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|  "Our Drev Line 'layout' didn't start out as a garden
railway at all. Our six kids gave us a pre-formed pond for Christmas in 2000, and that started
this insanity. We started our 'water feature' with a Costco pot off the deck pouring the water
into the first pond. This wasn't enough work for us, so we added a second pond and then a
stream into a sheep trough (which held 60 gallons). Farm and Fleet again! You would think this
was enough water for one yard, but no! A new house was going up down the block and Bill paid
the Bobcat driver $50 (on his lunch hour) to dig out a 14' X 7' pond to replace the trough. We
then bought some rubber roofing material and we had a 'big' pond. Several trips to Thelens in
Antioch where we hand-loaded small boulders in our van and our water feature was complete. At
least I hope it is! Bill's been trying to discourage a pair of Mallards from calling this
home. (The ducks are probably out of scale - Ed.)
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| "We had a lot of goldfish (about 50), which started with 5
donated fish last summer. Bill kept them alive with a Farm and Fleet Cattle trough (I guess
I need to add a link to their website now - Ed.) heated all winter. We took the fish out to
clean the ponds this Spring - put them in Rubbermaid organizers (another link - Ed.) on the
deck overnight. Unfortunately our friendly neighborhood Racoons had a sushi fest. We found
empty containers in the A.M. So, we're starting again - bought some Petco (and another - Ed.)
goldfish & we'll take donations if anyone is overstocked.
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| "Bill originally wanted a 'ride-on' train for the thirteen
grandchildren, but the cost was prohibitive. Well, we saw an Eggliner (I've lost track of
the plugs - Ed.) on display at the train show and thought they were cute. So, we bought
thirteen of them; one each for the grandchildren.
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| "We have one continuous track and run the Eggliners when
the kids are over or whenever we feel like cleaning the track. There is an airport as well
as an industrial section behind the arbor bench, our patriotic section in it's own triangle.
Bill builds all of the houses, buildings, and other structures. We have a commercial section,
which includes a hardware store, junkyard, gas station, used car lot, bank, theater, dime
store, and a park. The courthouse is separated by a tunnel. Another section is the church,
police station, garden shop, and a train depot. We also have an assortment of residential
homes. We tried to recreate some nostalgia with our interpertation of the Olson Rug Waterfall.
The beer garden and alligator crossing are near the stream. We have a dairy farm, pig farm,
'Field of Dreams', the Hollywood Hills, drive-in theater and a Las Vegas downtown replica in
the yard (I hope a 1:22.5 Wayne Newton will be appearing - ED).
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| "We're working on a separate section for the kids with
battery-powered toy trains which will have a 'Carnival/Christmas' theme.
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| "Since Bill is a retired electrician, the layout looks great
at night. We should have an evening open house sometime. All the sections light up. In addition
to our train set-up, we also have eight dwarfs (gnomes) hidden in plain view throughout the
yard, with the eighth named Daffy to confuse the kids.
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| "Anyway, the Drevline's DREV-LINE has no single theme - just
stuff we like and ideas we've picked up from other CAGRS' yards including stick willows holding
eagle's nests."
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