Local Spotlight

Warren’s Train Shop in Ogden

Established in 1986, Warren’s Train Shop plans to further expand their internationally recognized business.

|


Warren's Train Shop, located inside Union Station in Ogden
Warren’s Train Shop, located inside Union Station in Ogden

It’s tough to think of any better place in this state to own and operate a model train shop than the Union Station in Ogden. The majestic building once marked the junction of railroading in the Intermountain West.

Even though passenger trains no longer chug through town, Ogden’s rich railroad history remains. The tracks put this place on the map for better and for worse, bringing increased commerce and an influx of interesting characters and opening the floodgates for rampant prostitution and drunken debauchery until the city decided to crack down on crime.

One of the happier, little kawinkydinks to result from the emergence of the railroad has been Warren’s Train Shop. Warren and Dee Holmgren opened this shop in the Union Station in 1986 and ran it for about 20 consecutive years.

After a brief break from the business, Warren regained control of the shop with three partners — Rob Bruening, Rick Glismann and Daniel Caballero — in 2008 and it’s been growing nicely ever since.

In fact, at the beginning of next year, the four partners are planning to expand and move their store into another Union Station space that is more than double the size of their current quarters. That’s good news for die-hard hobbyists because it will free up room for a larger in-store product offering.

With the shop’s current space limitations, it has focused mostly on HO scale model trains — which are 1/87th of the size of the actual trains they represent and are quite popular because of their remarkable resemblance to real locomotives.

Warren’s Train Shop has always been committed to providing its customers with the models, supplies and accessories they desire and it often places special orders to meet the needs of local enthusiasts.

Collectors from across the globe, including Australia, Japan and the Arab nations, also purchase model trains and supplies from the shop’s eBay store and its website.

The locomotives in stock range in price from about $65 to $400. A well-heeled collector might pay up to $2,000 for a limited-edition handcrafted brass model.

By and large, though, this isn’t really a rich man’s hobby. At least not in Ogden, where many hobbyists are middle-age men who tend to live on the blue collar side of the tracks.

These guys are craftsmen, outdoorsmen, operators of heavy machinery … and they get as giddy as little schoolgirls whenever an opportunity presents itself for them to create something with their strong, weathered hands.

“The joy of the hobby is not in the acquiring of model train sets. It’s in the time you spend building something extraordinary,” Daniel Caballero says. “When I was a child, we rode the train from Los Angeles to San Francisco to visit family. Many of us, as adult hobbyists, are building things to represent some of what we experienced as kids.”

Some of these guys actually construct entire railroad ecosystems, including trains, tracks, scenery, houses and even coal mines. It wouldn’t be that surprising if some of them go so far as to strategically place tiny, little canaries in their tiny, little coal mines.

“We’re not playing with toys,” Caballero points out. “We’re operating a real transportation system in miniature.”

Warren’s Train Shop is open Monday through Saturday from 11 a.m. to 6 p.m.

,

Join our newsletter.
Stay informed.

Related Articles


  • The Hidden Danger: Are Processed Foods Making Us Sick?

    Are modern agriculture and chemical “solutions” causing chronic disease? Infertility rates have doubled over the past ten years and increased cases of chronic diseases such as juvenile asthma, juvenile, diabetes, Type-2 diabetes, and heart and lung diseases have increased ten-fold in the past 50 years.


  • The Homeless Solutions Utah. Who Gets the Funding?

    Discover why the most successful homeless programs, like TOSA, are achieving incredible 90% recovery rates without a dime of government funding. Learn about the controversial approaches that outshine state-funded efforts and the shocking truths behind Salt Lake City’s homelessness crisis. Are traditional methods failing us? Find out the groundbreaking solutions that could transform lives and communities!


  • What Happened to the Sugar House Farmers Market?

    What farmers market customers don’t see are the countless hours of volunteer labor that bring such events to life. But sometimes that energy and enthusiasm simply runs dry. 


  • Utah’s Finest Jams and Preserves: A Taste of Local Delight

    Meet several of Utah’s favorite jam makers whose craft and creativity have redefined the notion of preserving fruit. These artisans pour their love of Utah’s fruits into every jar, from the orchards of northern Utah to remote mountain brambles, each company brings a distinct flavor profile to the table.