De Kalb is a town in and the county seat of Kemper County, Mississippi. De Kalb is named after General Johann de Kalb, a Franconian-French military officer who served as a major general in the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War.
De Kalb is located in central Kemper County between Shuqualak to the north, Philadelphia to the west, Scooba to the east and Meridian to the south. And if you happen to find yourself anywhere near De Kalb, MS, you should give Jim Hobgood a call and arrange for a tour of the De Kalb Regional Model Railroad Museum.
Photo Courtesy Of The Meridian Star
Hobgood has been fascinated by trains since he was a child watching trains go by his childhood home. Not content to watch trains go by, Jim determined he would ride some trains and its became a life long travel passion that he enjoys to this day.
Toy trains have also fascinated him and over the years he has amassed quite a collection of model trains, train paraphernalia and train related historical items. At some point, he decided to create his own museum to share his enjoyment of trains with the public and so in the heart of De Kalb sits the De Kalb Regional Model Train Museum.
Jim once served as the Mayor of Marion, MS, he’s been a state representative and he worked for the State of Mississippi in other capacities, but in his retirement, he decided to indulge his love of trains both full size and miniature. “It’s still a work in progress,” Hobgood said. “It is not finished by any means. I like trains and sharing with others. It’s a labor of love.”
The museum is located on 299 Main St. in DeKalb. You can schedule an individual or group tour by calling Jim Hobgood at (601) 938-1729.
Hey Jim, I work at the Cleveland, MS. railroad museum. If you are up this way, please stop by and say hello. How large a layout have you built? Is there a good bit of room to build in the building?