Please enjoy our Club Members' Railroads shared with us over the years. 

Lakeview and Boulder Railroad

Engineers: Jeff and Dianne Lange
Power: Track, Battery, Steam

The newly rebuilt Lake View and Boulder Railway in the NW neighborhood of Vancouver, Washington, has just that; a good view of Vancouver Lake and the railroad is surrounded by small boulders. It is made up of approximately 800 feet of single mainline track with sidings. The mainline is built around the perimeter of a large back yard just inside of a large privacy fence and adjoining arborvitae hedge. The south end of the layout crosses three steel bridges as it begins a long 3% climb up to the summit along the southern property line. It then returns back down a steep grade to the lower, level portions of the layout. At normal speeds, it takes almost 3 minutes for the trains to make a complete circuit. As many as 4 to 5 trains can run at the same time, providing that many operators are on duty. The layout is track, battery and steam powered. The owners enjoy running long mainline diesel freight and passenger trains, but also have a large collection of steam engines which run alongside their more recent counterparts from time to time. The 5 operating indoor layouts in the owner’s shop represent all scales, from the smaller Z, to the largest of the scales, including N, HO, O, and G scales.

Handicapped accessible.

Lazenby Backyard Railroad

Hosts: Scott & Sandy Lazenby
Power: Battery with radio control

This 300-foot figure-eight railroad traverses a fairly steep backyard, which provided some engineering challenges, as well as a natural setting for a waterfall, and a good excuse for some trestles and bridges. The narrow gauge railroad represents the era when Oregon’s forests were being leveled in wild abandon; the train (including a portable sawmill) is pulled by a Shay locomotive that is very similar to the full-scale one parked at the Oregon Zoo.

In addition to carrying 1:20 scale logs (i.e., sticks), the railroad transports goods (maple seeds and dog treats) for the local populace (squirrels and a Corgi), and occasionally provides service for passengers (baby spiders, mostly). A village is under construction; Sandy started with a kit for a station, but then decided to design and scratch build replicas of the historic homes in the surrounding neighborhood. A broken arm (skiing) and a new grandchild have slowed construction. The landscaping has, however, earned a “Backyard Habitat” Gold certificate for its collection of native plants.

Not handicapped accessible

Leupold Garten Bahn

Owner: Werner Leupold

Our lay-out consists of 5 raised garden beds or islands, connected by bridges. One island is home to Hotel Leupold and the Serenity Garden. A small village and main train station are on another island. One island has rustic rental cabins as well as a tourist train ride — der Schwanzug. Wild Platz is home to dinosaurs and dragons. Our newest island is Weinacht Welt with Christmas displays and a trolley.
The time period of the lay-out is now and is located in a small part of Germany. It is a mixture of realism and whimsey. Some figures are human and some are not. Most trains are LGB and are track powered.

Due to lawn and uneven ground, our lay-out is not handicap accessible. A restroom is available.

Lone Pine and Western Railroad

See the 2015 Summer Tour Garden Time newsclip for this railroad at https://www.youtube.com/embed/QR2umQL60ss.

Engineer: Tom Gaps
Scale: 1:20.3 (Fn3)
Power: Battery and steam

This layout was featured in the June 2014 issue of Garden Railways Magazine. The town of Lone Pine is a mythical crew change point on the transcontinental railroad. In the late 1800s gold was discovered in the near by Lone Pine Mountains. A branch line needed to be quickly built into the mountains to service the newly established mines. This branch line initially achieves a water level grade by following the Clear Water River into the mountains. At Headache Falls, the railroad diverts from following the river but the surveyors were able to maintain the same 1% grade into the mountains by blasting a series of tunnels. Due to the rugged nature of the mountains, this branch line is limited to single track operations with occasional, short passing sidings. The town of Half Way is located part way up the mountain. It consists of a small switching yard, a freight company, and a small wood products manufacturing business, all of which help to provide additional revenue for the branch line. Continuing on past Halfway, the branch line again follows the upper reaches of the Clear Water River for a short distance before again diverting to follow a canyon further into the mountains and more tunnels. The line eventually arrives at Summit Station, located near the gold mines. A small yard was built near Summit at Windy Ridge to turn the trains around for the trip back to the town of Lone Pine.

Here’s some interesting specifications regarding the construction of this layout you might find handy.

Handicapped accessible.

MRT&T Railroad

Engineers: TJ and Renee Meyer
Power: Track

The MRT&T was established in 2013 and services the McCully/Powell National Forest, the small community of Rocky Top USA, and the restored gold rush town of Canyon City.
Rocky Top is nestled in the mountains of the Pacific Northwest. At an elevation of 4516 feet, it is well known for its skiing and timber exports. It is summer 1959 and a typical day in the lives of the Rocky Top people. Located a short distance to the East is the gold rush town of Canyon City and since its restoration Canyon City has become a very popular tourist attraction that draws visitors throughout the region. Tourists are transported from Rocky Top to Canyon City by rail where horseback riding, rodeos and wild west shows keep the visitors entertained.
Construction for the MRT&T railroad began in February 2013 and consists of approximately 480 feet of brass track mounted on 2x6 lumber. The forest and logging extension was added in 2016 and is approximately 390 feet of brass track and a 60-foot fast flowing river. Mt. Rocky Top is constructed from twenty- four 4′x8′ two-inch pieces of styrofoam and supports approximately 650 trees.
Track-powered trains are controlled from a central location while the battery- powered trains are remote controlled. The dispatcher handles route assignment and switch settings.

Very limited handicapped accessibility.

Nebraska Oregon Railroad

Chief Engineer: Mike Fisher
CFO: Randi Fisher
Power: Track

The Nebraska Oregon Railroad is a representation of the 1930s. At one end of the above-ground layout is the town of Huskerville, Nebraska, which is a small town near Lincoln. At the other end is the small town of Bates, which was a mill town at the end of the Sumpter Valley Railroad in Eastern Oregon. The name of the railroad was picked as these two places meant something to the owners. Mike was born in Nebraska, and Randi was born and raised in Eastern Oregon.
This line was started in 2016, but has been the dream of the owner for much longer than that. We wanted a layout that could show that a small intimate layout can be as much fun as a large one. A few buildings have been added and landscaping done since the tour last year.
Most all of the buildings have been designed and built by the Chief Engineer, Mike Fisher, with the landscaping projects being the design of the CFO, Randi Fisher. The railroad is still in the “construction” mode but we want visitors to see our love for the hobby of Garden Railroading. It is dedicated to having a great time and enjoying the fun the Nebraska Oregon Railroad has to offer.

Handicapped accessible.