NGRC Atlanta Update 2

Here are some more pictures of the garden railroads I toured around Atlanta last week. These are from the Thursday tour, and we only made it to four railroads as a lot more driving was involved than Wednesday. But all four of these railroads were great and definitely worth the trip. Thursday also included a stop by Trainz.com for a tour of their facility which was fun.

Pick-N-Grin Railroad | Jesse and Kim Murrah | Sugar Hill, GA

Pick-N-Grin: This amazing railroad is built on, into and next to a natural rock outcropping, which strongly influenced how the train could be laid out. And while the setting may have been rural Georgia, seeing the Rock Island (a Chicago-based line in the Midwest) still seemed totally appropriate.

Pick-N-Grin: Because of the change in elevation, multiple curved trestles and bridges are required to keep the track at a relatively modest grade.

Pick-N-Grin: At one end, tight return loops are hidden behind a hillside and tunnels.

Pick-N-Grin: Not one but two streams run through it, with a lovely waterfall on one of them. I also really like these bridge piers—I'm now thinking I may want to incorporate stone into the piers on my railroad, rather than just using plain concrete.

Pick-N-Grin: Campers on vacation enjoy some live music.

Pick-N-Grin: And I really enjoyed this scene as well. The attention to detail here is amazing.

Frog Mountain Railroad | Dennis and Ellen Bass | Snellville, GA

Frog Mountain: Freight train passes a passenger train stopped at the depot.

Frog Mountain: A beautiful canyon cuts through the middle of the layout, with a road bridge overhead.

Frog Mountain: Not the most common location for a wedding. Is this a metaphor for taking a leap of faith?

Frog Mountain: They had a second, small train loop running next to the driveway with a watermelon train! The watermelons are hand painted pecans—another idea I'm going to have to borrow.

Mount Jefferson Garden Railway | Terry and Ginny Manning | Lilburn, GA

Mount Jefferson: I think my eyes wondered over this entire layout and I'm sure I missed things. There was an amazing amount of details layered in. The main feature was this wonderful zoo.

Mount Jefferson: And there was also an outdoor animal preserve that was encircled by a safari train. 

Mount Jefferson: Holsteins are always a nice addition to a garden railroad. So much detail for such a simple scene—the multiple cows, the fence, the windmill, the signage, the feed trough and water barrel, the old tractor, and even a dog house.

Mount Jefferson: This new addition on to town doesn't even have train service yet—but it will.

Mount Jefferson: I think this was my favorite of all the structures in town.

Mount Jefferson: And this backyard scene with quilts on the clothesline was perfect.

Flat Top & Mystic Valley Railroad | Joe and Debbie Fotschky | Duluth, GA

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: The more I looked around this railroad, the more I realized just how much work had gone into it. There is a very high focus on realistic detail, and an incredible amount of effort was spent building some of the features. To the right of the double-track railroad is a highway made from poured concrete. Some side roads were also concrete and others were gravel. Note the utility poles running along the railroad.

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: Here the rail line cross the road, with another crossing next to it for a short industry spur. Note the detail of the inset road crossings.

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: The layout runs the full length of the backyard, and the the layout progresses from a small town to a more rural setting to a mountainous setting. Here the train passes a farm. The horses are safely corralled, but the cattle seem to be free range.

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: The two tracks have independent tunnels, each with a different approach. While the wood trestle is very nice, the poured concrete viaduct is amazing.

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: Train emerging from the tunnel on the outside track.

Flap Top & Mystic Valley: Another fun scene, an off-leash dog park that somehow has far more dogs than people!