By the 1960s, model trains began shifting from toys to collectibles and scale models for serious hobbyists. Enthusiasts focused on replicating real-world railroads in exquisite detail. This era ...

In non-model train speak, he explained, think of one scale mile as "if you were a tiny figure on the layout, and you walked 30 miles on the layout." Basically, a lot. By his account, he and his ...