How did you name your garden railroad?

[Rene Schweitzer]

This one should be fun. Oh, and BTW folks, I will be out of the office most of next week for the holidays so I won't post a new poll on the 26th. Happy holidays to everyone!!

Rene

[BudSteinhoff]

My name is "Myakka Valley Railway" and has been formed from living next to the Myakka State park and the area I live in is called Myakka Valley ranches.

[vsmith]

Hello Rene, and Merry Christmas to all you up in the frozen north...To everyone else, As Gumby on Saturday Night Live said "Merrdy Christdmas Dammit!"[:p]

IT WAS 80 DEGREES HERE YESTERDAY!!!!!!!!!!![8D] Mull on that while you throw another tree on the fire! Our state economy is in the toilet, but the weathers GREAT!

How did the Borracho RR get its name? My RR was originally supposed to be in a garden area behind my garage, but the missus already had her Martha Stewart plans for that area and getting the boot even with a size 5 shoe still hurts![:D]

That was going to be a mining line called the FUBAR and SNAFU RR. Two terms that come from soldiers and sailors back as far as WWII, so I wont traslate them, useless you ask really, really nice! [;)]

That layout was going to consist of about 5 buildings, the two mines, a station, water tower, and a small shed to conceal control wires.

So now I'm looking to do more Finescale type layout in the garage.I kept the mine names from above but now I lookin at a small town and either a brewery or a distillery was to be part of the layout and I wanted something funny yet not out of character for the location, a border town. [:)]

I was watching the Tony Curtis, Jack Lemmon movie "The Great Race" and part of the story takes place in a brawling wild west town called "Borracho". Well the name hit me, and I decided then to call it the Borracho Railroad, and after a trip to Mexico where I got to see an old tequila distillery I came back with that as my name for the distillery. [:)]

For those who dont speak Spanish (I only pick up about 1 word out of 5) the word "borracho" means "drunkard or drunken" so the "drunkard" tequila distillery and the "drunken" railway was born. I just found the name Borracho too good to pass up. It sounds, theres a humorous sarchastic ring in the name and that appeals to me.[:o)]

Drinks are on me! Vic [:D]

[Anonymous]

I named mine (well, i think this is what I'll name it) the BRRR, or Blue River Railway based on the 30 foot stream that the mainline follows in both directions around its loop, and the fact that a logging line also is located near it and winds up along and then in front of the waterfall. I have no other ideas and the river was crystal clear at the time, but has since been enveloped in huge masses of string algee.

[Anonymous]

Well, mine started out around the Christmas tree, and the cats and dog were always causing problems with it. The cowcatcher was never meant to deal with some of the things that ended up in the vicinity of the track. When I moved outside, it seemed natural to call it the "Hairball and Dogdrool Railway"

[bman36]

Hi Rene,
Named mine after the kids. L D & C Mountainview RR. Laura, David and Christen. The "Mountainview" part refers to the Duck Mountains here in Manitoba. Next addition will be the "Pine Ridge Logging Co." Later eh...Brian.

[Anonymous]

Happy Holidays to All:

The Gnome Garden Railway was suggested by my wife after she brought home five twenty inch tall garden gnomes form a local discount store.

I was leaning toward a named based on our street/city/state/country but really couldn't glue anything together. I was going to use my last name but that wasn't working out to well either, not that I have an odd name or whatever, I just couldn't decide what to do.

I figured that her suggestion was pretty good and was something I could do to get her interested and "in the boat" with me on this garden railway thing. Sometimes you have to be a diplomat. Naming the railway wasn't really a big deal as far as I was concerned and was quite happy to have her interested in it.

If the railway expands to the areas of the yard where I want it to go, a name change might be in order and the exsisting railway would be renamed the Gnome Division.

That's my story and I'm sticking to it!!!

Pete

[Anonymous]

[:p] We ran with the name....."Southouse Inabode & Underwood" for almost ten years. The layout is on the SOUTH side of our house, part of the layout is inside our ABODE and part is UNDER a WOOD deck. Then we became bored with this name and changed it to "Dutch Valley Narrow Gauge" based on our last name that comes from Holland.

Hay vsmith, did you get my e-mail with a photo of my layout included?

OLD DAD [:)]

[Anonymous]

LOYALHANNA VALLEY RAILROAD This was my railroad name when I was in high scool in the mid 50,s. regestered with NMRA at about that time. Located then in Latrobe Pa. After many years we are now in New Port Richey ,Fl.We now have 4 locos and a doddlebug plus 30 cars The track is hand made ,about 250 ft . Battery powered,radio controlled,and on board sound by LOCOLINK. We have more to do to complete . KEN STOUFFER [e-mail]

[Anonymous]

The Loyalhanna Creek ran through my town. The short lineLigonier Valley interchanged with PRR in Latrobe, thus a different name with the same initials. KLS

[hobo]

Happy holidays to all!
cocoaville came about from my wifes late cat,who loved to lay in the loop at one end,and keep the field mouse hobo's at bay,while he watched the trains go by.

[Rene Schweitzer]

vsmith,

Another Jack Lemmon movie I need to see, it seems!

Hey, it may be cold up here, but today it's supposed to be in the 40s (heat wave!) I actually saw a guy wearing shorts this morning!

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by OLD DAD

[:p] We ran with the name....."Southouse Inabode & Underwood" for almost ten years. The layout is on the SOUTH side of our house, part of the layout is inside our ABODE and part is UNDER a WOOD deck. Then we became bored with this name and changed it to "Dutch Valley Narrow Gauge" based on our last name that comes from Holland.

Hay vsmith, did you get my e-mail with a photo of my layout included?

OLD DAD [:)]

Hello Old Dad, got your first e-mail , but havent checked the home computer all weekend, too much xmas stuff going on. Will look for it tonight, thanks Vic

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Rene S

vsmith,

Another Jack Lemmon movie I need to see, it seems!

Hey, it may be cold up here, but today it's supposed to be in the 40s (heat wave!) I actually saw a guy wearing shorts this morning!

Hi Rene, you'd love winter out here in LA. We had a "cold snap" a few weeks back. Temps dropped around 55 degrees daytime, and I saw someone wrapped up in so many layers of winter clothes you'd think they were in the North Pole. I had to laugh. Check out the movie, its pretty funny.

[:0]HEY We had an Earthquake this morning, 6.5 in San Simeon[:0]

thats about 185 miles north of me , I was working on my computer and I my head started getting dizzy, it was the building slowly rolling back and forth.

I wonder who else out here in California felt it?

[Anonymous]

our garden railroad was named with my first name and my wifes first name ben and jeans garden railroad. it's in penna.

[Anonymous]

I live in the So. Cal. area. I decided to incorporate all the major railroads that have served that locale in my impending GR's name. Union (Pacific), Southern (Pacific) & Santa Fe Railway, AKA US&SF Ry. Co.

If you notice the initials US&SCO (Union Switch & Signal Co.), of signal fame, are also incorporated to pay homage to extensive signal collection.

I also made it somewhat generic so when I ever pull up "spikes" again I can take the name with me.

My collection of rolling stock includes names of the above mentioned RR's and some Rio Grande.

[Anonymous]

I have had a bunch of model railroads and it seems that they all have their own unique names. My current garden railroad is called the Crystal Creek Garden Railroad or CCGRR for short. It is in the rebuilding stage but in the future a creek will run through the layout. The creek's name is the Crystal Creek which gave the town Crystal Creek it's name that eventually gave the railroad it's name. Kind of confusing.

My HO layout is called the Santa Fe and San Diegan or SF&SD. The main railroad is the Santa Fe and the route I model is the Santa Fe San Diegan line from Los Angeles to San Diego.

[Anonymous]

vsmith, I live up here in San Jose and was sitting in a chair at the time, but didn't feel a thing, although I heard it was felt in San Francisco. I hope those garden railroaders closer to the epicenter didn't come home to twisted track [:0]. I'm possibly considering a different name for my railroad as the "blue river" is green with string algee every where [:(]. [;)].

[Anonymous]

Just to add. The exact same thing happened to me vsmith. I was looking at the USA Trains site and the whole house rocked and rolled. It was very strange and lasted for about 1.5 minutes here. Thankfully no people or trains in this house were damaged!

[Anonymous]

That's funny, I get the same feeling everytime I look at the USA Trains site too!!! Ha Ha Ho Ho. And I live on the east coast!!!

[Anonymous]

We originally gave our garden railroad the same name as our basement HO railroad-Beardsley Brook and Bridgeport RR.

However, my wife and daughter decided they did not like the same name for the garden and they named it "Fawn Hill" (Original street spelling) and Stepney Railroad (Stepney being a small area of our town.

Did not think they were serious until after a shopping trip they came home with the named carved in a fancy wood sign and I was told to hang it on our shed door.

George Edgerton

[Anonymous]

I grew up riding the Louisville & Nashville RR in Louisville, Kentucky. I am just starting my RR and will name it "L&N South Yard" I live in Florida, so the weather is favorable most of the year.

George

[e-mail]

[Anonymous]

While doing a research paper in high school I discovered that the streetcar line that I used to get around grew out of a steam narrow gauge coal hauling railroad. After seeing some old grainy black and white photos of this quaint little railroad I knew that my next railroad was going to be a somewhat freelanced version of this railroad. At the time I thought I would be modeling the Pittsburgh and Castle Shannon Rail Road in HOn3 but when we bought our house there just wasn't room inside for a railroad. After living in the house for a few years I discovered the magical world of "G" and as I learned more about it it just seemed to be the perfact solution. In G small engines are abundant and short cars are plentifull so I started building my version of the P. & C. S. R. R. And the bonus is very few people seem to know that it existed so I can take libertys with it that I could not get away with on a more well known prototype, but I also have a history to work from and to get insperation from. For me that is the best of both worlds

[Anonymous]

I named my garden railroad after the New York Central Railway because both
my Great Grandfather and my Grandfather worked for the company.

[Charles Trainman Hall]

I started building my Garden Railroad, I had to clear approximately 100 feet X100feet of trees. When I told my wife, I was going to take down a few trees, she assumed that would have been only a couple or a small number. However, when I was done, 30 plus trees were gone leaving me with 5 oaks, a gray berch and two very old blue berry bushes. Living in Salem, Connecticut, I am half way between two Native American Casinos and a third Native American Reservation. So I named my garden railroad, "Six Trees Railroad" (www.bigtrainoperator.com/2004/charleshall.shtml) If anyone is attending the LGB Convention in Mystic, CT. during the first week of August. Please stop by and check on my "Six Trees Railroad, located in Indian country in the great state of Connecticut by a LGB Nut who likes big rock gardens" Check out the LGB Convention for more information. Check out the www.address noted above Thanks

[Anonymous]

F.A.I.R.Y. - Fantasy And Imagination Railway Yard is based on Fairy Tales, Pixies, Witches, Wizards, Peter Pan & Capt. Hook, the 7 Dwarfs and many others, and is inhabited by all these fantasy figures. The railway is designed so that disabled children can move all around the railway with out hinderance and watch all sorts of real and imaginary trains (the pixie band wagon etc.) move from one scene to the next. Now my wife wants me to add Hansel & Gretel in the enchanted forest (we already have the forest) !!.

[Anonymous]

F.A.I.R.Y. - Fantasy And Imagination Railway Yard is based on Fairy Tales, Pixies, Witches, Wizards, Peter Pan & Capt. Hook, the 7 Dwarfs and many others, and is inhabited by all these fantasy figures. The railway is designed so that disabled children can move all around the railway with out hinderance and watch all sorts of real and imaginary trains (the pixie band wagon etc.) move from one scene to the next. Now my wife wants me to add Hansel & Gretel in the enchanted forest (we already have the forest) !!.......spur42

[Anonymous]

My garden railroad will be the Chattooga And North Estelle (the CANE Route - for old folks). I live in Walker County GA. It used to be Chattooga County. I am a couple miles north of where a town called Estelle was located. Now all that is left is a cemetery. The area did a small amount of iron mining. There was a narrow gauge operating and some of the old right-of-way is currently a horse & hiking trail. The TAG route (Tennesee Alabama & Georgia) route operated in my area and the Pigeon Mountain tunnel goes under my 1 mile long road at the state highway end. Too much interesting RR history in the area to not pay homage on my railroad. I have located pictures of a number of interesting structures etc. to scratch build. I know I'm ambitious, or a big dreamer. Without our dreams we & our raildoads would be nothing!

[Anonymous]

I live on the corner of Uplands and Butternut so that's initially what I called my railway but since then it's been shortened to The Butternut Railway. I like the whimsicle sound of it.

[toenailridgesl]

I quote from the first chapter in the Saga of the Toenail Ridge Shortline...
"the only way thru was a ledge blasted out of the cliff face with the line clinging precariously above a sheer drop, a cliff so steep that it looked like an artificial stone wall. The head surveyor noted in his day journal "It is my opinion that the only way we will get a locomotive past this ridge is by the engineer holding on with his toenails." Thus the name Toenail Ridge was born. "
The whole story is here:
http://www.trainweb.org/toenailridge/book.html