Photo gallery of large-scale layouts at the 36th National Garden Railway Convention

Tennessee & Virginia Railroad

Chris Bamburg

This elevated railroad was designed to represent southeastern Virginia and Tennessee. It measures 20' x 50', runs on track power, and is a folded dogbone design. The layout has about 15 buildings and some plants, and was designed to be easy to maintain.

Small Town USA indoor layout

This layout is an 18x20 foot layout inspired by a 1960s small town, similar to what you would have found throughout the USA. Hundreds of vehicles, figures, and lights show tons of details throughout the layout. Street lights are all working traffic lights, and many areas have sound effects with built in push-buttons. Five bridges and plenty of buildings show tons of detail. Numerous settings/scenes throughout including a classic car show, a band playing at the park, mechanics working at the shop, a stubborn Southern Baptist church, and plenty of other creative ideas. Of course, you will also be surprised by the disappearing tunnel. This layout has 150 feet of brass track and uses DCC.

Small Town USA indoor layout

This layout is an 18x20 foot layout inspired by a 1960s small town, similar to what you would have found throughout the USA. Hundreds of vehicles, figures, and lights show tons of details throughout the layout. Street lights are all working traffic lights, and many areas have sound effects with built in push-buttons. Five bridges and plenty of buildings show tons of detail. Numerous settings/scenes throughout including a classic car show, a band playing at the park, mechanics working at the shop, a stubborn Southern Baptist church, and plenty of other creative ideas. Of course, you will also be surprised by the disappearing tunnel. This layout has 150 feet of brass track and uses DCC.

Small Town USA indoor layout

This layout is an 18x20 foot layout inspired by a 1960s small town, similar to what you would have found throughout the USA. Hundreds of vehicles, figures, and lights show tons of details throughout the layout. Street lights are all working traffic lights, and many areas have sound effects with built in push-buttons. Five bridges and plenty of buildings show tons of detail. Numerous settings/scenes throughout including a classic car show, a band playing at the park, mechanics working at the shop, a stubborn Southern Baptist church, and plenty of other creative ideas. Of course, you will also be surprised by the disappearing tunnel. This layout has 150 feet of brass track and uses DCC.

Nashville Chattanooga Garden Railroad

Ken Miller

This layout is a freelance design, with more than 1,800 feet of track, and growing larger before the convention! The railroad runs steam, live steam, and diesel locomotives, and has more than 60 buildings. The NCGR blends elevated and surface track to showcase the best of both options. Numerous trees dot the landscape and flashing signals mark crossings. There are also bridges and a turntable, and a siding runs trains into a shed for storage.

Nashville Chattanooga Garden Railroad

Ken Miller

This layout is a freelance design, with more than 1,800 feet of track, and growing larger before the convention! The railroad runs steam, live steam, and diesel locomotives, and has more than 60 buildings. The NCGR blends elevated and surface track to showcase the best of both options. Numerous trees dot the landscape and flashing signals mark crossings. There are also bridges and a turntable, and a siding runs trains into a shed for storage.

Kenwick Division of the NC&StL

The layout is based on the NC&StL in Cowan, TN – from the late 50’s. Cowan station and a Plymouth dealership, among others were created. The layout has a fish pond and waterfall and uses a mix of steam and diesel engines from the 1950’s. This layout is roughly 50x50 feet of track at present, and uses DCC power.There are many PIKO, POLA, and Aristo-Craft buildings, as well as some scratch-built items to help represent a real-life town. The layout has 3 lines, but is mostly a single main line using approximately 300 feet of track.

J2A Railroad

Steve & Malinda Jungst

This track-powered line has an agricultural theme with a loop design and features 7- and 24-foot-long trestles. Most trains run behind modern diesels. Steve has scratchbuilt numerous structures and planted at least 50 varieties of foliage and groundcover on the line.

J2A Railroad

Steve & Malinda Jungst

This track-powered line has an agricultural theme with a loop design and features 7- and 24-foot-long trestles. Most trains run behind modern diesels. Steve has scratchbuilt numerous structures and planted at least 50 varieties of foliage and groundcover on the line.

J2A Railroad

Steve & Malinda Jungst

This track-powered line has an agricultural theme with a loop design and features 7- and 24-foot-long trestles. Most trains run behind modern diesels. Steve has scratchbuilt numerous structures and planted at least 50 varieties of foliage and groundcover on the line.

Fisher unnamed garden railroad in Nashville area

Fisher unnamed layouts

Two layouts are at this location! One outdoor large-scale, one indoor O-Scale. These layouts will only be accessible via bus tours. There will be no listing of this address in the convention book.

The outdoor large-scale layout uses DC track power and is roughly 25x55 feet in size. This layout has numerous hand-carved rock tunnel portals and the rock layout/bed retaining wall, made without mortar in the old-fashioned tradition by a stone mason/craftsman flow in from Europe. This layout is designed for low maintenance and has numerous decade old trees carefully manicured. Numerous hand built trestles and tunnels give you a great view of trains from all angles.

Fisher unnamed layouts

Two layouts are at this location! One outdoor large-scale, one indoor O-Scale. These layouts will only be accessible via bus tours. There will be no listing of this address in the convention book.

The indoor layout is a fantastic O-Scale layout housing almost the entire basement level of the home. Multiple home additions were made to house this layout, including a special multiple trip project for the power company to build the infrastructure needed! Thousands of building lights and tons of time and effort went in to every detail of this layout. Hundreds, If not a thousand, of buildings were placed on this layout with numerous special figures, characters, and some one-of-a-kind locos as well. Scratch built buildings are the norm. Numerous interior and lighting details make this layout a spectacular must-see.

Fisher unnamed layouts

Two layouts are at this location! One outdoor large-scale, one indoor O-Scale. These layouts will only be accessible via bus tours. There will be no listing of this address in the convention book.

The indoor layout is a fantastic O-Scale layout housing almost the entire basement level of the home. Multiple home additions were made to house this layout, including a special multiple trip project for the power company to build the infrastructure needed! Thousands of building lights and tons of time and effort went in to every detail of this layout. Hundreds, If not a thousand, of buildings were placed on this layout with numerous special figures, characters, and some one-of-a-kind locos as well. Scratch built buildings are the norm. Numerous interior and lighting details make this layout a spectacular must-see.

Evergreen Falls

Carter & Patsy Johnson

This new railroad is the most recent in the club. The railroad measures 10' x 60' feet with 140 feet of track, plants, and a water feature. Numerous buildings and figures will be on the railroad as well as a 10' tunnel and a 7' bridge. Be sure to visit “Small Town USA,” Carter’s indoor large-scale layout inspired by a 1960s-era small town.

Colorado Memory

Bill & Bettye Heald

This railroad represents Colorado narrow gauge railroads of the 1880s-1930s. Many small towns and a trestle grace this railroad that uses track power on its 50' x 50' footprint. Don’t miss the scratchbuilt structures, stations, and the bridge.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ RailRoad

Tyler & Angela Black

This railroad currently has more than 1,500 feet of track that will grow to more than 2,000 feet by convention time. It features an elevated line using battery and track power. The railroad includes a pond, fish, and plenty of structures, both scratchbuilt and kit-built. There are two main lines and two bridges on this sprawling railroad.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ RailRoad

Tyler & Angela Black

This railroad currently has more than 1,500 feet of track that will grow to more than 2,000 feet by convention time. It features an elevated line using battery and track power. The railroad includes a pond, fish, and plenty of structures, both scratchbuilt and kit-built. There are two main lines and two bridges on this sprawling railroad.

Ain’t Misbehavin’ RailRoad

Tyler & Angela Black

This railroad currently has more than 1,500 feet of track that will grow to more than 2,000 feet by convention time. It features an elevated line using battery and track power. The railroad includes a pond, fish, and plenty of structures, both scratchbuilt and kit-built. There are two main lines and two bridges on this sprawling railroad.