeable with the Bachmann On30 model trains discussed below. So having an heirloom-quality collectable train to run for special occasions and a Bachmann On30 train for the kids or grandkids to run at other times is also a plan.

On30 Model Trains - These are O-scale model trains, such as those by Bachmann, that run on two rail (HO-gauge) track. Though they look good with collectible display villages, a wide assortment of non-Christmas trains is now available. Each piece is an accurate, realistic model of a real train that ran somewhere in North America between 1870 and 1940. They are reliable and reasonably priced. For descriptions of Bachmann On30 trains that are available today, please refer to the Big Train Store™ On30 Model Trains page.

Choose from Many Trains and Towns

A Note about the Trains

On30 Collectible Trains for Year-Round Use

Other Train Resources

Display Villages and Accessories for Year-Round Use