Gibsonville Garden Railroad
  • Home
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • Elon Homes
  • Elon College
  • Gibsonville 1855
  • Gibsonville 1923
  • Train Wreck
  • Make Tar
  • SEMAPHORE
  • Orville Wright
  • Wilbur Wright
  • Fort Macon
  • Gold
  • OZ
  • Alamance Battlefield
  • Company Shops
  • Operation Lifesaver
  • Blank
  • Cape Fear River Bridge
  • USS North Carolina
  • More
    • Home
    • Services
    • Contact Us
    • Elon Homes
    • Elon College
    • Gibsonville 1855
    • Gibsonville 1923
    • Train Wreck
    • Make Tar
    • SEMAPHORE
    • Orville Wright
    • Wilbur Wright
    • Fort Macon
    • Gold
    • OZ
    • Alamance Battlefield
    • Company Shops
    • Operation Lifesaver
    • Blank
    • Cape Fear River Bridge
    • USS North Carolina
Gibsonville Garden Railroad
  • Home
  • Services
  • Contact Us
  • Elon Homes
  • Elon College
  • Gibsonville 1855
  • Gibsonville 1923
  • Train Wreck
  • Make Tar
  • SEMAPHORE
  • Orville Wright
  • Wilbur Wright
  • Fort Macon
  • Gold
  • OZ
  • Alamance Battlefield
  • Company Shops
  • Operation Lifesaver
  • Blank
  • Cape Fear River Bridge
  • USS North Carolina

Welcome

Gibsonville Garden Railroad outdoor G-scale trains

Gibsonville Garden Railroad outdoor G-scale trainsGibsonville Garden Railroad outdoor G-scale trainsGibsonville Garden Railroad outdoor G-scale trains

Railroad Safety, History of Gibsonville, and Transportation in North Carolina 


Photo Gallery for more photos see GGRR Facebook (https://www.facebook.com/16ggrrose/photos/?ref=page_internal)

    About Us

    The Gibsonville Garden Railroad (GGRR) was founded in 1996 by Bobby Summers, a retired Freight Conductor on the Southern Railroad. Our first trains ran on October 9, 1996 which coincides with the first train arriving at Gibson Station on October 9, 1855. Our buildings are arranged to represent Gibsonville in 1855 and 1922, so the Town Historic Walking Tour map can be used to understand our layout. We cover all of North Carolina from Blowing Rock and Pilot Mountain to Cape Hatteras Lighthouse. We include dioramas for Elon Homes, Elon College, Company Shops (Burlington), gold mine, and tar making. You can see both Orville and Wilbur Wright flying and cable cars too. Come ride on our playground train anytime.

    We are open EVERY Saturday from April through November from 9:00 a.m. to noon

    Fun Fact

    GGRR has over 2900 feet of G-scale train track with 22 trains running at one time.

    You do not need to own a train to help run trains. garden railway

    All Volunteers Non-profit

    You can be a GGRR member by filling out the Volunteer Form shown in the SERVICES tab at the top of our WEB page and bring it to the GGRR layout at 220 East Main Street Gibsonville NC. Every Saturday 9am-noon (April-November).

    GGRR Video

    Check out this great video

    GGRR Video

    Fast Mail train next to Tar Mountain logging line. outdoor g scale trains

    GGRR track testing

    Will GGRR track support new diesel engines?

    GGRR Images 24/7

    When we cannot run you can see our videos

    See our recent videos

    Or you can see our photos

    See our still photos

    Our fence has historic information signs about our town and

    Elon Homes

    Gibsonville 1855

    Elon College

     Elon Homes for Children was founded in Elon, North Carolina, as an orphanage in 1907. In 1892, a young lady deposited the sixty-five cents in an offering plate at a church meeting and made the statement that she would like the gift to grow and become an orphanage.  

    Elon Homes

    Elon College

    Gibsonville 1855

    Elon College

      

         In 1872 the Southern Christian Conference of the Christian Church, (later United Church of Christ) decided to open a college. They wanted to expand the existing Graham College but were unable to acquire the needed land there. The trustees were able to purchase land in 1888 at different location. The new site for the campus was selected near the North Carolina Railroad freight stop in Alamance County known as Mill Point, about five miles west of Burlington. 

    Elon College

    Gibsonville 1855

    Gibsonville 1855

    Cape Fear River Bridge

      

    Gibsonville did not exist before Joseph Gibson, a local farmer, provided grading services in 1851 for the newly formed NC Railroad Company. The first train arrived on October 9, 1855 and the depot was named Gibson Station in his honor. On February 18, 1871 the state legislature issued a charter to Gibsonville.


    Gibsonville 1855

    Cape Fear River Bridge

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

    Cape Fear River Bridge

      

    Built in 1969 over the Cape Fear River in Wilmington NC.

    Cape Rear River Bridge

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

      

    Commissioned in 1941 and involved in every major naval action in the Pacific Ocean during WWII.

    USS North Carolina

    Gibsonville 1923

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

    USS North Carolina (battleship 55)

      

    In the early 1920’s Gibsonville changed from a village to a town when the dirt Main St was paved.

    Gibsonville 1923

    Train Wreck

    How to Make Tar

    How to Make Tar

     On September 10, 1950 at about 245 AM the eastbound Southern Railroad freight train #252 derailed as it passed through Gibsonville on its way from Spencer to Selma.  

    Train Wreck

    How to Make Tar

    How to Make Tar

    How to Make Tar

     Tar was made by heating long leaf pine logs in a clay lined pit. Wood was stacked in the pit then covered with pine boughs and soil.  

    Making Tar

    Gibsonville Garden Railroad fence signs

    Semaphore

    Orville Wright

    Orville Wright

      

    In the early 1920’s Gibsonville changed from a village to a town when the dirt Main St was paved, water and sewer systems installed, streetlights built, fire truck bought, police department expanded, and K-12 public school opened.

    Semaphore

    Orville Wright

    Orville Wright

    Orville Wright

      

    Orville Wright made the first powered, sustained, controlled, heavier-than-air flight at Kill Devil Hills, North Carolina on December 17, 1903. 

    Orville Wright

    Wilbur Wright

    Orville Wright

    Wilbur Wright

      


    The Wrights knew that they had more work to do before they could claim to have developed a practical flying machine. 

    Wilbur Wright

    Fort Macon

    Fort Macon

    Wilbur Wright

      

    Fort Macon is located east of Atlantic Beach, NC, on the eastern point of Bogue Banks to guard Old Topsail Inlet (Beaufort Inlet), the entrance to Beaufort Harbor. 

    Fort Macon

    Gold Mine

    Fort Macon

    Gold Mine

      Gold mining played a minor role here when deposits were discovered on Gibson Hill (or Gold Hill) half mile south of town in the 1800s.  

    Gold Mine

    OZ

    Fort Macon

    Gold Mine

     The Land of Oz was a fully functioning theme park that operated between 1970-1980 at the Town of Beech Mountain near Banner Elk, NC.  

    OZ

    Gibsonville Garden Railroad fence signs

    Alamance Battlefield

    Alamance Battlefield

    Alamance Battlefield

     The Battle of Alamance was fought on May 16, 1771, at a site located 10 miles south of Gibsonville, NC on State Highway 62 in Alamance County.  

    Alamance Battlefield

    Company Shops

    Alamance Battlefield

    Alamance Battlefield

     In 1849 the North Carolina Railroad Company (NCRR) was authorized to build a railroad from Charlotte to Goldsboro.  

    Burlington Company Shops

    Operation Lifesaver

    Alamance Battlefield

    Operation Lifesaver

    Learn More

    GGRR Operatons policy

      

    Gibsonville Garden Rail Road (GGRR)Operations Policy

    GGRR Organization:

    1. The President of the GGRR is responsible for recruiting and training Volunteers, coordinating the activities of the Volunteers, and keeping the GGRR in operational condition.  For each run of the GGRR the President will appoint a Chief Operations Officer (CHOO). The GGRR-CHOO will designate Senior District Engineers Volunteers to run specific portions of the GGRR and may assign Assistant Engineers to assist them.

    2. Senior District Engineer Volunteers designated by GGRR-CHOO will be qualified to operate the GGRR without GGRR-CHOO being present. Senior Volunteers will have key access to the GGRR and supervise other volunteers in their duties. They are responsible for maintaining safe operations, limiting access to the GGRR to authorized personnel, turning on and off the power supply and securing the perimeter fence. 

    3. Other GGRR Volunteers can only operate the GGRR under the supervision of either GGRR-CHOO or a Senior District Engineer Volunteer. 

    GGRR Operations:

    1. Town of Gibsonville owns the land, power service, and fencing. 

    2. GGRR Volunteers provide their own power transformers, rolling stock, structures and accessories.

    3. GGRR Volunteers are responsible for routine repairs to the GGRR facilities such as track alignment, switch adjustment, model building/structure upkeep, weed control, road bed grading, and leaf removal. No changes of any kind to GGRR facilities are allowed without the approval of the GGRR President.

    4. GGRR Volunteers run their equipment at their own risk since GGRR does not have any liability for damage to GGRR Volunteer equipment. Anyone running equipment on GGRR must sign a waiver of liability and acceptance of their responsibility to repair any damage they cause to the GGRR. 

    5. General public is allowed to operate their own trains under the supervision of GGRR Senior District Engineer Volunteers on a first come first run basis. There are no fees for operations, but a waiver of liability is required to hold harmless the GGRR.

    6. All operations are weather dependent. No runs can be made if track is wet (or about to become wet), strong winds, or temperature over 82F. 

    VOLUNTEER REQUIREMENTS:

    1. Volunteers must be 18 years of age or older. (if under 18 then parental consent is required).
    2. Must complete orientation session (see below for schedule and information). 
    3. Agree to adhere to GGRR policies and procedures.
    4. Complete application and liability waiver. 
    5. GGRR Volunteers are unpaid with no benefits and may be dismissed at any time for any reason. 

    VOLUNTEER ORIENTATION:
    Applicants must attend one volunteer orientation session. Sessions are scheduled for the EVERY Saturday of each month from April through November at 10:00 a.m. The session will last approximately 1 hour covering safety procedures, power system configuration, crowd control, and track layout. 

    GGRR VOLUNTEER HOURS:
    April through November, EVERY Saturday of each month from 9:00 a.m. to noon. 

    Special operations for Fall Festival and Lighting of the Greens. 

    Other special events as required.

    August 9, 2023

    Copyright © 2024 Gibsonville Garden Railroad - All Rights Reserved.

    Powered by GoDaddy Website Builder

    This website uses cookies.

    We use cookies to analyze website traffic and optimize your website experience. By accepting our use of cookies, your data will be aggregated with all other user data.

    Accept