A reader writes:
Here is a copy of Dave McNamara's Heart of Louisiana Feature on the New Orleans City Park Train Garden aired on the 9PM News Cast on 12-2-2014.
Was recorded Tuesday Nov 25th 6PM to 9PM. Includes commends by Train Master Bob Fairbanks, Track Engineer Mack Maginnis, and Chief Electrician Ron Goldman - volunteers, who have become part-time City Park employees, who have been running the trains and streetcars since the Train Garden opened in Dec 2003 & fully completed in March 2004. This Celebration-in-the-Oaks Holiday season will the 12th for the operation of the fifth largest outdoor Public Train Garden in the United States. Designed and Built in 2003 by Paul Busse of Applied Imagination of Alexandria, Kentucky.
The Train Garden occupies 14,000 square feet of the Botanical Gardens, in New Orleans City Park. The idea of Paul Soniat, the Botanical Garden's Director, it was financed back in 2003 mainly by two Grants from the Joe Brown Foundation and the Shelley Foundation. The Train Garden has also received grants from the Union Pacific Railroad Foundation, the Exxon-Mobil Company, and many Private Donations of both money and G Scale Trains and accessories.
The Train Garden has 1550 feet of G Scale brass track, operates on DC current, with digital command control. The volunteer engineers can operate 4 train loops and four end to end streetcar lines at once. Many improvements have been made by the volunteers over the years, including a double track deck elevated trestle, an additional rail yard in the roundhouse, which houses the electronic controls and serves as the storage site for the Trains when the Train Garden is closed. In June 2013, the Train Garden received a Back Shop building built with the Union Pacific Railroad's Grant Funds. It also serves as an additional storage area, and has a large counter and repair area, complete with many hand tools and electric equipment. The Back Shop is also air conditioned, has a closed circuit TV security system, and a DVD and HDMI LED TV to exhibit Train & model railroading videos.
The crew look forward to many more years of operation for the enjoyment of the Park's visitors.
Bob - Train Master
louisiana-christmas-train-garden-at-celebration-in-the-oaks
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