Pete Birdsong's model railroad basement setup is more of a miniature replication of an actual turn-of-the-century logging railroad than an outright collection, but looking at the 24 x 12 ft. layout and the intricately designed buildings and apparatuses, it is evident the master model railroader has collected many pieces to make the Fernwood Lumber Company in Magnolia, Miss., and all of its surroundings, come alive.
"This represents a real railroad down in Mississippi around the turn of the century," Birdsong said.
What's most impressive isn't the meticulously laid track lines, with each tie glued down and adorned with tiny rail spikes, or the train engines themselves --
it's the artistry and authenticity Birdsong employed during the five years it took to complete his current layout. All of the buildings were made by hand, to scale, and the attention to detail, all the way down to the small cow patties and the real Mississippi dirt used to ballast the rails, is very thorough. The trees were made by cutting down and painting pieces of Joe-Pye weed, an herbaceous flowering plant with buds that resemble miniature trees.
"That's the piece de resistance of the whole thing," Birdsong said.
The superintendent for the local division of the National Model Railroad Association, Birdsong hosts regular model railroad operation meetings at his home with fellow enthusiasts. As a child, he got involved with model trains when he received his first Lionel set, but his interest waned as he got older, only to be rekindled about 20 years ago when his wife bought him a little table top set.
"I stayed with that until I got interested in girls," Birdsong laughs, "which is what happens for most people that are into trains. They leave it for a while then get back into it when they're older."
For more information on the local division of the National Model Railroad Association and its monthly meetings, visit nmra-division10.railfan.net.