“All through the meadows the horses and cattle, bridges and houses, hedges and ditches, all of the sights of the hill and the plain,” (From a Railway Carriage, RL Stevenson)
The Old Town Model Railroad Depot is a 2500 square foot O gauge model railroad located in San Diego, California. It has both steam and diesel trains from the 1920’s to the modern era.
It is a miniature world brim full of towns, mountains, lakes, farms, and errr…..quite realistic businesses!
I think I may have met these attorneys…….
and these accountants!
Cheers to you from the fabulous miniature world at The Old Town Model Railroad Depot~
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Sweet!
I was a kid again! Which I love to be~
Let’s never be ‘grown ups’!
Yes, that is my kind of store.
Mine too~
What an amazing display. It would take me forever to take it all in! 🙂
Yep, it was so hard to cut out the lake resorts, the zoo, the police cars lined up at the diner, it is just incredible and so big!
This is so neat! Love it! 😍 wish we had cool stuff here to see! And with two very little ones it’s hard for me to travel- so I appreciate you sharing these! 😀
Well I am so pleased you enjoyed it and hope you show it to your kids!
Oh yes I will show them- my oldest I know would love to see that live and in person 😊 she is a curious one and the kind to always ask “what’s this?” Or “how’d they do that?” Lol
Raising children was so much fun! I wish she could actually visit. She would be enraptured.
You must have been in heaven! 🙂
Yep, and so was my husband! The volunteers who make these worlds are just incredible people.
Perfect example of “attention to detail” 🙂
I love looking back – reminds me that, no matter the progress or technological advances, we still want to be part of a community. 🙂
Makes one a tad nostalgic doesn’t it, for a simpler time……
Oh, come on, Cindy, everyone knows that the cops go to the donut shop, not the diner ! I loved this display, and like you, I think I’ve dealt with those attorneys and their accountants before. Where is this place? If I’m ever nearby, I’d have to see it ! How are you doing with the water situation, or doesn’t that affect your area? Hugs, Cuz
It is in Old Town, the oldest part of San Diego. It is open to the public for free. They take donations. The owner is retired military and there are a score of volunteers. Awesome people. I hope you go. You would love Old Town and you will spend quite some time at the depot chatting with the guys and marveling at the scope of this miniature world. It is huge and my post cannot do it justice.
The drought is bad, bad, bad. We are at risk of turning into a dustbowl. So many orchards, and thousands of trees around us have died. I am so concerned for the wildlfe.
I especially like all the little people going about their business and the interior lighting of the buildings. Those two cars in front of the accountant’s office…never saw any matchbox ones like that! Such great fun, Cindy, thank you!
I wish you could see the whole thing! With your eye for detail, you would be transfixed.
One of my favourite poems R.L.Stevenson..Thank you for the beautiful post
Awww, thank you for the appreciation and I am a big fan of RL too, since I was very young.
That’s incredible!
Yep, truly big and remarkable!
Wow! All that beautiful detail in this miniature world! And it looks so peaceful…otherwise remarkably realistic. Thanks for letting us visit too.
So pleased you enjoyed & it’s possible that things were more peaceful in the US in the fifties!
This is amazing.
I thought so too!
And so clean, too!
Not one piece of trash anywhere!
Amazing place Cindy. All they’re lacking is a carpeting store like one near where I used to live called Standon Flooring after the owners.
xxx Huge Hugs xxx
There is a carpet store! Look in the town square~
Great. And, then I always thought that Dewey, Cheetum and Howe was a figment of the Tappet Brothers imagination…
Frick & Frack and Click & Clack. I love those guys as you well know~
Every time I think I’ve just seen the most colorful images, you always surprise me with a splash of even more colorful intensity Cindy! I wish more cities looked like this (instead of all the typically grayish buildings). So cheery and uplifting. I SO want to be part of that world! 😀 ~Lynn
Yes so do I!! Bring on living in a techicolor world where everything is idyllic!
Lovely little town! \ (•◡•) /
I would more there in a heartbeat!
Oh Cindy, they are so pretty pictures. 🙂
You are such a good friend Ranu! <3
wow 🙂
Love that word!
🙂
Wow! Life in its brightest 😀 Love these, Cindy – made my day with something we do not see often
Well, your comment just made my morning! Happy weekend my friend~
OoooooooH <3
aaaaaH! Just my reaction to it as well! 😉 😉
🙂 really so sweet !!
Ah ! My favorite photographer is back with all the more beautiful and colorful photographs that make my day! Your every photograph tells me that there can be nothing more beautiful than this one but the very next one proves it wrong! And the complimenting RL Stevenson’s poetry – icing on the cake! As always, mesmerized by seeing the world through your lens. Lovely!
You are very kind and most appreciated Prateek! What a lovely comment. Happy weekend my friend~
A very happy weekend to you too, Cindy 🙂
Imagine the fun that was had putting this together!
Yes, I love the guys that build this. They are just nicer than average and so interesting too! It is a beautiful hobby that makes people who view it happy~
Yes, happy, just happy. What could be better than that.
Hi Cindy…Super posts—Thank you so much for sharing! Wishing you days of gentle winds—soft curves and wonder…Phil
Visa versa 2 U X 2 my friend & cheers too~
These miniatures are fabulous. We have several places near us with vignettes set up for children to see but nothing as elaborate as this. Thanks for sharing.
Thank you more for the kind appreciation!
What fun Cindy! If you are ever in Brugge, Belgium you must visit the train museum there. It is delightful. 🙂
Lea, what a coincidence! We were there last year and will be back in early May. We will go to the train museum. Thank you for the tip and be well my friend~
Cindy, I do believe you will enjoy it. Such a lovely town and the museum was made even better by the presence of a friend and her young son! Perhaps one day I will return to Brugge as it was so lovely and we had little time there on our way to Holland. Enjoy your journey my friend. 🙂
Yes, we were there for a week and loved it. This time we are mainly going to Knoke Germany to see the place where Jim came from! Happy weekend Lea~
How fun! I would so play with these. Or – is that not allowed? 😉
There is a sign saying, “Unaccompanied children will be fed expresso & given a free kitten!” I don’t think playing is allowed, but looking sure is, and it is just as fun!
We’ve a friend who has quite a set up in his basement – even poked a whole through one room to another to create a tunnel. Most excellent mini world. Love the drive up burger place too.
There was so much more but I couldn’t post it all! I would love to tour your friends basement!
I couldn’t find any particular photos. But it is amazing what hobbyists can do. I might add a very expensive hobby!
Yes, which is the only reason I haven’t made a Victorian doll house or fairy garden!
But you have fairies…The hummers!!
You are right!!! <3
O gauge.. I always liked N gauge. You could make more of a layout with a much smaller area. I love trains…
Glad you do and I do too! 🙂
Amazing! I’m going to send link to my father-in-law who’s in the process of setting up his own train station!
I think the people who spend the time to make these wonders rock their socks off! Please tell your FIL!
Beautifully sharp pictures and a great way to get a flavour of early America. I think I saw the Fonz. 🙂
You did! What about Elvis????
Not Elvis. I think he’s avoiding me. 🙂
Me too, sadly……
inspires a mindful video
i must make
using little people, thanks 🙂
Well, how lovely! Can’t wait to see it~
What fun images, so colorful and realistically arranged. Hugs.
It was really a joy to visit this place~
Extraordinary!! :star:
Swetank.
Be Bettr, Stay Bettr! 😀
Thank you & happy weekend~
Oh, Cindy, what fun. Only you could do the miniatures justice. You transported me to another place and time while reading your lovely blog. The photos flowing in perfect sequence bringing with them smiles of delight. I’m sure you’re aware of the movement in miniature gardens. I want what I call real gardens and not miniature – although some of them are absolutely marvelous. I do love to dig in the dirt and am removing sod grass digging 12 inches deep in order to install my island gardens. I’m outside every minute I can squeeze from a day.
Oh yes, I do love the miniature gardens and have thought of setting aside a Fairy Garden somehere in The Holler, but as you say, gardening itself takes up so much time. I hope you post photos of your garden Sheri. You told me about all the flowers you planted and now this island garden……my enquiring mind wants to see! Be well my friend and cheers to you! <3 <3
My island garden is a work in progress. I’ve torn up every bed for restructuring. I may post photos of last summer’s garden as the new garden will be completely different. People walk down the street and they’d better not stop or I’ll send them on their way with a plant that’s multiplied too many times or one I no longer wish to have in the front garden and have transplanted a small one to the back garden for the future. Dang, I can’t get outside for the rain – it started up again. It’s slowing me down – gurr!
My accountant wouldn’t find this funny but I did!
Exactly the same with the lawyers I know!
Old Town has a number of fascinating shops. It’s amazing what the model railroad folks come up with. It has gone far beyond trains and tracks. Thanks for a fun blog Cindy. –Curt
Yes, indeed! I was fully distracted by all the different worlds they created. Forests and mountain towns, a huge dam, biker clubs, a zoo. Just incredible!
Lovely slice of life in miniature
So pleased you enjoyed & cheers to you!
I think I’d better forget to tell my husband about this when we plan our trip to the States!
Good idea! He might start building one in the basement! 😉
How amazing – I wouldn’t know where to look next – such detail, WOW! 🙂
Plus there was so much more that I couldn’t include! The mountain cabins, the lakes……truly wonderful!
Have always loved that poem and miniatures. Looks a great place to visit with or without kids!
We went w/out kids and were just kids again! 🙂
That’s great!
Very cool indeed!
So pleased you enjoyed!
Knowing your love of dioramas and miniatures, you must have had a blast seeing this!
Yes! You know me! 🙂
What a lot of fun!
For all ages!! 😉
Delightful! I’ve tweeted it 🙂
Well thank you & happy sunday!
These are soo cute! Great images!
So glad you enjoyed and cheers to you!
Es tan auténtico que se siente el bullicio de sus gentes, el aroma de sus plantas… ¡Genial!, y con las fotografías has conseguido captar y transmitir todas estas sensaciones. 🙂
Estoy muy contento de que haya disfrutado ! Era un mundo en miniatura realista. Muchas gracias por compartir sus amables pensamientos y feliz domingo! <3
super schön, herzliche Grüße, Klaus
Guten Tag und vielen danke Klaus!
gerne
Wunderschöne Fotos lieber Gruß von und einen schönen Sonntag Mittag große Umarmung Gislinde
Danke mein lieber Gislinde und glucklich Sonntagabend bei Ihnen! <3
I have never seen anything like – and what a nice way to preserve history – and I actually have a favorite that stood out both times I scrolled- the one with the little cars – that says “neils” and “your wife is hot” ha!
Yes, I love that scene too. There were so many clever/funny signs! I couldn’t include them all! It really is a visual and enjoyment masterpiece and I am so glad you enjoyed it! Cheers & thanks~