About Riding Railkits Inc.

The Iron Pony

In 1993, I purchased my first GP-9 diesels, 4 steel gondolas, and track from The Iron Pony which was a company run by Joe Devlin in Los Angeles. My fantasy was to use the train to actually haul the sand, track and other materials to install a miniature railway on our property. The engines and cars have had a lot of use over the past 15 years, and they have run without fail. I now have over 1/4 mile of track and roadbed installed, all carried by the trains and am planning more. I found Joe's products irresistible over the years, and continued to add to the roster. My own riding railway winds 1/4 of a mile through the forest on our property. Have a look at our Gallery for photos of my setup and others.

Becoming RRK

In 2000, we purchased the Iron Pony, and changed the name to Riding Railkits. We set out to have kits ready to be shipped next day, and to expand the line. Today, that goal has been accomplished. With Joe still doing the designs, we now have an economical starter locomotive that can pull 800 lbs on a level surface, pre-fab track that is easy to put together and install, and an expanding variety of freight and passenger kits, as well as the existing beautiful GP-9, F-7 locomotives and the exquisite Budd RDC self propelled passenger car. Paul Gauthier has recently joined the team; he assists with kit construction and customer service. We have just added the RS-3 locomotive that used to be manufactured by Britton Scale models, and hope to eventually develop a line of electric steam outline locomotives, powered by lead acid batteries.

If you call RRK, you will be speaking to Paul Gauthier . He has worked for us in other capacities since 1990, and I am sure you will enjoy his enthusiasm.

RRK in FBorFW!

I have the good fortune of being married to a cartoonist who is tolerant of my railroading hobby. In fact, model railroading makes appearances in her comic strip (For Better or For Worse) on a regular basis. Below is a recent example.

For more strips, you can visit the FBorFW website. You can also get stuff with a railroading theme at their online shop.