Donald Trump, Politics and Model Railroading

If there’s one thing we all probably would like, it’s to keep politics out of model railroading. No more fighting in clubs over control systems, era, track, scenery or the type of coffee people buy, or anything else.

But what about putting politicians on model trains?

That’s what’s happening with the "President Donald Trump Express" from the Bradford Exchange.

According to the Exchange, you can get a “heirloom-quality HO scale electric train collection [that] salutes the 45th President of the United States.”

That may fire up Republicans and annoy Democrats. But before we get into a partisan, um, “conversation,” everyone should know that the Exchange produced a President Obama train when he was elected, too.

(Jimmy Kimmel satirized the Bradford Exchange Trump train on his show; depending on your political persuasion, you will either find it amusing or offensive.)

Curious about the intersection of politics and trains, I decided to see if there were any other manufacturers producing presidential-themed items.

And, of course, there are. Micro-Trains has a Presidential Series for rolling stock, featuring a number of past presidents—and the current one.

Con-Cor also produced a President Trump car. I can’t find a car for any other president, though.

Kato produced a model of the prototype George Bush #4141 in N scale.

And USA Trains made one in G scale.

Individual modelers also got in on the action, like this one who made his own “Make America Great Again” train.

Not to be left out, Preiser made President Obama and Michelle figures in HO and G scales.  (So far, no Donald Trump figure I can see.)

So, there we are; politics and model railroading mixing. And so far, nobody is tweeting: "Sad."