Big Jack’s Trains was originally founded as a solution to the problem of Jack’s vast hoard of model railroading stuff after he moved on to that pub in the sky (right across the street from the railyard). Hailing from Erie, PA, he had a soft spot for Marx O gauge trains, but had no problem piling up the deals on Lionel and American Flyer too!
We still operate our eBay store but after a few hundred inquiries, decided that it was time to expand to commission work!
Johnny ended up dealing with the trains for the family, but it quickly grew into something more. “Big Jack” was our nickname for him here at the Fortress of Squalitude, so we stuck it on the train shop!
Big Jack was an actual Jack-of-All-Trades with an almost supernatural skill for troubleshooting and repair of, well, everything. His train collection reflected this as he would search train shops, estate sales, and auctions for crates full of junk to repair and run. The problem was, his vision and fine motor skills went as he aged but he kept right on hunting and buying junk trains. This was a relief to the family as it meant he quit doing the same thing with guns and antique farm tractors…
Johnny wanted to be McGuyver (the 1990s socially acceptable Jack-of-All-Trades) when he grew up which means, yes, he rocked the mullet for a few years. He’s got decades of fine art, engineering, and science training and education under his belt which strangely prepared him for restoring antique Lionel locomotives.
Currently pretending to be a biologist, when not working in his laboratories he is working on trains under supervision of three rescue pugs, a cat, two lizards, a dozen or so fish, a vast collection of rare houseplants, and one very, very, very patient wife. When not chained to a lab or work bench, Johnny enjoys solo trips to the desert in his Jeep, fishing, camping, and shooting sports.
Big Jack’s Trains of Nebraska is a Service-Connected Disabled Veteran Owned Small Business. All of Jack’s children served in the military. Don’t thank us for our service, it annoys the hell out of us. Make a donation to your local Disabled American Veterans Chapter instead!
Big Jack's Trains 