His Kids Love Their Backyard Train

His Kids Love Their Backyard Train AG WORLD 28-6-24 With five children of his own, five foster children, and his wife's home-based daycare, Van Johnson knew the 30-ft. long wood train he built in his back yard would get a lot of use. The Waterloo, Neb. man spent five days building the 6-ft. tall train which is made from treated lumber and sits stationary on a wooden track. "The kids couldn't wait for me to finish so they played on each car as it was completed," he says. "I used plans from the Winfield collection online (www. thewinfieldcollection.com) as a guide, and the project was fun to do." Johnson paid $32.95 for the patterns to all four cars (engine, old fashioned coal car, tanker and caboose), but the plans for each car are also available separately. The whole thing cost about $2,100, not counting labor. Children can start at the nose of the engine and climb through each successive car, all the way to the back of the caboose, Johnson says. There are benches located inside the coal car and the caboose. "I've had it over a year and the kids play on it just as much today as they did when I first made it, so they're not bored," he says. "I've been really impressed with how much they like it. I enjoy working with wood so I had been looking for something a little different that you don't see everyday." Johnson says it took one day to make the track, which sits on a river rock base and each car took another day. Contact: FARM SHOW Followup, Van Johnson, 3607 N. 267th Plaza, Waterloo, Neb. 68069 (ph 402 359-2706, email: shipping227@aol.com).

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