# Tucson Garden Railway Club open houses



## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Nancy and I came down to Tucson yesterday to visit the Railroads on tour this weekend. We got to three yesterday and hope to hit the remaining six today. There are really nice trains on tour. We were very impressed. Well worth the trip down from Sun City.

Chuck


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

My sister bought a couple of tickets and we're going out today, it's my birthday...so I have to be socialble! ...I'll try 
Should be fun, unless she brings the grand kids along... they always try to destroy my locos when they get the chance... derailments and too fast speed.... I'd hate to spend my day policing them.... 
What can I say? 'Mongo just pawn in game of life......' 

John


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

few photos guys,,please!!!!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Oh I should take my camera?


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Why are we only finding out about this today?









I would have come down for the tour.









JJ


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

John:

I learned about it a month or so ago here on MLS. A visitor to the state for the winter ask the question in one of the forums about what was happening this winter in Arizona? Someone (might have been Stan Cedarleaf) responded about several events, one was the Tucson open houses this weekend. 

We enjoyed today's trains also. In fact we went back to one this morning, that we saw yesterday, because we like it so much. We went to all but the train museum. We figured that we could get to that some other time.


We've got some pictures that I'll try to download soon. 

We're glad we went and we will plan on attending next winter if they have it when we are here.

Thanks to everyone in Tucson.

Chuck


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I dunno JJ, it's been listed in GR and was posted here a while back...























































Dual gauge track under timber transfer crane.










Standard ga. boxcar in foreground, narrow beyond.

All from this layout, unfortunately I left the brochure in sis's car....

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

The Gnome Valley RR
































































Well since I left the brochure in my sisters' car.... mebbe Chuck can provide more info or Tuesday I might be able to give credit where credit is due.

John


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

This bit of elevated track is the first sight you see.























































































































My sister countd 9 trains running during our visit. The kids liked the pushbutton sounds... and of course the trains!
I have more pics from this railroad, but I need to take a break.

Tuesday I'll be able to 
give more info....

John


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks so much, I was surprised at how many buildings they all have with all the heat.


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## dieseldude (Apr 21, 2009)

John- thanks for posting the pics. -Kevin.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Posted By NTCGRR on 14 Mar 2011 06:14 AM 
Thanks so much, I was surprised at how many buildings they all have with all the heat. 

One owner said his 2 biggest problems were packrats and UV.
I can relate, 'cept my quadrapeds are cute ground squirrels... wouldn't be so bad if I didn't toss 'em peanuts!









John


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for posting the pix John.


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

I visited Tucson last fall and Gary was kind enough to include me in an open house he had that day at the Eagle Mountian Railroad. That layout is spectacular, the number of individual scenes and the overall vista with the mountains in the background is great, as was his and his wife's hospitality. I envy those now in Tucson enjoying the layouts, and hope to do that tour someday.

Regards

Jerry


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

I've posted these layouts in the opposit order that I visited only because we started so close to Eagle Mountain. It's shear size mandated more pics, so after editing and compressing for here, I posted what I could last night.

I'd like to take this opportunity to congratulte the club for the fine welcome everyone felt.

I only saw 3 of the many, mostly because of travel times and trying to do too much in one day. They forced me to celebrate another birthday!







Don't get me wrong, I like the fact that they keep happening, just not the total number! Eagle Mountain is the closest to where I live (30 miles) which is why I never joined







Less driving = more track!

Anyway, Jerry is correct, there is a lot to see and while I tried to get them all, so did everyone else! I used my tripod as a mono and shot many pics from the hip so to say, a general check of the framing and shoot. Yesterday the 'tourists' were part of the charm so I included them while trying to avoid the too many butt shots!

I'd love to go back for a photo shoot, but have no credentials to justify it! We takes what we can get, I 'spose.
































































This little guy made it even more enjoyable, I thanked his parents for bringing him....










A model of the Bisbee open pit copper mine. The shay and gondola ran in the pit all day, there is another reverse loop on the trestle behind the red building. Neato!














































Well That's All Folks!
Had I been alone, there were many more things to see....

I was very impressed by the crowds, we were very self- policing, I only had to warn one knee and it quickly complied! I heard others offer soft words of warning as well at other times.

It was a fun day.

I did get permission to put these online.

John


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Again great pictures John. I liked those that you got of the buildings. I might try to incorporate some like this in my layout.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

You're welcome. 
The kids were given check lists which helped them focus on scenes with in scenes. That's a concept that should be repeated. 

I had fun, even the editing was ok. 

John


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Nice pictures Johnny,

That Copper mine is cool

as ****.

Thanks for sharing.


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## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

John
Thanks for posting the pictures, I was priveledged to see Gary Martins when we went to the national convention in Arizona, Garys layout is one you need a few
hours to take in. That is one of the busiest layouts I have ever seen. The structures and how they are layed out shows the extreme artist in Gary. 
With all the scenery he has so much hidden untill you either walk aroung one of the mountains or step aroung a bush or a tree. He has these scenes set up
so you can't wait to see what is around the next corner. If You ever get within a 150 miles of his layout you need to go make arangements to see it.
Gary is one of the nicest modelers you will ever meet.
Thanks for the pics John
Dennis


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

It took Nancy and me a little longer to download, sort and resize our pictures of the Tucson open house garden railroads. Thanks John for your prompt pictures. Because I'm sending a bunch I'm going to put them in several posts.

Chuck

Eagle Mountain Railroad 10 pictures. By far the largest RR on the tour.




























































































Rincon West Railroad 4 pictures. This is an unusual one, because it is a community railroad. Many residents in the Rincon Valley West RV Resort are involved with operating and maintaining this railroad.



















The log actually moved back and forth through the saw! 




















Thus endth post 1 


Chuck and Nancy


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

Post 2 Chuck and Nancy TGRS pictures.

Turtle River Railroad 7 pictures.


































































Tucson, Piedmont & Sonorian Desert RR 5 pictures.














































Gnome Valley Railroad 6 pictures.
























































We've reached the end of the second batch.


Chuck and Nancy


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

This last batch of pictures is from the Saddle Brook area Garden railroads. Saddle Brook is a large development on about 20 miles north of Tucson.

South Park & Western Railroad 4 pictures





































Quail Ridge Railroad 6 pictures. 






































That is me in the picture blow.




















Viewpoint Railroad 5 pictures 















































Thus endth the show.

The railroads were all fantastic and we thoroughly enjoyed ourselves. Thanks to all the owners and volunteers from the TGRS who put in a lot of effort on behalf of all the visitors.


See you again next year.

Best wishes,

Chuck and Nancy


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## wigginsn (Jan 9, 2008)

Thanks John and Gary. Pics like that get the GR juices running. 

Been distracted for a bit - I need to get into things again. 

Cheers 
Neil


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