Early this year, we attended the Florida Garden Railroad Society Central Division's meeting at the home of Harry Halbert in Vero Beach, Florida. This was possible because my wife, Ann, and I have been staying in the Indian Harbour Beach, Florida area this winter season.
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Those are our two oldest granddaughters in the pool.
At the meeting, we met Fred Blodt, who invited us to visit his new railroad that he was in the process of building in Fort Pierce, Florida. He suggested that he would also take us to a really outstanding railroad near his home. Harry concurred that Fred was describing "some railroad". Since Harry had not visited either railroad he wanted to join us if we went. We talked again with Fred who then set up a time for us to visit both railroads.
Traveling south we first picked up Harry at his home and then continued on to Fred's house arriving at 4:00 in the afternoon. Fred's house was easy to find, because of a flagpole and large railroad crossing sign in the front yard.
Harry is on the right and Fred is on the left.
Fred's railroad is presently a single-track road with several passing and dead-end sidings. Fred is still working on most of the railroad, but he had the trains running when we arrived.
The track and switches are all LGB.
The rolling stock is clearly narrow-gauge,
except for his latest addition.
Fred was having some minor track connection problems and asked for advice on maintaining electrical connectivity. He has several unique structures, 
including some buildings built by his father.
The Lionel train set when Fred was a boy.
The most interesting feature of his railroad was the unique material he uses to form the retaining walls for the railroad.
Look for Fred at the East Coast Large Scale Train Show in April. He will be selling this unique product that is an interesting alternative to landscape timbers or railroad ties.
Harry took a last look at Fred's railroad.
Harry, Ann, Fred and I jumped back in our car for a short trip to visit the Jerry Pedersen's Poor Boy's Railroad just outside of Fort Pierce, Florida. I was completely unprepared for what I saw when we arrived.
Jerry has three separate railroads.
He has a steam road, with over 1500 feet of track that he started in 1988. He has a diesel railroad,
with over 1000 feet of track that is over 3 years old and a Circus railroad,
he built for his now four-year-old granddaughter, Hannah.
Jerry, shown here talking to Ann and Harry, started in HO years ago when he lived in a trailer. He built the layout for his young daughter and it filled the trailer. Jerry worked clearing land for citrus growers as a young man and now works for the county building roads. His wife, Carol bought him his first G gauge train and his cabinet-maker brother-in-law helped him begin the steam road.
When we arrived at Jerry and Carol's property, a sign warned us, "No Train Horns 10 p.m. - 6 a. m." There is also a sign lettered for the Poor Boy's Railroad and a railroad crossing sign. As we entered their backyard we were overwhelmed with the expanse of the railroads. We started with Hannah's Circus railroad.
Hannah tells Jerry that she wants to go out to her railroad by putting her hand out. She loves the Circus roller coaster.
Ferris wheel.
Trapeze set.
Jerry built these for her using Kleenex snap together material. The railroad is under cover to protect the Carousal.
The Big Top.
Other unique buildings.
The trains.
Hannah certainly has a unique gift from her grandpa.
We turned next to the diesel road, where Jerry's brother, Joram was busy cleaning the track by hand. The Pedersen's have an LGB track cleaning engine that they have used for four years, but because they had not run the railroad since Christmas and in Florida weather, that is long enough to require some hand work in addition to just running the engine.
The Pedersen's were assisted by a friend.
Gary Crusenberry, who was getting the steam railroad running while we visited the diesel road. Our visit was scheduled with only a couple of days warning, so the crew went out of their way to give us a good show.
One of the first things we noticed immediately was the "monorail".
Jerry wanted one after seeing the one at Disney. He and Joram figured out how to make one by using aluminum rods and roadbed.
After reading a railroad magazine article about using a similar arrangement. Jerry has a large collection of interesting engines.
Buildings too.
And bridges.
He built a church for his former pastor.
Who has retired, so that Rev. Harris would still have a church. He also built a castle.
Constructed with individual stones for his wife, Carol.
We moved on to the steam railroad and were surprised to see snow.
On the railroad, left over from Christmas. Jerry modeled another circus area on the steam railroad.
The steam railroad has many interesting features that can best be shown with the following pictures.
We ended the day as my battery pack ran down, preventing me from taking more pictures.
We checked out the power sources and captured one more shot of the wonderful railroads.
The "poor boys" open their railroad for ten days each Christmas (hence the snow). This past year, over 2000 people visited their railroads. Cars line up along two roads leading to Jerry's house and sometimes he spends his time just directing traffic. Jorum told of one little boy, who was so enthralled with the railroads, that his parents had to carry him out as he screamed in protest that he wanted to stay with the trains. Jerry also told Ann that as a young boy, he always wanted a train. Now he shares them with others who don't have trains of their own.
Jerry explained that he called the railroad the Poor Boy's Railroad, because he finds ways to construct most of his structures using inexpensive materials. He gets great pleasure in finding things at yard sales, garage sales and swap meets to use on his railroad. Jerry, Carol, Joram and Gary have one of the most unique and interesting railroads that I have ever seen. I am constantly amazed that there are railroads like this that many of us in the big train hobby have never heard of. If you are in the Fort Pierce area, be sure to look up Jerry and go to see his railroads. He has a website, www.logosresourcepages.org/pbrr that gives some information about his location and when he is open for Christmas. This is a must see railroad and I feel privileged to have been able to spend some time with Jerry and see a truly great garden railroad. As Ann said, as we drove away, "It may be called the Poor Boy's Rail Road, but it is really a hidden jewel.
The fun thing about big trains and outdoor railroading is that it is possible to enjoy both a railroad like Fred's that is just being started and a railroad like the Poor Boy's that has been around for over 12 years. The fun is in the trains and the wonderful people who run them.
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