Building the warmest model railway community in the world!

My name is Oscar, I’m 21 years old, and I’m the founder of Model Train Media.

My passion for trains started at a very young age!

Both of my grandfathers had model railways, and from the moment I first saw those miniature worlds come to life, I was fascinated by them. As a kid I already thought it was incredible.

My grandfather Klaas had a large Märklin H0 layout in his attic. I spent years there playing with the trains and watching them run around the layout for hours. For me, it felt like entering another world. That’s where the passion truly began.

My grandfather Ypo also played a big role in that passion growing even further. When I was younger, he would sometimes take me on the back of his bike to the railway crossing in Steenwijk just to watch the real trains pass by. I still remember standing there, waiting for the barriers to come down and seeing the trains rush past. Those moments stayed with me.

From childhood onwards, trains and model railways have always been part of my life.

As I got older, I spent countless hours watching videos, looking at photos of layouts online and talking with other enthusiasts across different platforms.

That’s where the idea for Model Train Media started.

At 21 years old, I decided to take the risk and start building the platform I personally wished existed a modern, dedicated community platform made specifically for model railway enthusiasts.

Not just another website.
Not just another forum.

But a real home for the hobby.

A place where people from all over the world can share their layouts, post progress updates, discover inspiration, join groups, connect with others who share the same interests and simply enjoy the hobby together in a positive environment.

From the very beginning, I had one clear mission:

To build the friendliest and warmest train community in the world.

That mission is more important to me than numbers, algorithms or trends.

I want Model Train Media to feel welcoming for everyone whether you are 20 years old building your first starter layout, or someone with 40 years of experience creating museum-quality railroads.

This hobby should bring people together.

And in a world where social media often feels negative, fast and disconnected, I believe there is room for something different. A platform built around passion, creativity, encouragement and genuine community.

Every new member who joins, every photo uploaded, every comment left on someone’s layout it all helps shape that vision.

What makes this journey even more special to me is that Model Train Media is still in its early stages. The platform is growing every single day, and seeing people from different countries already connecting through the app has honestly been incredible.

There is still so much more to come.

More features.
More creators.
More groups.
More inspiration.
More connections across continents.

But the heart of Model Train Media will always stay the same:

Creating one modern home for model railway enthusiasts worldwide, built by and for hobbyists!

And I’m incredibly grateful to everyone who is becoming part of this journey from the beginning.

Let’s build the friendliest and most welcoming train community in the world together.

Invite your train friends and help grow the community 🚂

One hobby
One community
Model Train Media