Welcome Aboard the Conejo & Tortuga Railroad

A visiting Southern Pacific train passes the town of Dirt, now in habited with even more zombies! (Michelle Edwards, image)

Bernie and Vicki Meister warmly welcomed fellow CCCGRS members to their first train run on the Conejo and Tortuga Railroad. It was very clear everyone was excited to be together again, this time in a “new to us” railroad themed outdoor entertainment area surrounding the high desert garden railroad. Guests commented how creative layout details continued to “appear” as they explored the scale landscape. Resident and visiting rolling stock took turns traveling the mainline circumnavigating a centrally featured mountain (serendipitously created from an earlier garage construction project). We cannot thank Vicki and Bernie enough for hosting a wonderful day of sun, friends and trains in beautiful Paso Robles!

It was wonderful to see everyone in person in Paso Robles (Left to right: Michelle Edwards, Walt Wajda, Bob Cochrane, Donna Williams, Heather, John Albin, James Williams, Vicki Meister, Bernie Meister, David Hayes, John Phillips, Sawyer, Julie Neja, Jesse Soto, Kelly Soto, Tim Neja. Also present: Don Campbell, Mark Edwards, Mark Goodman, Aidan, Mark Hays, Richard Harvey (Mark Edwards, image).
New CCCGRS Members James and Donna Williams visit with Tim Neja (R) in front of the Dirt train depot. We think they are discussing…trains in the garden! (Mark Edwards, image)
The town of Dirt supports several industries in the desert, including this detailed scratch-built mine (Michelle Edwards, image)
Aidan carefully follows his grandfather’s mentoring as he “cradles the train like a baby” preparing Thomas and his consist for their first run on the Conejo & Tortuga Railroad (Mark Edwards, image).
Special thanks to Vicki and Bernie Meister for hosting CCCGRS at the Conejo & Tortuga Railroad’s first train run (Mark Edwards, image)