Chuggachugga. Chuggachugga. Chooooochooo.
For Federal Way resident Fred Konkell, that sound is familiar, comforting. Konkell grew up in Missoula, Mont. – his father was an employee of the Northern Pacific Railroad – and he received his first model train at the age of three.
But Konkell’s love for railways – particularly the garden variety did not come until later.
German-owned LGB Trains first introduced garden-scale trains to the United States in the 1960’s. While working in the garden industry in 1982, Konkell’s wife bought him a garden-scale train set.
“That was her fatal move,” Konkell said.
Six hundred feet of railway track and 40 feet of model trains later, Konkell will open his Federal Way garden railroad to train enthusiasts Aug. 4, as part of the 26th National Garden Railway Convention.
The convention, hosted by the Puget Sound Garden Railway Society, will take place at the Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center on Aug. 1-8. It will feature more than 60 vendors and manufacturers of garden train products, tours of 52 local garden railways and 46 hours of how-to clinics.
Konkell and his grandson Zachary Zielinski, 17, started building their garden railway, “The Pacific North Railroad,” in 2001; the pair developed and installed the railroad together every step of the way.
They are also the vice president and secretary of the Puget Sound Garden Railway Society, respectively, and helped plan the convention for the past five years.
“There is no greater joy for a grandfather,” Konkell said, “than for a grandson to enjoy (the same) hobby and be enthusiastic about it.”
The pair even created a faux history of how their railroad came into existence.
Konkell and Zielinski said the Pacific Northern Railroad was created on June 25, 1966, as a result of a merge between the Great Northern and Northern Pacific railroads.
Their 40-foot train includes nine passenger cars and four diesel engines; it is an exact replica of the train Konkell’s father worked on in Montana.
“In essence, we’ve captured my childhood today,” Konkell said.
So what sets this garden railroad apart from others?
“Our stress is on landscaping,” Konkell said.
Konkell and Zielinski’s railroad winds through tunnels and across trestles on 10 different types of ground covers; they’ve also planted a variety of dwarf cedars, spruce and cypress trees to convey a forest-like setting.
Their newest additions include a miniature town suspended eight feet above ground, and a deck, which allows spectators to walk through the railway layout.
In preparation for the convention, Konkell and Zielinski are primping the railroad – touching up the track, painting buildings and sanding the deck.
The convention is expected to bring more than 1,000 attendees from all over the country – as well as visitors from Britain, Australia and New Zealand.
“(Garden railways) allow more social interaction than typical train clubs,” said Joe Sommer, publicist for the convention. “There is something for everybody.”
A variety of social activities are also available for attendees willing to pay: a barbecue at the Northwest Railway Museum near Snoqualmie Falls, an ice cream social and a semi-formal banquet.
In order to take part in the garden tours, attendees must register at the convention’s website. Those who do not want to drive to each garden can pay for daily bus tours.
While only registered guests can visit the gardens, the exhibition hall is open to the public Aug. 7 and 8. Here, attendees can view an indoor modular train and purchase garden train cars.
The cost is $10 per person or $25 per family at the door; children under 6 are free.
If you go
What: 26th National Garden Railway Convention.
When: Aug. 1-8, 2010.
Highlights: The opportunity to see 52 private garden railways in Western Washington.
Where: Greater Tacoma Convention and Trade Center and northwest gardens.
Garden tour/exhibition admission: $40-$115 (cost ranges for single tickets to group tickets) for garden viewing and exhibition attendance for the week.
Admission for general public: $10 for exhibition hall entry Aug 7-8. See website for details.
Info: For a complete schedule of events and to register for the convention go to www.ngrc2010.com.
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