What started as a small family hobby has gradually turned an ordinary Chicago backyard into a miniature railway town. The Rustemeyer family in Norwood Park has spent more than two decades building an elaborate garden railroad, transforming a modest patch of grass into a landscape filled with train tracks, tiny buildings, flowers and carefully arranged details. According to Block Club Chicago and WBBM Newsradio, which visited the family home in October 2026, the railway now covers virtually the entire backyard and can accommodate seven trains running at the same time. What makes the project particularly special is that it has grown into a shared family tradition, bringing together generations through a common love of model trains. Scroll down to read more.
A hobby that began with one small stretch of grass
The idea came from Judy’s father, William Rustemeyer, who had been interested in model trains for years and initially maintained a railway layout in the family’s basement. Towards the end of the 1990s, he decided to take his hobby outdoors and create something that could become part of the backyard.The family initially set aside a small oval-shaped section of grass in the middle of the garden for the tracks. What seemed like a relatively modest addition soon became an annual project, with new sections added as the family found more ways to develop the layout.Not everyone was immediately convinced. Shirley, who had spent years looking after her garden, was initially hesitant about giving up the green space. However, she eventually became an active part of the project, helping Judy incorporate flowers and other decorative elements into the railway. Today, the family calls the garden the Norwood Junction 5R Railroad. Its name is a tribute to five family members: Shirley, Judy, her brothers Robert and Donald, and their late father William, who passed away in 2020.
A miniature village with its own details
The garden has developed into a small world of its own, with miniature shops, railway stations, tiny figures, a water tower and even a cemetery. Bright flowers and rose bushes add colour to the landscape, making the railway feel more like a carefully maintained garden than a conventional model train setup. The family has also made room for a little winter railway operation. Some of the trains can be fitted with miniature ploughs, allowing them to continue running even when snow covers the tracks. The railway is not limited to family enjoyment either. The Rustemeyers regularly welcome neighbours and fellow enthusiasts to watch the trains in action. Their annual open house, usually organised around the Fourth of July, is particularly popular and has drawn between 100 and 150 visitors over two days. The family also switches on the miniature lights in the evening, creating a different atmosphere as the trains move through the illuminated village.
Keeping the love of model trains alive
For the Rustemeyers, the garden has become a way to spend time together while building connections with people who share their interest. The family has lived in the same Norwood Park home since 1971 and is involved in several model train groups, regularly attending conventions and meeting other enthusiasts. Their passion is also part of a wider model railway community in Chicago. The city has a long-standing network of hobbyists and clubs, including the Garfield-Clarendon Model Railroad Club, which has been building layouts and introducing visitors to the hobby since 1947.However, Judy is concerned that the hobby is gradually losing its appeal among younger generations. Rising material costs, inflation and tariffs have made model railway equipment more expensive, while fewer young people appear to be taking an interest in the activity.The family hopes that opening its backyard to visitors will encourage more people to give the hobby a try. Their garden is also a reminder that getting started does not require a large space or an elaborate setup. A small patch of grass and a little imagination can be enough to begin.More than 20 years after the first tracks were laid, the Rustemeyers’ backyard has become something much bigger than a model railway. It is a family project, a neighbourhood attraction and a tribute to a hobby that has continued to bring generations together.