Your Gateway to Model Railroading Fun
Gateway NMRA Logo

Missouri Botanical Garden “Gardenland Express” Garden Railroad

The Missouri Botanical Garden featured a floral and train display open to the public from Nov. 26, 2003 to Jan. 4, 2004. Finely detailed model trains chugged over 500 feet of track through a miniature landscape accented by fresh flowers and plants and illuminated by thousands of tiny lights. For the youngest train enthusiasts, a G-gauge “Thomas the Tank Engine,” Christmas-theme, and circus choo-choos circled the giant ficus trees in each corner of the hall. The cotton “snow” base for these mini-displays were surrounded by dozens of red poinsettias.

Detailed G gauge garden railroad

Three large G gauge trains traveled over trestles, into tunnels, beside lakes and through forests as they transported freight and passengers among the miniature villages and towns. One train crossed the “Old West,” another is an eastern passenger train, and the third is a freight train in Middle America.

Amazing miniature and seasonal flowers

Dwarf conifers, cacti, fragrant blooms, herbs and several varieties of poinsettias added color and texture to the 5,000 square foot floral display hall. The seasonal plants in the display included poinsettias, cyclamen, amaryllis, fragrant narcissus, begonia, peperomia, kalanchoe, and exotic anthurium.

Richard Schumacher is the GatewayNMRA.org webmaster and models the transition-era Saint Louis Southern in HO scale. He is the technology manager for the Workforce Solutions Group of St. Louis Community College. Learn more about Richard by following him: LinkedIn - Twitter - Email