Michigan Garden Railways Are Popular With Children Of All Ages
In Michigan, garden railways are an increasingly popular hobby that combines a love
of gardening or landscaping with the joys of working in scale model railways. It's a hobby that is becoming increasingly popular around the country, but is particularly popular in Michigan, where there are hundreds of at-home garden railway hobbyists as well as dozens of Michigan garden railways open to the public in botanical gardens, at historic sites and even in zoos. Each year, more of these fascinating railways are combining the beauty of the outdoors with scale model railways that range from storybook fantasies to authentic, historically accurate recreations.Michigan garden railways are constructed using special model train components that are weatherproof and on a larger scale than your standard indoor model trains. These have been popular for decades in England but have only become popular in the United States during the 1960's. They are usually referred to as G scale railways, and are at a 1:22.5 scale so that they are large enough to be easily maneuvered and worked with but small enough to retain the charm of miniatures. The larger scale also means you can set up your Michigan garden railway in your back yard or garden and have it actually wind its way through real plants, flowers and rocks without being swallowed up.
Some of the most popular Michigan garden railways are designed, installed and maintained by historical homes and gardens throughout the state. One of the most unusual locations is Castle Farms, where an historic castle and gardens feature two separate garden railways. One features the history of the nearby town of Charlevoix; showing various scenes of the town from the 1890's through the 1950's. A full-scale castle bridge over the railway allows visitors a bird's eye view in addition to the ground level view. Another railway runs through a garden maze and has a fantasy theme.
Fernwood Railway Garden is another popular Michigan garden railway that is a popular spot for families. Each year a different theme is chosen, which features reproductions of popular buildings in the area. At Fernwood, trains run at four different levels to add an interesting perspective.
Organizations like the Southwestern Michigan Garden Railway Club keep interest in garden railway installations high by providing a place for members to exchange news, information and design and maintenance tips as well as simply enjoying a common interest. There are several other scale model railroad clubs that were founded primarily for indoor railroad enthusiasts, but which have now begun to branch out into the outdoor railways as more and more of their members have begun to explore garden railways.
For many families in Michigan, garden railways are a shared passion. Parents and kids can bond while constructing their own personal kingdoms in their own backyard. Garden enthusiasts can create beautiful landscaping while someone who is more mechanically minded may focus on construction of moving features. The artistic family members work on designing a stunning layout and picking out the various scale models used to create towns and villages. There's something for everyone to love with this year round hobby.
If you'd like to learn more about garden railways, start by visiting some of the Michigan garden railways near you, such as the ones at Castle Farms. You and your family can spend an afternoon enjoying the blend of natural plants and water features with the amazingly detailed and lifelike craftsmanship of the model trains and town. You may be so fascinated that you'll want to install your own Michigan garden railway in your garden or backyard.
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