Unexpected train experience!

If I hadn’t been the one to choose where we would spend the night after Crater Lake before heading back home, I would have thought this was a set-up.

Less than 5 miles from our middle-of-nowhere campground was the largest outdoor hobby railroad in the world - The Train Mountain Railroad. Over 2,200 acres with 37 miles of 1/8th scale track! It is a train lover’s paradise. 1/8th scale means you can sit on or behind these engines, and that’s exactly what we did! The entire place was an amazing collection of full-size train cars and 1/8th scale infrastructure. Beautifully maintained year-round primarily by volunteers who, as you can imagine, are hundreds of old guys from all around the country who love talking about trains! They have and keep/bring their 1/8th scale engines here, work in whatever upkeep projects the campus needs, and then play trains the rest of the day. It must be something to see when 400 of these little trains are zipping around the acreage. Honestly, really cool.

Steve was totally in his element and especially missed Big John, who would have LOVED this place. And it really was a coincidence that it was so close to our campground!

On the next photo: an action shot of Steve answering the conductor’s “All go” horn blasts with the proper two-whistle response. Hilarious!

They had multiple little “villages” of to-scale buildings. The chatty guy who built this one was there while we visited, and it’s a miracle that we aren’t STILL stuck there listening to him describe the minute details of his mini building woodworking hobby!