Mini Garden Express was borne of a desire to make the classic hobby of large-scale model railroading accessible to a wider array--and a new generation--of hobbyists.
In the spring of 2015, while spending time with my mother and father, my dad mentioned that he would love to have a model train in his yard, but because they lived in a townhouse their options were limited. Being a lifelong train enthusiast and garden-scale train dealer, his comment got my wheels turning, and we talked for quite awhile about ways to make his idea a reality. That weekend I returned home, did some research, and came upon an existing barrel kit made by Hartland Locomotive Works. It was perfect for my needs, with one exception--it didn't come with a barrel, and finding an appropriately-sized barrel proved difficult. After much discussion, I decided to approach Hartland about their existing hardware, and began a search for the right-sized barrel. I stumbled across the right barrel--correct size, light weight, durable--and decided to launch the whole kit-and-caboodle as a product offering of MD Trains. I launched the Mini Garden Express line in the summer of 2016 with the goal of providing customers with a fun, fanciful, and compact train experience, installable almost anywhere. Unfortunately, my dad died suddenly in early 2016. I think he would have enjoyed having a Mini Garden Express barrel kit on his back deck, and I hope my customers enjoy the kit we at MD Trains have put together. Regards, Matt Drennan Owner, MD Trains |