Some home improvements are measured in fresh paint, landscaped gardens or a new kitchen. Ian Jones took a rather different approach. Over 11 years, the New Zealand retiree transformed his Whanganui property into a miniature railway world, complete with tunnels, bridges, stations and enough track to turn an ordinary residential section into a tiny transport network. Now, after years of building and tinkering, the property on Cornfoot Street in Castlecliff has a new owner. Sold for NZ$240,000, the home will remain connected to its most unusual feature, with the family buying it planning to keep the railway, states an online report by TradeMe.
From online find to backyard railway
The project began almost casually. Jones, who owns several properties in Whanganui, came across a child-sized petrol locomotive being sold online and decided to buy it. That small purchase eventually became the Nikau Junction Railway, a 370-metre miniature track winding through the property. What started as a whim grew steadily, with Jones adding 10 tunnels, two bridges, an artificial hill and two stations, adds the online report.The complete circuit takes around 12 minutes to travel, with the track arranged in two interconnected loops. For visitors, the railway was more than an ornamental feature. It was a functioning ride built over years of hands-on work, the online report claims. The unusual property attracted national attention when it was listed earlier this year, with photographs putting the miniature railway front and centre.
A buyer willing to keep the trains
Finding someone who wanted both the property and its railway was never guaranteed. The listing generated considerable interest, but many prospective buyers were primarily interested in the land and viewed the elaborate railway as less important.Eventually, the right match emerged. The new owners, a couple with a teenager, already have an unconventional living arrangement and plan to continue using the property in much the same spirit. They currently live in a bus and intend to sell it before moving the bus onto the Castlecliff property. The family also plans to retain the miniature railway, ensuring that Jones’s 11-year project will continue under new ownership, adds the online report.The sale price of NZ$240,000 was NZ$20,000 above the property’s rateable value, a notable result in a market where some vacant sections have struggled to find buyers, the report mentions.
One railway, several chapters
For Jones, selling the property does not mean abandoning miniature railways. At 70, the retiree is already turning his attention to other interests, including renovating his own home, which had been neglected while much of his time went into the railway project.He will also remain involved in trains through a friend’s much larger model railway project near Castlecliff. The property is being developed into a wedding venue, giving Jones another opportunity to indulge his hobby without having to own the railway himself. During the sales process, prospective buyers could view the property by appointment. Some were even taken for rides, turning a conventional property inspection into something closer to a small attraction.
A quirky property finds its people
The Castlecliff home may have started as an ordinary residential property, but 11 years of work gave it a personality few listings can match. Its tunnels, bridges, stations and winding track transformed a piece of land into a miniature world. Now the railway has found owners who intend to keep it running. For Jones, the project moves into its next chapter, while the new family gets something considerably more unusual than a house: a home with its own railway network in the backyard.Images Courtesy: TradeMe