Oregon hobbyist Ed St. John’s backyard railway attracted volunteers, laying the foundations for a remarkable miniature railroad.
A railway built around history
Train Mountain is far removed from the idea of a garden railway: its 32 miles of 7.5-inch-gauge track wind across 2,200 acres, creating what the Guinness Book of World Records recognises as the world’s longest rideable miniature hobby railway, according to the official website. Nearly 100 trains arrived for that event, revealing the potential of Train Mountain as a destination for railway enthusiasts. What began as one man’s backyard hobby in Southern Oregon has grown into a sprawling railway landscape where tiny trains travel through thousands of acres. Scroll down to read its history and what makes it a rare one. Breen eventually developed the idea of making the gathering a recurring event, leading to the Train Mountain Triennial. The experience combines the intimacy of a hobby railway with the scale of a major rail museum, turning an enthusiast’s backyard experiment into a destination built around the history, mechanics and culture of railroading, adds the website data. Meanwhile, the Klamath & Western Railroad continues to operate on the original loop created by St. John. During summer Saturdays, it carries on the tradition of offering public rides and operates a small lunch stand.