NLMS - Dutch ModelRailroad - www.nlms.info
This chapter is about trains in HO scale. Of course with the emphasis to Dutch trains but also some Belgium and American trains.
Dutch trains - Belgium trains - American trains
In the old days there used to be mainly
German trains available in stores. Most manufactures are located in Germany
after all. Nothing wrong with this, however, little by little more Dutch trains
appeared.
These were mostly models made by scratch builders and small quantity
manufactures. Carefully the big name manufactures started to appear with Dutch
trains, greatly thanks to the Dutch importers. Luckily this became a success.
Nowadays there is a huge selection in Dutch trains available, in particular Roco, a Austrian manufacture. The first Dutch model train I have seen, I was about 10 years old, was the "hondenkop", dog face from Trix, a German manufacture. My nephew was the lucky owner.
My own collection started with Lima, a Italian manufacture, which was known as a entry level in to the world of model railroading. Quality standards were low, detailing was not so great either, but it was almost for sale at any place, and cheap too. It is my personal opinion that Lima opened the doors for everyone to enter the Dutch model railroading.
During the '90's Lima's quality improved, but so did it's price tag. Lima trains are often used for kit bashing. Mastica, a Dutch manufacture that isn't around any more, used to make live easier for modelers, by offering special rebuild kits.
Roco, the manufacture for Dutch trains, supplies the biggest assortment. Quality is pretty good. Most trains of a Dutch model railroader or collector, will be from Roco. Are Fleischmann and Marklin known as the manufacture with high standards of quality, Roco is known for releasing new and renumbered models, often, and for a reasonable price.
On these page's I keep track of Dutch model trains for sale in the Netherlands and kit bashed or scratch build models. This is based on a personal collection, which is far from being complete, since I don't live in the Netherlands anymore. I have asked Dutch readers, who have models not listed here, to send me the information, in an attempt to get this list complete.
Since Belgium is part of my layout, I also describe some Belgium train models. The listing is limited to the trains that run into the Netherlands, those who cross the border between the Netherlands and Belgium. My interest to these Belgium trains is possibly caused by the fact that I used to live in Dordrecht, which is not far located from the Belgium border.
I also traveled to Antwerp often, and at times further in the Benelux.
The Belgium trains are listed together with other international trains in the Dutch trains article.
Why dedicate part of my Dutch ModelRailroad website to American model trains? Well ever since my childhood I was fascinated to trains and build a nice collection of Dutch trains. These trains are for the model layout. When I moved to the USA, one of the first things I did was to visit a model hobby shop.
One of the first things I wanted to find out is what kind of trains are available in the USA, and how it compared to, and is compatible with European model trains. This is where I got involved with American trains, at the time much cheaper then European trains. I left the store with an Athearn Amtrak locomotive and two passenger coaches.
Currently my American train collection has grown to more then 500 models. All these beautiful models are in display cases. For a while I also made a American model train layout, mostly to to get experience and test self build electronics.
This page is last updated on 15 July 2012
NLMS - Dutch ModelRailroad - www.nlms.info