Operations

Illiana Garden Railway’s “The Bull Moose Line“ is set off by a three tiered waterfall and a mill pond, the Illinois Garden Railway Society’s (IGRS) 2000 square foot G- Scale model railroad layout has more than 600 running feet of track. Trains run on trestles across bridges, through tunnels and across mountains along “The Bull Moose” right-of-way.

The outdoor diorama includes a township named Franville, a rural farming area, a gold mine and an industrial switchyard, complete with a roundhouse and engine turntable. Using a newly installed command system the mainline tracks are capable of handling six G-Scale trains at a time.

A vintage streetcar winds around the Franville  township area from the train station to a ball park. Youngsters can also watch “Thomas The Train” run on his own special track above the township and across the upper  waterfall.

The IGRS Garden Railroad is open to the public each Saturday (weather permitting), May through September from 10: AM to 4:00 PM. Located at 295 North State Rd. 2 Valparaiso, Indiana 46383. Need directions to Samuelson’s Garden Center?

Additional IGRS Information: The Illiana Garden Railway Society (IGRS) is a not for profit group of G-Scale model enthusiasts from the states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan. Society members are interested in all of garden large-scale model railroading. Among its goals is the education of the public about Garden Railroading, modeling  and the construction and running of garden railways. To that end members plan to show their individual garden layouts at various times to the general public and open the Society’s outdoor layout to the public on Saturdays May through September.

The IGRS was founded on April 14, 2003 by sixteen G-Scale enthusiasts. It now lists more than fifty-eight men and women among its participating members.

Membership is open to any person from the states of Illinois, Indiana and Michigan who are engaged in Garden Railroading, or who are interested in promoting Garden Railroading as a hobby.

Society activities include monthly meetings held at 7:00 PM on the fourth Tuesday of each month, ‘How To Clinics’, model railroad show attendance, train excursions, visits to Society members Railroad Gardens and an annual picnic during the summer.

IGRS members are currently working with another area non-profit organization to build one of the country’s largest examples of a Garden Railroad.