*****Collecting brass model trains is a fairly recent hobby, compared to the traditional collecting hobbies such as stamps, coins, and books. It probably began with the American GIs stationed in Japan after World War ll who had craftsmen on the Ginza build brass models from drawings and pictures published in the American modeling magazines. However, mass-produced models were not imported into this country until the 1950's, and these models were really not intended to be collector's items. Rather, they were priced to appeal to the average model railroader who wanted something with better details than the available die-cast models.

***As time passed, the Japanese builders became proficient in producing models that pushed the state of the art in detail and performance. This began to attract a new class of modeler who was more concerned with accuracy and detail. The hobby of collecting brass models began to emerge in an organized fashion.

***Today a vast array of brass models are available from several importers and manufacturers. A collector now has the ability to tailor his or her collection to a specific railroad, period of history, type of locomotive, or even to find an accurate model of the locomotive his or her father or grandfather worked on.