May 12th, 2016: Plus Sized Model Railroad

[xoxoxoBruce]

Model Railroads vary, some are set up on a piece of plywood/floor and go around in a circle/oval. Ho hum.
Some are built with elaborate scenery, multi-tracks and several trains. Cool.
But the Junction Valley Railroad, is a horse of another color... you can ride it.

The Junction Valley Railroad in Bridgeport, Michigan, United States, is a model railroad but not the
tabletop variety we are familiar with. Built at the scale of 1:4, this 600-ton behemoth is the world’s
largest quarter-sized railroad. It has real diesel engines, albeit scaled-down in size, but strong
enough to pull steel cars and real human passengers over a 5% gradient. As Lionel.com writes,
Junction Valley Railroad is “too small to be considered a commercial railroad and too large to be
thought of as a model railroad.”

Built an operated by William A. Stenger and his family, Junction Valley Railroad features more than
four miles of track, 16 railroad bridges, including the only diamond crossing trestle in existence,
865 feet of trestle and bridges, and a tunnel over 100 feet long. The railroad has a complete blocking
and crossing signal system with over 60 operating track switches. There is also a ten-stall roundhouse
complete with an operating turntable that serves the railroads nine fully-equipped engines.
Over 75 cars of all types and sizes are available, some of which can be comfortably ridden by visitors.

As a bonus, while in Michigan you can visit the BeestMonsters.

link