North Carolina Railway Museum / New Hope Valley Railway

Garden Railroad

Build of the garden railroad started in 2001. The garden railroad, just as with all parts of the museum, is staffed and operated by volunteers.

As of 2025, there are 10 operating tracks. There are 3 main loops on the lower level (cleverly named tracks 1, 2, and 3). On the upper level there are 2 loops (tracks 4 and 5) and an over-and-under figure eight with a covered bridge (track 6). Tracks 1-6 are operated by the volunteers using a hand held remote. Also on the upper level is an automatic back-and-forth mine train. On the lower level is a back-and-forth track (operated by a button) where we usually run a hand car; press the button to send it to one end of the track, then wait about 10 seconds and press the button again to send it to the other end. Also on the lower level, on top of the tunnel/storage is another button-operated back-and-forth track which usually runs Toby; pressing the button sends it to the end of the track and it automatically reverses and comes back. The 10th track is another button operated back-and-forth that runs the ‘yellow train’ which runs from the red barn-like shed on the upper level to the large church; pressing the button sends it to the end of the track and it automatically reverses and comes back.

Altogether there are about 1200 feet of track, which doesn’t include various sidings and passing tracks; this represents about 5 miles of full size track. All of the tracks have low voltage electricity supplied to them to power the trains we run.

We run a variety of G scale trains (G is for Garden).  The scale is approximately ½ inch to the foot (or 1:24).  Our fleet includes classics such as Santa Fe and CSX, plus Thomas and James, and a few other unusual pieces.  We often run a mix of freight and passenger trains and we periodically change what we run so you never know what will be on the tracks the next time you visit.

Scattered throughout the layout are many buildings and structures – houses, depots, waiting platforms, livestock pen, industrial yard, church, gazebos, outhouses, metal shacks, barns, water mill, windmills, log cabins, water tower, fire tower, covered bridge, a tunnel on the lower level, a mountain tunnel on the upper level, and storage sheds.

Other features include two bridges and a waterfall/pond.
You will also find the layout populated by people, livestock, and lots of minions.

Non-train items include button-operated lighthouse, planes, fire boat, fire trucks, and sounds (livestock and steam engine). The fire boat and some of the fire trucks shoot water when the buttons are pressed. Not all of these may be out every time.  Feel free to press buttons to discover what they operate and be sure to share with other visitors.

Most of the plants are real. We choose plants that hold up well to the conditions and are sized to match the railroad and buildings. Just as with our home gardens, we water and prune the plants and pull weeds.  Some of the small trees are pruned using bonsai type techniques to reveal the trunks and keep them small. Other maintenance tasks include dealing with wasp nests and fire ants. Critters such as snakes and rabbits and newts and even a crayfish sometimes stop by and make their home here for a while.

The red play structure train was built and donated to us as an Eagle scout project by Joshua Johnston in June 2018.  Please do not climb on top of it – we do not want anyone to get hurt.

Every year we try to add something new to the garden railroad, so stop by often to see what changes have been made.

 For safety reasons, only staff members are permitted inside the gates or in the workshop.

Feel free to ask any questions – we enjoy your company and hope you come back soon.