When David and Sherry Kirchheimer purchased their La Cañada Flintridge, Calif., home in 2008, they found the rusted remnants of train tracks where a previous owner had built a backyard railroad. It ...

The smiling engineer, with a coal car behind him filled to the brim, makes sure his train chugs along the track, spouting smoke as it weaves through the tunnels and in and out of stately conifers.

SUMPTER, Ore. — The beauty of traveling Oregon’s back roads and byways is the unexpected treasure that you might find along the way — not just the scenery but interesting lessons about Oregon’s past.

Building and operating a full-scale railroad in your backyard would be a dream come true for many devoted railfans, and renowned Disney animator Ward Kimball lived that dream for more than 60 years at ...