The Fernwood Botanical Garden near Niles is celebrating the reopening of one of its most popular exhibits. Last October, its Railway Garden, an elaborate model train track, was destroyed by fire. On Friday, the newly-rebuilt display came to life once again, with six trains making their way through the track’s tunnels, bridges, and replicas of local landmarks. Fernwood Executive Director Carol Line says she’s amazed a crew of six could rebuild the track in just five days.
“I can’t describe how it feels,” Line told WSJM. “It’s just amazing. It feels almost like a miracle to come out each day and see the progress. Of course, the horticulture crew and some volunteers were still planting about an hour ago. It looks wonderful.”
When the train burned down due to an electrical fire last year, supporters of Fernwood came together and raised more than $12,000 to help finance its rebuilding. Line says the display was insured, but the money from the community helped with reaching their deductible. A Kentucky company called Applied Imagination handled the reconstruction. The Railway Garden will officially reopen to the public on Sunday.
