COWCATCHER ROUND UP
January/February 2008 Issue
COMPLIMENTARY COPIES
Complimentary copies of the Cowcatcher Round Up are available throughout Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana at a number of locations, including hobby shops, museums and train shows.
Copies are distributed by the first Saturday of the first month of the issue's publication date (excluding most holidays), and are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
We encourage you to visit your local hobby shop or railroad museum and ask for a copy of the Cowcatcher Round Up.
The Cowcatcher Round Up also is distributed at numerous train shows each year throughout the region, including the Dallas Area Train Show, Fort Worth Area Train Show, Greater Houston Train Show, Oklahoma City Train Show and Temple Model Train Show.
To ensure that you receive each issue, you can subscribe for $11.95 per year (six issues).
Member Hobby Manufacturers Association
About the Cowcatcher Round Up
The Cowcatcher Round Up, publishd by Ballpark Impressions, is the South Central region’s only publication covering local model railroad and railroad-related news!
Started in 2004 in Keller, Texas, the Cowcatcher Round Up reaches model railroaders and rail enthusiasts in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana, bringing to life the people, places and events of this community like no other publication in the marketplace.
The Cowcatcher Round Up not only has news of interest about one of America’s favorite hobbies, it features compelling articles about regional people, places, events and history, all professionally written and edited by accomplished journalists and contributors.
Unlike other publications, the Cowcatcher Round Up focuses on the people of the hobby and rail enthusiast community. Coverage includes news from model railroad clubs, historical societies and museums, including local National Model Railroad Association and Toy Collector’s Association activities.
Each issue is packed full of regional happenings, including a calendar of events for upcoming shows, meets and activities. Also featured is news about real railroads — national and regional. Readers can find informative capsules on the latest news from the region’s transit, tourist and freight railroads.
The Cowcatcher Round Up also includes national coverage of model railroading, complete with lively quotes from top industry officials.
The Cowcatcher Round Up publishes bi-monthly and is mailed to subscribers, plus distributed at select hobby shops, shows, museums and railroading points of interests in Texas, Oklahoma, Arkansas and Louisiana.
INSIDE
FIRST ISSUE
In January 2004, the first issue of the Cowcatcher Round Up rolled off the press with little fanfare. Volume 1, No. 1 debuted as the official voice of the Cowcatcher Division, the Fort Worth-area chapter of the Lone Star Region/National Model Railroad Association.
The Cowcatcher Round Up was born from reorganization of the Cowcatcher Division, which had been dormant in recent years.
Division Director Jim Howard of Benbrook, TX, brought together 22 members over barbecue at Lockheed Martin Recreation Association on a November Saturday afternoon in 2003. There, a newsletter documenting membership activities was proposed.
A month later, Ballpark Impressions rang in the New Year by rolling out 150 copies of the new Cowcatcher Round Up, named to not only recognize the division but to include a little slice of southwest rhetoric to reflect the region it served.
The lead story on the first issue documented the reorganization meeting.
Much has changed with the Cowcatcher Round Up, which has grown to serve a much larger audience as an independent model railroad/rail enthusiast news publication.
The Cowcatcher Round Up will celebrate its fifth anniversary with the the January/February 2009 issue.
Hop on for the ride!