American Invasion of Friends - Dave's Layout

A Visit to a Spectacular Garden Railroad

For the second part of our first day of the American Invasion of Friends, we visited Dave's lovely garden railroad just outside of Picton, Ontario.

  Dave excavated the land to create the beautiful pond you see in the background.  With the fill from the pond, he created his lovely garden.

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The first sight you see when you enter the yard.  One of many ponds.

You walk around to the west side of the garden and these gorgeous trestles greet you!

The viewing area atop the garden.

Dave lugged all of the stones and cemented them together.

Three independent rail lines loop through the garden.

A look at the curved trestle.

Dave created the trestles on his own as well.

Simply gorgeous!

Indeed, a labour of love!

While Dave currently has no sidings or spurs, he's thinking about it!

The trains back into his beautiful shed which protects them from the elements.

A CN diesel heads north.

While on the upper trestle, a CP diesel heads south.

Lots of gravel and stonedust as well.

Dave's structures look fabulous.

So does this marching band!

Aha!  A meet of two trains.

Love the curved track.

Chris admiring Dave's work.

This is one massive garden!

This CP diesel is framed by the foliage.

Like the telegraph poles as well!

A shot of the big pond and the trestles looking west from the upper vantage point atop the hill in the centre of the garden.

Many walkways and paths as well.

The sun is setting in the west.

Train turning north.

Entering the shadows of the hill as the sun lowers in the sky.

CP through the rocks.

Approaching the depot.

CN on the lower level.

Entering the tunnel.

Across the ravine.

Heading west and turning south.

Over the curved trestle.

By the big pond.

Heading south.

Looking down the ravine.

The waterfalls.

Finding daylight.

In and out.

Out and in.

Going away.

Approaching the covered bridge.

Maroon and grey.

Love the caboose!

Curve close-up.

Curve navigation.

Lovely "s"!

Aerial shot.

Aerial shot again.

Nice lighting.

Modern era.

The hilltop.

The garden.

A labour of love.

In the shade.

Love the stone chimney.

Approaching the covered bridge.

Entering.

Exiting.

Nice consist.

Passing trains.

As day falls.

Lighting on the flanks.

Past the depot.

Heading away.

Rounding the bend.

Ground cover.

Stable mates.

In the shadows.

Can't get enough of this trestle.

In these great lighting conditions.

A closer view.

Wider shot.

Tighter.

 The house from the hill.

 One of many lighthouses.

Lots of shrubs.

Great looking woodwork.

From above.

A little closer.

From atop the train.

Leaving.

The full train. 

In the pines.

Last views.

Paradise in Picton.

What a most special day and a piece of Heaven on Earth!

Thank you, Dave, for a most wonderful visit!

Thanks for joining us today everyone, Mike Hamer, Ottawa, Ontario, Canada