Model Railroad Bates Motel

Happy Halloween!

At the 2017 Tennessee State Fair, the Model Railroaders from the Tennessee Central setup their railroad display. They have a similar setup every year, but this was something I'd never noticed before: a replica Bates Motel with the creepy mansion on the hill. Look closely and Norman Bates is coming down the stairs.

Cookeville, TN Model Depot

The wonderfully preserved Tennessee Central Depot in Cookeville, TN has been converted into a museum. As soon as you walk in, there's a model train display replicating what Cookeville looked like back when the depot was in use.

Model Train Version of Nashville Landmarks: Woodmont Christian Church

For many years, Nashville had a Children's Museum on Second Ave. S. At the time, they had a large model train display which involved 1:48 O-scale trains rumbling around scaled replicas of local landmarks, such as Union Station, the L&C Tower and Woodmont Christian Church.

The Childrens' museum was relocated in 1974 to Fort Negley hill where it became the Cumberland Science Museum (and is now the Adventure Science Center). The model trains were not a part of the relocation and are now part of the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. These O Gauge buildings were built to scale using light wood, paper, cardboard, and glue by members of the Nashville Association of Model Engineers around 1955.

Model Train display inside the Jackson, TN Depot

The model train curator shows some of the display to a kid that was visiting the museum.

Model Train Version of Nashville Landmarks: L&C Tower

For many years, Nashville had a Children's Museum on Second Ave. S. At the time, they had a large model train display which involved 1:48 O-scale trains rumbling around scaled replicas of local landmarks, such as Union Station, the L&C Tower and Woodmont Christian Church.

The Children's museum was relocated in 1974 to Fort Negley hill where it became the Cumberland Science Museum (and is now the Adventure Science Center). The model trains were not a part of the relocation and are now part of the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. These O Gauge buildings were built to scale using light wood, paper, cardboard, and glue by members of the Nashville Association of Model Engineers around 1955.

Mid-South Live Steamers Caboose - Columbia, TN

Filling the void between the cost prohibitive joy of owning your own railroad and and the sad reality you can't ride your own HO-scale model trains comes Large Scale Outdoor Railroading. The people who do that around here are known as the Mid-South Live Steamers and they meet at a Columbia city park. This caboose marks the place. For this hobby, the park has laid out 7 1/2 inch track and various locomotive manufacturers produce miniatures that can pull one or dozens. For more info on this group:
www.midsouthlivesteamers.org/

Model Train Version of Nashville Landmarks: Union Station

For many years, Nashville had a Children's Museum on Second Ave. S. At the time, they had a large model train display which involved 1:48 O-scale trains rumbling around scaled replicas of local landmarks, such as Union Station, the L&C Tower and Woodmont Christian Church.

The Children's museum was relocated in 1974 to Fort Negley hill where it became the Cumberland Science Museum (and is now the Adventure Science Center). The model trains were not a part of the relocation and are now part of the Tennessee Central Railway Museum. These O Gauge buildings were built to scale using light wood, paper, cardboard, and glue by members of the Nashville Association of Model Engineers around 1955.

New Gallery - Cheekwood: Trains! Tennessee in G

Trains! Tennessee in G is an exhbit at Cheekwood Botanical Gardens in Nashville, TN running now through Dec. 2011.

The Trains! exhibit is a unique blending of model trains and some of Tennessee's most iconic locations. The Garden Train exhibit was designed by Paul Busse of Applied Imagination of Alexandria, KY.

Each of the buildings was designed using nature itself, such as sticks, twigs, tree bark, etc... The landscaping consists of over 2,500 tiny trees, shrubs and plants of over 250 varieties. There were seven different model trains running, a Southern Crescent passenger train, a Southern coal train, Chessie freight, Tweetsie Railroad, V&T RR, Thomas the Tank Engine and the Ladybug!





The rest of the set is available as an Extended Gallery.
See it here!