Miniature Steam Railways (MSR) was an American manufacturer that existed in the 1980s and early 1990s operated by Jim Wilson and Terry Shirley of Dallas, Texas. MSR’s operations were closely linked with the production of the SL range of 0-4-0 steam locomotives produced and sold by the UK company Mamod.

Once the Mamod SL1 steam loco became available in the US, good friends Jim and Terry, both being avid steam fans, wasted no time in procuring two Mamod loco’s for themselves. Like many new Mamod SL owners at the time, it did not take them long to realize that the locos needed "tweaking" and some minor adjustments making to them before they would run properly. Jim and Terry successfully “Mamod-bashed” and “Mamodified” both of their new engines in order that they were able to run well and to haul respectable trains.

So begins the story of Miniature Steam Railways and a desire to produce an American-style steam railway system similar to that of Mamod in Britain. The resultant commercial product that was marketed as an American 0-4-0 Plantation Locomotive, utilized the boiler and some of the running gear of the British built Mamod loco but little else.

This short book sets out a brief history of MSR, the Plantation style loco commercially sold, as well as other models and rolling stock developed by Jim and Terry. It provides information on parts and takes a closer look at the reproduction MSR models produced by Peter Jones Loco Works (PJLW).