Touring Jack Burgess’s Yosemite Valley Railway

Few railroads in the United States traverse as many unique landscapes as California’s Yosemite Valley Railway. Passing through the arid climate of San Fernandino River Valley, lush and sprawling farm country outside Merced and reaching the gateway to Yosemite National Park, the YV was once home to some of the most important rail communities to California’s newly established economy.

To accurately capture the rises and falls, peaks and valleys and wet and dry lands distinctive of the YV, master modeler Jack Burgess decided to build a layout using two and a half levels. Jack’s remarkable scale railroad freezes in time the beautiful terrain and booming industries of pre-war California in the late 1930s. In this behind-the-scenes tour, you’ll follow along as Extra 26 makes its way from station at Merced, across the San Jose Valley and to its resting place at El Portal. Travel the tracks with Engine 26 and experience the majesty of the golden coast!

master modeler Jack Burgess built a layout using two and a half levels To accurately capture the rises and falls, peaks and valleys and wet and dry lands.

Get a behind the scenes tour of Jack Burgess’s remarkable scale railroad that captures the rises and falls, peaks and valleys and wet and dry lands of the distinctive Yosemite Valley.