Garden Railroads

Phoenix, Arizona

Arizona Big Train Operators was formed in the mid-1990's to promote the hobby of "G" (garden) scale model railroading in Arizona. Over several weekends each December, the members make their backyard layouts available for public viewing during the organization's Holiday Open House Tours. The displays are incredibly large and detailed, including a variety of tiny rail yards, lakes, mountains, bridges ... and towns. These photos, taken during the 2009 open house, show a few of these tiny towns.

Directions: Various private residences in the greater Phoenix area. For location maps and hours, go to the Arizona Big Train Operators web page and click on "Holiday Tours." No admission fee is charged, but donations for charity are accepted.

Last visited: December 2009.

Standard disclaimer: Sites are described for entertainment purposes only, as they were at the time of my last visit. I can not vouch for the current condition of the site or its accessibility.