A Map of the Line

I have uploaded a map of the Hillendale Railway:

Some garden railways have the benefit of starting under a cohesive plan. No such thing was true of the Hillendale Railway. One day, we laid the first few feet of track in the yard, and since then, it has gradually snaked its way around the perimeter of our garden, challenging obstacles as it met them on its continual push onward, with no particular plan other than "onward."

The fictional story of the Hillendale Railway has followed in the footsteps of this organic discovery. The line's history - and its fictional geography - is a product of what was necessitated by the route taken by the garden railroad.

The railroad is now in its fifteenth year. In the map, you will see the line's main terminus - Hillendale - also its namesake. You will also see a number of towns along the railroad. Some are vaguely inspired by real places - such as Coldbrook, named after a stop on the Ulster & Delaware, but modeled functionally after Laurel House Station on the Kaaterskill - while others are more of an amalgamation of different locales, like Yew Corners.

More recently, a sort-of cohesive plan has been set forth to adapt the Railway into a Whole, or at least more than it was before, and this plan has included the implementation of sidings and towns where there previously were none for eventual Operating Sessions. It has also informed the details at towns - so that when viewed overall, the Hillendale Railway captures the flavor of the rural railroads of the Catskills which inspire it.

There is the obligatory country creamery at Yew Corners - there is the iconic mountain resort at Coldbrook. At Elsewhere Park, there will be a crystal spring water bottling company - a particular Catskill icon. Another Catskill icon is bluestone, which is represented by a loading yard at Yew Corners.

The Hillendale Railway has the limitations of garden railways - of having to be selective about what is modeled due to space constraints. It also is an example of the hobby's boons - of not having to worry about modeling plants (nature will do it for you), and of having the privilege of fighting the elements just as real railroads did, and watching an evolving landscape of railroad change with the seasons. With an indoor railroad, it is hard to model one place in all four seasons - but you can on a garden railroad.

This map of the Hillendale Railway can be found permanently under the "track plan" tab at the top of this website.