This Indoor Train Park Hiding In Iowa Proves There’s Still A Kid In All Of Us
By Ben Jones|Published February 12, 2021
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Ben Jones
Author
Ben Jones is at heart an adventurer who delights in inspiring others. A former reporter and photojournalist, he explored towns large and small as a Wisconsin correspondent for USA Today. He later became a lead photographer and senior copywriter for an award-winning destination marketing agency, before founding Boldland Creative, a company that produces photography, video, and other content for travel destinations. Jones has completed photography and content projects in more than 15 states and when he’s not looking through a camera or at his Macbook you’ll find him exploring the world’s lakes and forests.
Amazing things can come in small packages. Trainland U.S.A. in Colfax, Iowa will take you into a miniature world in motion that you have to see to truly appreciate. Kids of all ages will find themselves pressed up against the glass to see these little trains carrying imaginary loads of freight across a carefully crafted landscape. It’s as much a dream world as it is a railroad display. Interested in a trip to Trainland U.S.A.? Here’s your ticket.
Trainland U.S.A. is located in a large private home that was built in 1976 to accommodate these sprawling displays. The display area is huge - the size of two typical ranch-style homes!
The model trains are anything but huge. They are Lionel O-gauge, which is 1/48 scale. So, something that is an inch long in Trainland U.S.A. would be four feet long in the real world!
Trainland is not your typical hobby display. There are more than 4,000 feet of track connected to 120 automated switches. More than 25,000 feet of wire keeps everything powered. It took 2.5 tons of plaster to shape all of this amazing landscape.
The displays are carefully organized into sections. The center section covers the frontier and steam era of trains, while the outside area features more modern diesel locomotives. Some trains are very old - the oldest was made in 1916.
While trains are the star of the show at Trainland U.S.A., the displays include so much more. you'll see landmarks like Mount Rushmore as well as other vehicles like cars and trucks. There's even a steamboat!