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TOY TRAIN BARN - SEASON 7
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| June 24, 2008 |
 Today we stayed in state and visited the
Toy Train Barn and the Argyle & Eastern Railroad, which is located just
outside of Argyle, WI, on Highway 81. The owners, Buck & Jan Guthrie,
grew up in the area and had an interest in toy trains. Buck's family
owned the farm, which was later sold. He became a locomotive engineer,
and one day was passing by the old farmstead and found it on the market,
The rest, they say, is history. The farm was repurchased, and in the
barn where he used to milk cows, he set up multiple train displays in every
gauge but HO. Buck has a talent for repurposing things, so he and a
friend have adapted various cast off items in the display. Examples
include the use of microwave timers to set up the train power, an cast off
printer carriage for an operating elevator, and a record player turntable to
provide animation to a street. scene. There is a nice assortment of
American Flyer trains, which are near and dear to my heart, and plenty of
operating trains in all
 gauges.
One really neat little item is a handmade coffee table containing a Z gauge
layout. Built by a railroad signalman some years back, it is
automated, and is really electronically (and mechanically) very advanced for
its
age. Additionally, there is the Argyle &
Eastern 12" gauge line outdoors. Buck acquired the stainless steel
cars from the Green Bay National Railroad Museum, and set about building a
locomotive. Because they were stainless, he wanted a build a Zephyr,
so has fabricated a nose unit, and installed a former VW Rabbit engine as
the power. The line runs over several trestles, and climbs some steep
grades outside the barn itself. It was an enjoyable day. If you
are in the SW Wisconsin area, stop in and have a look. The displays
will bring back many memories, and you'll have a nice ride on a one of a
kind 12" gauge railroad. |
ENTER TRAINMENT - SEASON 7 |
ILLINOIS RAILWAY MUSEUM - SEASON 7
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