Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway SocietySummer     Tour # 2
Sunday, August 3, 2003    1:00 pm – 6:00 pm

The Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society is inviting interested people to participate in our summer open layout tours. One of the goals of the Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society is to introduce more people to this exciting and fun hobby, therefore, all visitors are welcome.

To make your visit and the visit of others safe and more enjoyable, we ask that you be mindful of the following considerations:
  -Visit as many or as few as you wish, but please observe the scheduled hours. In consideration of your hosts and other guests, please do not arrive earlier or stay later than the scheduled hours.
 -Watch your children; well-behaved ones are always welcome.
 -Some gardens may have hazardous situations. Exercise care when negotiating walks and steps. Remain within restricted viewing areas. Some areas have limited viewing space. Please allow others to share the view, and do not touch or handle plants, structures, rolling stock, etc. without the permission of the host.

Phone numbers of hosts are provided, if necessary. If lost, ask a local. Please use restraint in calling the hosts for directions, as they will be busy with other visitors.

1] Brumblay Gardens Railway     See Map 2
Joe Cigolotti 13130 Sparta Pike Moores Hill, Indiana 47032 (812) 744-4203
Directions: I-275 to Lawrenceburg (Exit #16). Turn left on to State Route 50 (West). Go five miles to State Route 350 in Aurora. Turn right on State Route 350 for 10 miles. Turn right on Sparta Pike. (Look for Brumblay Garden sign on corner.)
Description: The garden railway is located on the edge of a large water garden. The railway has approximately 200' of track, 2 tunnels, and 7 bridges. Two trains run simultaneously. Unlike most of the local garden railway tracks, rather than having a wood roadbed, track is set on a gravel base. The garden is set in the full sun, using a variety of plants to achieve a miniature scale landscape. Brumblay Gardens has LGB trains and accessories, as well as plants for sale.

2] Brittany Ridge & Muddy Creek Railroad    See Map 2 or Map1
Chris & Bev Deye 6974 Brittany Ridge Lane Cincinnati, Ohio 45233-1468 (513) 467-9609
Directions: From downtown, take west Route 50 (River Road) to Sayler Park. Turn right on Gracely. Take the second street, on right, (Huey). Come to stop sign . . Go straight. Huey turns into Rapid Run. Take Rapid Run to top of hill. Turn left on Martini. Follow Martini and turn on second street on right, which is Brittany Ridge Lane. 9674 is the fifth house on the left. White ranch, blue roof, train mailbox, trains in rear. [From North exit 11, Harrison Avenue south to right on Bridgetown to left on Ebenezer, right on Rapid Run, right on Martini, to Brittany Ridge.]
Description: The Brittany Ridge and Muddy Creek Railroad was constructed and designed by Chris in 1997. The railroad is built into the side of a hill, and includes 50 ton of rock. The layout consists of 320' of LGB sectional powered track with grades reaching 3%. The railroad includes four bridges, two trestles, and one tunnel. 35' of continuous stream cascades down a 3' waterfall into a pond. The buildings are Pola kits, and the plants include dwarf Alberta Spruce, junipers, and a variety of annuals. A deck presents an overview of the railroad and water features.

3] The Old Orchard Lines     See Map 1
Larry Koehl 405 Werner Drive Ft. Wright, Ky 41011 (859) 344-0671
Directions: From I-75 take Exit #189 Kyles Lane. Go west (left from North, or right from South) to the fourth street on the right. Turn right on Lorup and follow around a 90 degree left turn, then right on Werner to #405 on the right at the bend in the road.
Description: The Old Orchard Lines (when the owner was a young boy the area occupied by the immediate neighborhood was an orchard) as the plan goes, is to include three railroads. The first, the Kenton Central, of early to mid 20th century vintage, began building August 30, 2001 with the intent of connecting Duhst City down on the plane with the back hill town of Glowree. The two towns are connected by a single track main with a midway passing siding. Balloon loops at each end facilitate the turn around of trains for their return trips. Through automatic operation two or three trains are working their way through the timecard at any one time. The trip to Glowree involves a steady climb up grades of 2.25% and more through the rugged hill country along the meandering Sticks Creek that empties into Lake William just west of the Duhst City yard. The Moser Branch Lumber Company has plans of building a line into the woods below Duhst City to tap the timber and other resources to be found there. The Banklick Valley Railway, an electric traction line using a shorter route, has it's eye on the lucrative passenger traffic between Duhst City and Glowree. We'll have to wait and see what develops. Whichever line you wish to ride, one will first have to go to Duhst City to catch a train bound for Glowree. However, if you catch a ride on the Moser Branch train you'll be headed down below.

4] Cranberry & Linville River Railroad Co.     See Map 1
Dan & Pam Stenger 557 Mustang Drive Walton, Kentucky 41094 (859) 485-6844
Directions: Take I-75 to Exit 175 (Richwood). Proceed west on 338 (Richwood Rd.) to Paddock (just past McDonald’s). Turn right onto Paddock and proceed to Mustang (1st left). Turn left onto Mustang. 557 is the second house on the left side of the street.
Description: The Cranberry and Linville River is a fictitious railroad based on the three-foot gauge East Tennessee and Western North Carolina R.R. that ran from Johnson City, Tennessee to Boone, North Carolina. The C&LR, circa 1920-1940, consists of two loops that interchange to enable two trains to run on each loop or one train to run the entire railway. The C&LR is approximately 1600 sq. ft. with 320 feet of Aristocraft code 332 brass rail and LGB 1600 switches. The minimum radius is 4’ with a maximum grade of 5%. The railway features an irregular shaped rubber-lined pond, waterfalls and stream. Like the ET&WNC, the nearly one-year old C&LR has tunnels (seven to be exact) and numerous bridges and trestles including a long trestle/bridge combination 64 scale feet high and 445 scale feet long. The C&LR runs track powered steam including ten-wheelers and a consolidation. Plants include: Dwarf Alberta Spruce, Chinese Junipers, Red twig Dogwoods, Japanese Green Junipers, Mugho Pine, Blue Star Juniper, Weeping Sergeant’s Hemlock, Japanese Maple, Arborvitae, Thymes, Sedums, miscellaneous annuals, perennials and water plants. The railway was designed by Paul Busse and built by Dan and Pam Stenger, the owners, with help from their children Amanda and Zachary. The lower level of the layout is handicap accessible.

5] White Pass & Yukon      See Map 1
Blair & Tina Thompson 3275 Taylor Creek Drive Taylor Mill, Kentucky 41015 (859) 491-4536
Directions: I-275 to exit 79, Ky Rt 16, Taylor Mill Rd. Proceed South off freeway to Old Taylor Mill Road, approximately one half mile at traffic light. Turn right on Old Taylor Mill, go approximately one half mile to Taylor Creek Drive on right. Turn onto Taylor Creek, go to 4th house on left, with 3 blue spruce trees in front yard.
Description: This is a new layout modeling the Alaskan mountains in a loop configuration with a return loop in the mountain. 150 feet of track runs in a 500 square foot area, with three tunnels and 12 turnouts.

5] Grandymon Lake Railroad      See Map 3
Jack & Kathie Griffin 14 Locust Hill Road Cincinnati, Ohio 45245 (513) 752-3458
Directions: Take I-275 to Beechmont Exit 65. Go west two traffic lights. Turn left @ ChiChi’s (Hopper Hill). Take to the end. Turn left on Nordyke. Take to end. Turn right on Nine Mile Rd, go about 100 feet then turn left onto bridge (Locust Corner Road). Go up about 1 mile then right into Locust Hill Road. Go to top of hill to #14 on the right. (Don’t stop at Griffin’s at #6)
Description: The Griffin’s railroad runs through two horseshoe canyons where there once was only a gentle sloping hillside. There is much moss covered terrain dotted with many miniature conifers and plants. In addition to the distressed railroad ties, they have used several old tree stumps to also mimic mountains. A meandering creek flows into Lake Grandymon, which spills under a curved seventeen foot trestle inspired by the existing trestle on Vine Street. There are two loops containing 320 feet of track with grades reaching 3 to 4%. The Grandymon Lake Railroad was designed by Paul Busse, and built by the Griffins with some help from Paul and the crew. Walkways have been added so that you can walk through and around the entire layout. You can also view the layout while sitting on a large stone taken from one of the piers of the old L&N Railroad bridge.

6] The Brass Rail       See Map 3
Karl & Connie Lippowitsch 2778 Caledon Lane Cincinnati, Ohio 45244 (513) 231-3885
Directions: Exit # 69 from I-275 onto Five Mile Road. Turn East on Five Mile Road and follow until it ends at Clough Pike. Turn left on Clough Pike to traffic light at Newtown Road. Turn right on Newtown Road to first street on the left, Stirrup Road. Left on Stirrup and right onto Caledon Lane. 2778 Caledon Lane is the second house on the right.
Description: "The Brass Rail" was named after their favorite restaurant in Allentown, PA., and also because of the 650 feet of brass track. Construction began with a "rail-raising" performed by many of the members of the Greater Cincinnati Garden Railway Society. True to form, much of the road bed was laid and a train was running on the top loop before everyone left at the end of the day. To complete the layout it took four loads of dirt and 10 1/2 tons of rock. There are three independent loops that move through two mountains, five tunnels, and around a 3 1/2 foot waterfall. The trains cross three bridges, a 24' trestle, and a koi pond. With 24 automatic switches, four to five trains can be operating at the same time.

7] Big Maple Railroad      See Map 3
Ron & Dee Hill 4039 Amelia-Olive Branch Road Batavia, Ohio 45103 (513) 753-5859
Directions: I-275 to Exit 63B west on Route 32 toward Batavia. 2.6 miles past Eastgate Mall at the third traffic light (Speedway Station on corner), turn right on Old State Route 74. Proceed .7 mile. At church, turn right on Amelia-Olive Branch Road. Go 1.2 miles. Hill's house (#4039) is on right behind white wall. If you reach a traffic signal, you've gone too far.
Description: The unique feature of the pre-WW II railroad is that it is built on top of a pergola, eight to ten feet above the ground and circles a four-foot diameter maple tree. Best viewing is from inside the house. It features a double loop of 170 feet of LGB track with five scratch-built bridges, one covered, and 70 feet of trestle. All structures are scratch built, including: Sunday Creek Coal Mine and tipple; Millfield (a village with four buildings); Millfield Company town with four houses; Millfield Depot (modeled after Cass, West Virginia depot); a coal tower, water tower, sand tower, crossing tower, and saw mill. All plants are in pots and taken inside in the winter.