The Western Depot is a family business that was created in 1977 by Lieutenant Colonel Bob McBratney. Bob began The Western Depot shortly after retiring from the Air Force, where he started as an E1 level basic airman with a high school education and finished as a Lieutenant Colonel. Needless to say, being idle was not in the cards for Bob and retirement didnt suit him. He turned his love of toy trains into a thriving business that has become one of the biggest toy train hobby shops west of the Mississippi.Today, The Western Depot is operated by three generations of the McBratney family and two knowledgeable and talented associates who have been with the company since 1989 and 1998. The online store was created in-house, and is run on an in-house server so you are never interrupted while you shop. All of our merchandise is located on the premises and we maintain our warehouse ourselves. Because of this, our website is constantly updated and will only show you what we have in stock, right now.When you speak to any one of us in our store or on the phone, we will be able to get you the answers to your questions and help you find what youre looking for. We are here to serve our local customers and our customers around the world. We look forward to hearing from you!