Photos_2009-Aug_Meeting @ Tim & Kelly Gannotta's

A little bit about this layout

The Crane Creek R. R. was established with a grant from Kelly Gannotta, on Tim Gannotta's birthday in mid 2002. The initial design was a simple loop around the pond to lure passengers out for a day excursion.The passenger demands grew, as well as requests for freight transport. The track layout you now see was established in late 2003 and completed in 2004 under the watchful eye of Kayla Gannotta, who was just born and strapped into a stroller as work crews completed the laying of the track, building the three tunnels, six bridges and switch installation.

The design philosophy of the Crane Creek Endowment is that in the garden railroad, the garden comes first. When you look at the railroad from inside or directly upon entering the outdoor environment, the railroad is not the first thing you see. We like to say "the railroad brings the garden to life". The use of red ballast was chosen so as not to stand out or be too bright, but rather to blend in with the darker tones of the earth. The stones you see were mostly collected from farms within a few miles of the Crane Creek R. R. Another design philosophy is that as important as it is to see the train, it is equally important not to, by having it disappear in a tunnel or behind buildings or vegetation. The introduction of sound is like a cherry on a sundae. Hear the sweet chuffing slow as the grade increases and listen for the whistle to quiet as it heads into one of the three tunnels. Most importantly, passengers always await the bell which signals the train's imminent arrival.

Please enjoy your stay. Your comments and critiques will only add to future experiences and a better Crane Creek. Look out for the Cars reunion on Main Street, Marvel at the Super Heroes and Smurfs who just arrived a few weeks ago. The rebuilding of Hogwarts is underway today with a medieval tournament. The Logger's Cabin is almost complete and signals the construction of a saw mill with train siding and loading dock. The Crane Creek Lodge is accepting reservations and Tim will take you on an interior tour (for real). Watch the animals graze and fatten up for winter while the Indians hunt and gather near the creek.

Each visitor is given a challenge. They are presented with a scavenge hunt to help them discover and enjoy all of he facets of the Crane Creek R. R.