Paul Busse adds a finishing touch of sparkle snow to the Huntington National Bank Lobby Railroad in Columbus, Ohio.

The details. Things like an animal face on the front of a building. Or leaves used to make shingles on a house. Or twigs and vines used to make a clock on the front of a tower. The members of Paul’s crew are really artists as much as builders. Most buildings start from a picture, and the crew try to find items that look like (or can be made to look like) the items in the picture.

It’s almost impossible to describe, except that it’s a postcard come to life. As in all Bavarian villages, the buildings are very close together; using Paul’s (I hope) trademarked technique of natural materials as building components. And lots and lots of trees! (Trying to count trees here is like trying to count the jelly beans in a large pickle jar.) Ok, they’re pretend trees, but what a treat to the eyes!

Sometimes the hardest part of this job is declaring the work done, and leaving for home. It’s especially true when the railroad is in another city, since you can’t easily go back and take another look. That’s not true for two railroads in Dayton.

Looking down the cog line towards the roundhouse on the Kettering Tower Lobby Railroad. The roundhouse and a couple more buildings will be back in the shop after the 2003 holiday season to get freshened up for next year.

A great part of the Kettering Tower Lobby Railroad is that it is visible from both inside the lobby and from the street, so passersby can see it. (The Huntington Bank lobby is well inside the building, and you have to know it’s there. They do put up a real railroad crossbuck ­ with flashing lights and all - and some signs, so it’s not really hidden.)

There is no charge to visit this railroad, from inside the lobby (8am ­ 4pm, Monday through Friday) or to those who see it from outside.

The Webster Street Market Garden Railroad has a holiday train running while construction of the new higher raised track continues. The grand re-opening for the 2003 holiday season is December 6th. (By the way, the bridge is for sale - $200 plus shipping for a 10 foot bridge.)

Though it is a permanent railroad, it gets decorated for each holiday during the year. It was created in two weeks just prior to the holiday season last year. It is currently being expanded for this holiday season. It’s advertiser sponsored, and we sell space on the g-scale billboards to help offset expenses (like two new power supplies this year, and a replacement LGB engine block.) Sponsors also get a mention in our brochure, and the overhead sign at the railroad.

Though it is pretty small (by g-scale standards) at 15 feet square, I’ve packed in 2 loops of track, and a point to point trolley line. Many of the buildings are ceramic (which were donated by Marti and Rick Foster ­ members of the MVGRS who live in Columbus,) but a few have come from Big Lots.

There is also a billboard for LSOL, and a PT Cruiser from LSOL. Because of the advertiser support, there is no charge, but we have been accepting donations.

One of the many children who watched the 2001 version of the Phipps Conservatory Railroad tries to get a closer look.

There are four trains on three tracks, and includes an interactive ore car at the mine.

Get pricing and more info at www.phipps.conservatory.org.

One of 10 trains at the New York Botanical Garden runs by Paul Busse's interpretation of the Grand Central Terminal.

People have been enjoying the railroads in the conservatory of the New York Botanical Garden for over 10 years, and for good reason.

With 5 trains in the conservatory itself, and 5 more in the walkway between the conservatory and the rain forest, it’s a magnificent train display.

Highlights are the landmark buildings that most of us are familiar with: the Empire State Building, the Chrysler building, the Flat Iron building, and the UN building. There are many, many more too. There are more than 80 buildings that Paul Busse’s crew created using natural outer material (on a hardened foam core,) and they are a New York City history lesson as well as fun to look at.

The NYBG version of the Hell Gate bridge looms large over the visitors. How many never look up hasn't been measured.

And the Statue of Liberty in the giant pond is a sight to behold. No picture can portray the majesty of this sight. It was ironic that the Statue of Liberty was added in 2001, just after the attacks of 9-11.

For more info on pricing and hours, see www.nybg.org.

The Franklin Institute & Science Museum provides a terrific environment for a holiday railroad. This scene represents the bridge between Camden New Jersey and Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

It is located in the lobby area, so those who are getting tickets can enjoy the trains. Those who ride the balancing bicycle can see the view from overhead, and as you walk into and out of the IMAX theatre you can get different views of this special treat.

Paul Busse says that the railroad’s unique buildings (painted foam panels of local buildings) were done that way because Franklin Institute called him in September (of 2001) for a display during the 2001 holiday season. This railroad was created in 4 sections to facilitate easier setup, tear down, and storage.

It’s a lot of fun to watch the trolley traverse the large blue suspension bridge between ‘Camden’ and ‘Philadelphia.’ The water is made from a bolt of beautiful blue fabric, and you can almost see the waves in the river.

Info on pricing and hours is at www.franklin.edu.

Morris Arboretum at night during the holidays are truly a magical place.

Created by Paul Busse, and well maintained by the staff of the Morris Arboretum, there are plenty of trains to watch, including a holiday train that goes right over your head!

The detailed holiday decorations (added with lots of care by the staff at Morris) add a lot to the charm of this attraction. Unsure at first whether it would be worth all the work, they found that more than 8,000 people came to see it the first year!

Info on pricing and hours is at www.upenn.edu/arboretum.

One of many detailed scenes at the Franklin Park Garden Railroad in June of 2003. This became the Franklin Park Holiday Garden Railway Exhibition on November 28th.

Created in 2002 by the members of the Columbus Garden Railway Society, this railroad has gotten better and better each year.

Originally conceived as a way to boost sagging attendance, the railway (with 5 loops of tracks outside and a trolley track on the windowsill inside the hallway,) was so successful that it has expanded the number and quality of buildings each year.

For the 2003 summer season, to celebrate Ohio’s Bicentennial, many new buildings were built, including a barn with the Ohio Bicentennial logo on it, a large pond complete with a big fishing pier, a frontier village and more.

Because the railway is located in the courtyard, it is wise to dress appropriately for this holiday version, since you will be going outside to see it. This means that the railroad could be snow covered, too!

The Franklin Park railway was also the big test for Bill Logan’s new track laying method, and has been a great proving ground. If you haven’t heard about it, he came up with the idea of using 2’ x 4’ x 8’ sections of plastic wood, with 2 3/4" strips cut from each side, and the middle being used for posts and holders. The result is a very flexible roadbed, which can be used standalone (as on portions of the upper track at Franklin Park,) or hidden under mulch or ballast they way they are on the rest of the tracks at Franklin Park.

So far, the results are very promising for Bill, and that’s great for all of us who lay track!

Info on pricing and hours is at www.fpconservatory.org.

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Also in Ohio is the Trains, Trees and Holiday Traditions display at the Crawford Auto-Aviation Museum in Cleveland.

Borrowing a sentence or two from the Western Reserve Historical Society’s web site (wrhs.org,) here are a few highlights:

"Climb aboard a child-size train display plus view many more model trains dressed up for the holidays. This year the Crawford Holiday Train display will feature five different G-scale trains running through a snow-covered wonderland, including outdoor skiers, a village scene, and an amusement park!"

"The display is once again the work of the Northern Ohio Garden Railway Society (nogrs.com) of Cleveland. Added to the 2003 display will be a whole new section of O-gauge (Lionel) sized trains called the Trains of Cleveland. These model trains represent all the railroads that ran through Cleveland in the years just after WWII. These Trains of Cleveland will be running around and through a historic, 6-foot wooden model of the Terminal Tower, Cleveland's most famous railroad station."

I have this one on my agenda for 2003! Look for it in Holiday Garden Railroads Vol 2.

Info on pricing and hours is at www.wrhs.org

I hope this gives you ideas for your railroad this holiday season. Perhaps you might get together with your local garden railway society (or other bunch of friends,) and create your own holiday garden railroad.

If you do, or if you know of one near you, let me know about it.

Happy Holidays, and keep on trainin’!

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