Brown County Model Trains

~story and photos by Evan Markley

Imagine yourself at seven years old, walking with your parents through Nashville. Your family enters a quaint shop in Antique Alley where the sign reads Brown County Model Trains. As your eyes adjust to the change of light, a fantastic miniature landscape enters your field of view. Three small trains wiz by your gaze. You look at your parents with suspicion and glee, and then back at the trains to track their path.

The table stretching from one side of the shop to the other is the perfect height to see the tiny people in the station, waiting for their ride. The trains’ speed is fast, but slow enough to stay on the tracks. Your curiosity shifts your vision around, scanning for secrets. There is a farm, a river, a neighborhood, a baseball field, a carnival, restaurants, stores, and a tunnel.

The shop owner asks you if you want to run the trains and your parents give you the nod. Mouth agape, you put your hands on the controls and turn the nobs. After making the electric trains zoom around more times than you can count, you pull them each into the station with a sigh. You are hooked!

At Brown County Model Trains this is storeowner Dave Hoggatt’s vision. His goal is to create an immersive environment that introduces kids to model trains. Dave’s a retired architect who’s had a passion for trains since his childhood. His shop, tucked away in Antique Alley next to South Jefferson Street, is both a hobby and a career for him.

Dave also has previous experience as a Brown County shop owner, so he is familiar with the ups and downs of seasonal, smalltown tourism. His former shop was called Peaceful Valley Arts and Crafts. He has been putting his crafting skills to work creating his display.

He has already spent an enormous amount of time building, designing, and engineering a three-train course with all the fixings for a lively little town. A freight train, a passenger train, and a Christmas train all call the display home. He continues to add new things every day. Dave feels it will take him six months to a year before he will be satisfied with the build, but the shop will continue to be open for business throughout the completion of the project.

Brown County Model Trains currently sells three physical products: Bachman HO scale model trains, Maxim wooden starter trains, and Magic Lamps that spin and display a moving image of a train. Bachman is one of the largest manufacturers of model trains and Maxim is one of the most popular wooden train manufacturers. BCMT is a licensed distributor of both.

The Bachman train sets are electric. They look and run like the trains Dave has set up on his display. HO scale is 1:87 and they look incredibly realistic. Dave also sells some electric, Bachman, Thomas the Train sets that are great for younger kids. The Maxim wooden trains remind me of some of my favorite toys as a kid, and the Magic Lamps would give any bedroom atmosphere.

Dave Hoggatt’s financial model is split between three sources of income: Donations from visitors physically running the trains in his shop, selling brand named train box sets/Magic Lamps, and selling prefabricated train sets that he fashions to large wooden boards. These board sets are ready to take home with no set up.

As Dave adds more buildings to his trainscape, he hopes to sell miniature advertisement by adding little shops that mimic those in Nashville. He would then charge that store/restaurant a one-time fee for the exposure. Dave wants to involve the community as much as possible. He hopes to eventually have school groups and afterschool programs visit the shop.

Dave expects his clientele to be both locals and tourists. BCMT is not necessarily meant for hardcore collectors, although Dave can order you anything from Bachman’s catalog and ship it to his store. It is instead meant to be an introduction to model trains for kids. Sets range from 20 to 130 pieces and cost from $25 to $215. BCMT welcomes all ages, but is geared for families with a 7 to 12 year old.

It is important to understand that you can’t touch the display. Some kids need the occasional reminder, but Dave is gentle with his warnings. This does not take away from the pleasure of running the trains.

Dave’s model train display is unbelievably realistic. You cannot help but smile thinking about all the stories hidden in the details. You can feel Dave’s passion for his craft. Its hard not to chat with him about your own childhood train interests.

Brown County Model Trains has been open since the beginning of April and is looking to become a staple of Nashville. Come visit Dave Hoggatt in his shop. There is currently a Facebook page and a website is in the works. If you enjoy your visit, and get to run the trains, remember to donate whatever you see fit. Dave appreciates all the support and is excited for all that the future has to offer.