(bell clanging) (train whistle blowing) - [Jeff] An individual never gets too old for trains.

Having a model railroad around the Christmas tree, you know, that's where it starts for a lot of us.

It snowballs from there until you get out to, oh, look, you can ride on this.

(train chugging) - [Chris] I don't know what it is.

It's like I have trains running in my blood or something, and so I just can't get enough of it.

(birds chirping) - [Narrator] Welcome to Train Mountain, the largest miniature railroad in the world.

With 36 miles of track, weaving through 2,300 acres of ponderosa pine forest.

- For some people, it is a bucket list item to come here at least once.

Even though it's a long ways from anywhere, it is known throughout the world.

Everybody in the hobby knows Train Mountain Railroad.

- [Narrator] The hobby of riding miniature trains is almost as old as trains themselves.

- Ever since they first invented trains, back in the 1800s, shortly after that, you started seeing miniature trains.

- [Jeff] Anything that was patented had to have a model built of it first, and it grew into more of a hobby for some people.

- [Narrator] Nowadays, you can buy a model train from the store.

But some people still build steam locomotives from scratch.

- There we go.

There are little parts, like this right here, that are kind of tricky to machine.

Each part is a challenge in its own way.

I've been a machinist, welder, engineer, tool designer machine designer, and builder, for 30 years, 40 years.

But this is my first locomotive.

I first started on this project 10 years ago.

I've invested about six to 8,000 hours total in the project.

(steam hissing) - [Narrator] Working on the trains is a big part of the Train Mountain experience.

One of the most popular places for members is the shop.

- [Jeff] We have mills and lays and drill presses.

We have grinders, welders.

Just about all the equipment you'd need in a modern shop.

- We've got friends that are sharing skills with other friends.

I mean, that's a big part of this hobby.

All right, ready?

- [Narrator] Besides keeping the trains running, it takes a lot of volunteer labor to maintain all the miles of track.

A chore that's never done is raking pine needles and cones that can derail the trains.

Another is replacing a worn out track.

- [Jeff] We put down about 4,000 feet of track a year, and the track shop is usually busy all through the winter.

(saw buzzing) The track panels are all fabricated out of recycled plastic for the ties.

All the assembly is all done by hand.

And it's a time-consuming process.

- [Chris] Keep a close eye on that water, all right?

Okay.

- [Narrator] While the majority of Train Mountain members tend to be retirees, a younger generation is growing up into the hobby.

(train whistle blowing) Chris Donhost has come to Train Mountain with his wife, Evelyn, and their nine-year-old twin boys.

- Well technically they had their first train ride when they were still in their mother's womb.

All right, all right.

- Wee!

- There we go.

You want to take the foot pegs out?

- I will go on this side.

- All right.

I've been doing this for just over 30 years now.

And I love the fact that I can share this with my boys.

So go ahead and close that one.

They get to learn a lot about technology, both modern technology and 19th century technology.

(train chugging) (whistle blows) There's something that's alive about a steam engine.

It kind of lives and it breathes with the fire and the water.

(bell clanging) - [Narrator] There are as many types of trains as riders at Train Mountain.

Steam, gas, and electric.

But no matter what you ride, it's fun for all.

(train whistle blows) - [Chris] Yeah, it seems like the fun place is either on the front end running the engine, or on the very back, 'cause then on the very back of the train, you get to watch it as it's going through all the turns.

- They go probably, you know, five miles an hour is probably the maximum speed you go.

But when you're down that close to the ground going a five miles an hour, it really feels like we're moving quite fast.

It can be kind of exciting, but it's safe.

- I do believe that we're the seeds of the new generation, and going to keep that history rolling along.

(train whistle blows) It's not going anywhere.

This hobby's here to stay.

(train whistle blowing) (train chugging) (no audio) (soft music) - Great people just doing their thing in their own Northwest-y way.

We love bringing you stories like this.

Support what you love.

OPB.org/video.