Update from the 34th National Garden Railway Convention

I've been in Atlanta this week at the National Garden Railway Convention and while I was originally hoping to post an update each day, I've been so busy that I haven't had a chance until today. In the past three days I visited 18 garden railroads in the Atlanta area and taken hundreds of pictures. Not to mention visits to museums, train clinics, shopping and some great dinners. And a truly fabulous performance by Joan Armatrading (which, while having nothing to do with trains, was the highlight of my time in Atlanta).

While I would love to do a feature post on every railroad I visited, time and practicality dictate that I abbreviate and consolidate. So to start, here are pictures from the eight railroads I visited on Wednesday.

LP & CL Railroad | Chris Haon | Marietta, GA

The first railroad I stopped at on Wednesday looked really familiar and then I realized I had seen a few videos of this railroad online, specifically Southern F-units pulling long trains. Here's a link to a sample video. This is a very fun an eclectic layout in a street-facing yard with three large loops, a side yard with a turntable, and a spur into the garage where the trains are stored. The railroad is about a dozen years old.

LP & CL: Turntable with train sheds.

LP & CL: Freight trains passing on a double track bridge.

LP & CL: Freights passing the passenger depot.

LP & CL: The mainlines pass under this Warren truss bridge, which supports the spur into the garage.

Kinzel Springs Railroad | Richard and Fredericka Garlinghouse | Marietta, GA

Kinzel Springs: I really enjoyed this icing facility, with a few reefers lined up for refilling.

Cedar Creek Railroad | Russ and Leslie Bundy | Marietta, GA

Cedar Creek: This railroad featured some very long trestles with two operating loops. While the railroad is built on a slope, the use of trestles keeps the track relatively level.

Cedar Creek: One of the two loops is in a figure eight and cross over itself.

Cedar Creek: A couple of F-units pulling a freight train.

Deck Town & Big Stump Railroad | Dave Bennett and Jaime Hernandez | Woodstock, GA

Dave runs Train Installations, LLC, a business that builds and installs model railroads of all gauges. So I wasn't surprised to see such a professional looking garden train in the yard. The railroad in a single track out-and-back with reversing loops on each end. And there was a second small logging railroad.

Deck Town & Big Stump: The spacious shop is in a barn-shaped structure with a cupola. So jealous.

Deck Town & Big Stump: There were a number of logging scenes along the railroad, including this sawmill.

Deck Town & Big Stump: I enjoyed this use of a stump as a viewing platform, and a log in the background as a logging camp.

Deck Town & Big Stump: I think my favorite feature was this burned out trestle in the background. They had recently replaced an aging trestle and rather than tossing the old one, it was burned to look like it had been destroyed by a fire, then moved to the background so it looked like an abandoned line.

Deck Town & Big Stump: A project underway in the shop is this beautiful historic model with working trains for a museum in Sarasota, Fla.

Grand Western Mining Company | James and Sally Bando | Woodstock, GA

Grand Western Mining Company: This railroad was built on a raised layout with live steam in mind, with multiple tracks allowing simultaneous train operation. Live steam engines could run around a completely level track, while battery powered locomotives could use a folded dogbone loop with some elevation change.

Grand Western Mining Company: The vignettes were mostly western and mining themed. 

Grand Western Mining Company: There were also indoor HO railroad layouts, including this great mining scene.

Just Damn and Southern | Steve Bohn | Canton, GA

Just Damn and Southern: The railroad passed around a large pond, a firepit and of course a big red barn.

Larry & Peggy Lewallen | Marietta, GA

Beautiful curved trestle leading to a bridge over a lower track. There are three loops altogether.

I really liked this natural stone tunnel on a curve.

Another view of the curved trestle, passing twice over another track, using two different bridge types.

Caroline's Point Railroad | Dave Booker | Kennesaw. GA

Caroline's Point: Last railroad visit of the day was the Caroline's Point Railroad, which features multiple bridges over a dry creek bed. At least it was dry when we were there.

Caroline's Point: 

Caroline's Point: There was also a big HO layout inside, featuring this big paper mill.

Caroline's Point: Another view along the HO layout, showing a wood chip transfer station. A truck is being lifted to unload wood chips, while empty high-sided wood chip hoppers are waiting on the siding.