In the News
It's Open House Season
Jul 28, 2004
By Richard Jones |
Author
Bio
A blast of the train whistle sounded at one o'clock, signaling the people waiting on the street that the trains were running.
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All Aboard!! I have an open house annually. Started out doing it on G Day, but this year postponed our observance of G Day until now, because one of the clubs I belong to (Cedar Valley Garden Railroad Society) was having a tour of layouts on Saturday, so we were open both days. A blast of the train whistle sounded at one o'clock, signaling the people waiting on the street that the trains were running. Along the gravel pathway they followed the sign designating "To the Trains", 
rushing past windblown railroad flags to their destination - the local garden railway, the Lake George and Boulder Division of the BGN&ATSF RR. (Birds, GardeNs, & A Terrified Squirrel Fleeing RR) in Iowa City, Iowa.
Trains were up and running - the smell of the coal smoke spewing from their locomotives. The locomotives of the L.G.& B were chugging along the rail beds headed for a grand tour. Sights viewed throughout Lake George, Boulder, 
and the surrounding area filled the senses...an Indian village tucked away in the pine trees by the dry bed creek, 
an operating drive-in movie theater, 
the campground, the little Welsh church on the hill and its neighboring Welsh Pioneer cemetery. On the other side, after crossing the suspension bridge over the pond, 
and passing the mill on the stream leading to the pond, we discover the hobo camp, John & Ada's Midtown Family Restaurant, in a converted railroad dining car. Also in Lake George 
we have the City Park and Beck's Brewery.
Behind the scenes, I brought the visuals to life by the press of a button on the laptop controlling the trains and turnouts, 
sending the trains on different routes along the 650+ feet of track. Visiting ladies and gentlemen from California, Minnesota, Arizona, Illinois, New Mexico, Wisconsin, Iowa City, Iowa, Cedar Rapids, Iowa and numerous other towns in Iowa brought their families and children. OOOH'S and AAAH'S, much reminiscing and sharing of "how to begin" or "adding to" garden railroad layouts were just a part of the conversations throughout the tour as people walked about the area exchanging ideas and talking about railroad life experiences. People headed for the resting spot over the wooden bridge to the gazebo where a TV was showing the railroad mini-cam view from the Lake George and Boulder passenger train. Mounted on the "special tour" train, 
the camera pointed toward the front of the train and was supplying the swaying, jerky virtual feel of a train ride as it rambled along the rails. The only life size feature was the railroad crossing signal sitting in the garden backdrop, reminding you of man's once greatest feat, that of laying the immense track across America during our Industrial Period. Iowa City, once being the hub connected the East to the vast Western Plains and beyond. People left "feeling the experience of the railroad passenger of bygone days and so very glad that it was and still is very much a part of our lives no matter what scale we see it from". Top of Page
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