When James C. Hobbs wants to relax at his suburban Richmond home, he puts on his train engineer’s cap and gets to work. He places a locomotive on a track and dips into his large collection of rolling stock, including box cars, gondolas and, if he feels like it, turn-of-the-century passenger cars. Hobbs then clicks on his radio transmitter, leans back in the easy chair of his sunroom, and watches the action as the miniature train travels the 1,300 feet of track in his expansive backyard.

James C. Hobbs shows a piggy-back narrow gauge rail truck trailer he built himself. It is modeled after a real one his father designed in 1934. Photo by Peter Galuszka

Railroading comes naturally to Hobbs. The lanky 70-year-old is a real railroad man. He spent 35 years working for the Tennessee-based Clinchfield and then the Richmond, Fredericksburg & Potomac railroads, where he rose to run all operations before retiring in 1992. "It really gets into your blood, you know," he says as he works the radio controls of his free-lanced "G" gauge garden railroad. He calls his line the Pine Tag & Gum Ball. Some of his locomotives and cars bear the "PT & GB" logo that he painted on himself. "I have a lot of pine tags (needles) and gum balls in my backyard," he explains.

Hobbs is just one of many who are part of a growing national phenomenon. They are taking to model railroading in their middle and senior years as never before. Not only are sales of the venerable Lionel series stronger than ever, more people whose disposable income rose dramatically during the 1990s are getting into the hobby. New modeling technology means that highly-detailed and historically accurate models are more available at cheaper prices.

A few years ago, the model railroad market was estimated to be $1 billion and growing at a rate of about 12 percent. Experts say that the hobby actually hit its peak in the mid-1980s, but Jim Kelly, managing editor of Model Railroader magazine, says it is going in new directions. "The most interesting phenomenon," he says, "is that older people are taking up the hobby for the first time. These are people in their 60s and 70s. They are retiring earlier, have more money and have higher educations."

Some 75 percent of model railroaders use HO gauge (1" = 87"), because it provides a reasonable amount of detail for trains and scenery at cheap prices. Next most popular is the N gauge (1" = 160") which is smaller, but allows the modeler to get much more of a sense of place into a small area. It’s great for people who live in smaller apartments or condominiums. The most famous is the Lionel "O" gauge(1" = 48"). While Lionel lacks the detail accuracy of other gauges, it packs lots of nostalgic appeal, because it was the first toy train many people got Christmas morning.

There are even larger gauges, including the "G" gauge that Hobbs uses. He prefers it for two reasons. One, it can operate outdoors, unlike most others. That feature carries certain advantages: "I’m bad at scenery and if I can run it outdoors, then Mother Nature does my scenery for me." Another reason is simple practicality. "I like G gauge because it is larger. At my age, I need to be able to see things," he says.

Modeling can be a thrill because it engages a number of disciplines at once. If you like tinkering with wood, there’s lots of carpentry involved in erecting a layout. Long to be a civil engineer? Figuring where tracks and bridges go best is a lot harder than it looks. Many beginners, for instance, make track curves much sharper than is safe, as watching real trains and their tracks can attest. Electronics? Model trains can be controlled by radios or digital encoders and run by personal computers. History fanatic? This is for you, because you can become a real stickler for historical accuracy in your layout and spend hours in research. The most popular period for modelers, for instance, is from the 1940s to the 1960s because it includes the last romantic years of steam locomotives along with the flash of early diesels.

Model railroading can get pricey, but there’s relief on the way. Decent HO cars cost about $15 each while good locomotives can go to $100 or more. Hobbs’ "G" scale gear can cost $250 to $5,000 for locomotives and somewhat less for rolling stock. True history fanatics insist on brass locomotives, rather than the more typical plastic ones. Museum-quality models are available, primarily from South Korean crafters, for upwards of several thousand dollars for an extraordinarily-detailed Chesapeake & Ohio, double-articulated mallet steam locomotive. They look great, but unfortunately, the plastic-bodied ones perform better and don’t require a second mortgage.

To get started, visit your local hobby store. Keep in mind that you’ll face significant markups and, as you become more experienced, you’ll know where to look for better deals. Some hobbyists go to national retailers based in the New York area. Another place to find good deals is local model railroad shows where buyers can sometimes save 50 percent on new gear and can swap older equipment .

For Hobbs, model railroading is a truly personal journey. Not only did he spend his life with railroads, so did his father. He started building his layout in 1989. By then, he was a top executive at the RF&P before retiring in 1992. A civil engineer by training, he has the advantage of understanding what makes things go. Thus, he can "kitbash" his own model train cars the way he wants and invent new things. Coupled with his extensive railroad experience, he’s an ace at modeling.

The model train companies have noticed. When Hobbs bought a 4-6-0 old-fashioned narrow gauge Baldwin Works steam locomotive from model company Bachmann Co., he detailed and painted it in the style of the East Tennessee & Western North Carolina where his father worked. Bachmann was so impressed that it kept after Hobbs and got him to donate his model so Bachmann’s Chinese model assemblers could have a prototype. It’s still featured in Bachmann’s catalogue. Another example is the first-ever, narrow gauge piggy-back truck carrier in the ET&WNC livery. Hobbs’ father designed it back in 1934. Hobbs modeled the design and Bachmann sells it in the G gauge.

Hobbs’ background as the chief bridge and road bed overseer for the RF&P helps, too. He has built a scale wooden trestle that links his backyard layout to an indoor workshop. That way, he can put together trains without having to go out in bad weather. Scattered here and there along the route are plastic, scale model water tanks and passenger stations.

Model railroading certainly has a special allure. I, for one, can appreciate Hobbs’ efforts. When I was a child of seven, my parents gave me the best Christmas present I have ever received. It was an HO-gauge model railroad set, with a beautifully-painted locomotive –– an SW-1200 diesel switcher with the stunning purple and aluminum livery of the Atlantic Coast Line. Included were a number of highly-detailed freight cars and, of course, a red caboose. Forty years later, I still have the set — and much more, too. Over the years, I’ve added a few extras to the caboose. As for the locomotive, well, it still runs.

For more information on model railroading, try: www.modelrailroader.com.