2019 National Garden Railway Convention - Update 4

Another round of pictures from various garden railroads I visited during the 2019 National Garden Railway Convention.

Lakeview & Boulder Railroad | Jeff & Dianne Lange | Vancouver, Wash.

I had visited this railroad before but it's grown a bit since I last saw it. There is an 800 dogbone style foot loop stretched around the perimeter of the yard, part of it at ground level, and part of it elevated. Additionally, they have multiple indoor railroad layouts in multiple scales.

This Santa Fe passenger train just starting its climb up the hill. Note the broad elevated curves in the background that will help the train ascend and then descend the slope with a grade of about 3%.

The key feature is this beautiful long steel bridge. I think this is styled after the Lewis and Clark Bridge at Longview. The fountain behind the bridge isn't exactly the Columbia River, but it's still a water feature!

The passenger train pauses at a station while a freight is waiting on the other side. Two trains were operating when we visited, but I imagine you could run four or five trains on this track simultaneously given its length.

The garage has been converted into a de facto model transportation museum. Trains in multiple scales, and slot cars too.

This signal would activate when a train passed on the track.

Serrano Creek Line | Jim and Linda Loudon | Vancouver, Wash.

This railroad features a continuous 550 foot loop that fills most of the backyard and wraps around the house with a loop in front facing the street. I had visited this railroad in June during the Father's Day weekend open house, but wanted to stop by again as we were passing so close by. The star feature is a gorgeous water feature which the railroad crosses on an arched steel span. The bubbling creek winds along the path through the yard and around the side of the house.

Overview of the backyard, but this photo doesn't do justice to the good design.

Span crossing the creek.

The trolley is running on a point-to-point track and automatically stops at stations along the route. Trestle in the foreground is part of the mainline track.

Another photo of the trolley as it passes a small Quonset hut. And could that be one of my favorite features, electrical transmission towers?

Chicago & Far Western Railroad | Jay & Bonnie Burke | Vancouver, Wash.

Nice painting along part of the fence created a perfect backdrop for this rustic house.

The mainline has a fair amount of elevation to climb, which necessitated this double-track helix.

Crooked River Railroad | Alan & Nola Olson | Vancouver, Wash.

I had visited this railroad a couple summers ago and definitely wanted to see it again. The area available for the railroad is limited but they have made the best of that space and packed an enormous number of details into it. There are so many scenes with so much for the eye to take in that you will only see a fraction of it on a visit. Looking back through these pictures and others, I'm amazed at how many well executed details there are that I didn't even notice when I was visiting.

The layout is in an area only 17 feet wide, bisected by a creek running through the middle to a small pond at the lowest elevation. Train crosses the creek on a covered bridge.

In the middle of the layout is a town with railroad facilities including this gallows turntable.

The mainline is on the left, curving around the pond. The elevated track at right is for ore car trains connecting a mine with a stamp mill.

And here is the same scene in reverse, with train at the bottom picking up a load of processed ore.

My favorite scene is this logging outfit. In the foreground is a lumber mill; up on the hill above the waterfall is a dragline logging operation providing logs for the mill.

Here is the same scene in reverse with the lumber mill in the background. Note all the stumps in the foreground from the logging operation.

And here is a closeup showing some of the lumberjacks posing for a photographer.

Thought has been put into every inch of this layout. Here the mainline gently curves around a group of cabins on a low trestle, ducking under a beautiful Japanese maple.

See that quilt hanging on a clotheline running between a tree and a windmill out behind the farmhouse? That's what I mean by attention to detail. 

High Cascades Railway | Bob & Ellie Hutton | Camas, Wash.

This railroad was interesting to visit as it is undergoing a major renovation and expansion. There are literally tons of rocks being moved and stacked. Track has been laid down in some areas, but there are clearly other paths where track will be laid in the future. This railroad has plenty of room to stretch out and grow, and I like the long gentle curves winding through the landscape.

2019 National Garden Railway Convention - Update 3

The 2019 National Garden Railway Convention is now history and several weeks behind us, but I still have plenty of pictures to share from the various railroads I visited. I'm still planning to post a few pictures from each of the garden railroads, even if it takes me until next year's convention to get it done!

Everett & Monte Cristo Railway | Terry Lattin | Edmonds, Wash.

This garden railroad is based on an actual railroad of the same name that was built between 1891 and 1894 to connect a gold and silver mining region at Monte Cristo to the port town of Everett.

This railroad is built on a very steep slope. In order to climb the significant change in elevation, extensive elevated track is used.

There are many beautiful structures along the route that lend to the 1890s theme. I really like this small town with wood plank road down the middle.

A long trestle crosses over a river, with a water powered mill in the background. An absolutely great use of how to take advantage of a steep slope.

This town is the lowest spot on the railroad, yet it's on a raised platform several feet off the ground. You can see in the background that the slope continues to drop away precipitously.

So many details! I really liked this little shed at the end of the trestle.

Phantom Lake Adventure Railroad | Norm & Gale Baullinger | Bellevue, Wash.

A train of mostly SP&S rolling stock crossing a beautiful curved trestle.

While Norm is responsible for the railroad, much of the credit for the beautiful garden goes to Gale. So much variety, and so many colors and textures.

The garden and train are amazingly well integrated. The track frequently disappears into the understory only to magically reappear somewhere else.

A beautiful station is nestled next to some small shrubs.

Hidden behind plants is the secret to the railroad layout -- three elevated loops that allow the train to manage the change in slope in the garden.

Pepper Run Railroad | Chuck & Sharon Carlson | Federal Way, Wash.

A lot going on and so much to look at. This railroad includes many different structure including one of my favorites—electric transmission towers!

This weathered covered bridge was perfectly situated over a creek.

An oil refinery. And more transmission towers!

I really like this tunnel entrance, and the stump behind it with a plant growing out of the top.

Gorgeous water powered mill.

Bismark & Hilldale Railroad | Ed & Rose Mattison | Tacoma, Wash.

This railroad navigates around a couple of ponds and a small waterfall.

My favorite feature on this railroad was the storage shed. And calling it a small shed isn't really fair as it's the size of train station, complete with a bay window. I really want one of these.

South Hill Railroad | Barry DiGuilio | Puyallup, Wash.

A train after my own heart! Multiple Burlington Northern locomotives are pulling a long mixed freight of mostly BN rolling stock. The setting for this railroad is the early 1970s shortly after the BN merger.

And what do I enjoy seeing even more than transmission towers? A grain elevator, of course.

A lot of time and energy clearly went into building this downtown block.