New This Year 2017

Welcome to the 2017 Highlandtown Train Garden Blog. Our volunteers have been working on the garden since June. This year there will be several new things to see.
1) A separate section with Thomas the Tank Engine and Friends in HO scale
2) The Great Halloween Lantern Parade
3) Conkling Street Garden ( a community garden in Highlandtown)

And as has been in the past the displays will feature the four seasons, scavenger hunts, raffle prizes, the sponsor table, prizes, and other great features. Opening day will be November 25, 2017.

If you would want to be a sponsor please contact Joe Manfre at jmanfre@highlandtowntraingarden.com.

Hope to see you there!

Highlandtown Train Garden Get Together

On Saturday, February 11, 2017 the Train Garden volunteers met at Pasticcio's Restaurant to celebrate the success of the 2016-2017 Highlandtown Train Garden. The names of those who attended are listed below in alphabetical order. Also attending were Bernie and Roberta Diesel who volunteered at the Train Garden for the first six years. The Diesels now live in Elkton MD.

Doug and Joan Campbell
Scott Eggleston
Carol Hartke
 George Lambillotte
Terry and Ellen Maillar
Joe Manfre
Dennis Moore
Amanda and Scott Peters
Jean Pula
Chris Ryer

The Results Are In

This year the Highlandtown Train Garden had 58 sponsors, $4,696.29 in donations and raffle, and 4,566 visitors which include 970 students from the nearby schools. Hope you were able to visit the Train Garden this year. See you on November 25, 2017 for the ninth year of the Highlandtown Train Garden. A big thanks to the firefighters at Engine House, the Southeast Community Development Corporation especially Chris Ryer and Amanda Smit-Peters, Pompei Catholic Church and the following volunteers - Terry Maillar, Ellen Maillar, Ted Baccala, Scott Eggleston, Doug and Joan Campbell, Carol Hartke, George Lambillotte, Frank Bratkowski, Virginia Green, Sandy Sales, and Joe Manfre.

The Highlandtown Train Garden Raffle Winners and Their Chosen Prizes

On Saturday, January 7, 2017 the winners of the raffle returned to Engine House # 41 to pick up their prizes. Pictured below are the winners: Anna Glezina (on the left) - Train Set, Mike Whitehead - Orioles Basket, Russ Tenhoff - Ravens Basket, and Joanne Rukowicz - Goetze Basket. Congratulations to all!

Jim Russ from WBAL AM Radio visited the Train Garden

On Wednesday, December 14 Jim Russ from WBAL AM Radio visited the Train Garden. He took pictures, video and interviewed Joe Manfre and Doug Campbell. Follow the steps below to see these items.

1. go to wbal.com

2. at the top on the right click Videos

3. now click on 1090 AM videos

4. look on the right side of the page and click where it says Video: Highlantown (sic) Train Garden Remembers the Blizzard of 2016

5. there you will see pictures, video and the audio

 

Or go to the following link:  http://www.wbal.com/article/208424/21/video-highlantown-christmas-train-garden-remembers-the-blizzard-of-2016

School Children from the Area Schools Visit the Train Garden

This year 970 students from various schools came to visit the Train Garden. The schools were Hampstead Hill Academy (#47), John Ruhrah Elementary and Middle School (#228), Highlandtown Elementary and Middle School (#215), Highlandtown Elementary and Middle School (#237), and the Patterson Park Public Charter School. Amazingly on December 15 Kindergarten students from Hampstead Hill Academy braved wind chill temperatures in the single digits to visit the Train Garden. Below are some pictures of the visits.

The Raffle Prizes at the Highlandtown Train Garden

Take chances at the Train Garden so you can win one of the four raffle prizes pictured: The Overland Flyer Train Set with the two additional cars, The Ravens and the Orioles baskets which were created by Rob Hoehn of Hoehn's Bakery located at the corner of Bank St. and Conkling St. in Highlandtown, and the other basket was donated by the Goetze's Candy Company located at 3900 Monument Company.

The Highlandtown Train Garden Is Officially Open

On December 2, 2016
Highlandtown Main Street had Santa, picture taking, singing, band playing and the lighting of the tree at Eastern Ave. and Conkling St. between 5 pm and 6:30 pm. At this time the people proceeded across the street to the Train Garden. There Zeke Cohen,
our new First District Councilman, pushed the remote and the Train Garden became officially open.

Ready for Opening Day on Saturday, November 26, 2016

Before Moving In and After Moving In

On Saturday, November 12, 2016 several volunteers and workers helped to move the Train Garden from Pompei to Engine House # 41 at 520 S. Conkling St. Here it will be on display.

A Brief Glimpse of the 2016 Blizzard Scene in the Train Garden (Click on the picture for an up-close view.)

Working on the Sponsor Letters

On October 18, 2016 some members of the Highlandtown Train Garden committee met and worked to send out the sponsor letters. These letters ask businesses and associations in the area to become a sponsor of the Train Garden. There are many benefits of being a sponsor. For more information as to how to become a sponsor please call Joe Manfre at 410-458-9029. Pictured are Doug Campbell, Terry Maillar, Ellen Maillar, and Carol Hartke. Joe Manfre is taking the picture.

Volunteers Are Working Hard Getting the Train Garden Ready

                                 

The New and Improved Near Miss Figure 8

New Sites in This Year's 2016 Highlandtown Train Garden

The Highlandtown Train Garden Committee Met

On Saturday, August 20, 2016 most members of the Highlandtown Train Garden Committee met at Pompei Catholic Church where the Train Garden is stored. Those present were Terry Maillar, Ted Baccala, Carol Hartke, Dennis Moore, Virginia Green, Doug and Joan Campbell, Scott Eggleston, and Joe Manfre. Joe Manfre will inform those members missing of the results of the meeting. After the meeting many members took a tour of the Train Garden and some stayed to work on it.

Coming Soon - Saturday, November 26, 2016

 

Work on This Year's Highlandtown Train Garden is Progressing

Work on the 2016-2017 Highlandtown Train Garden is continuing. We would like to welcome two new volunteers who are helping out at the Train Garden this year. Pictured are Doug Campbell and his wife Joan.

There are a variety of tasks that volunteers can do at the Train Garden and if interested, you may email Joe Manfre at JOESOCST@AOL.COM for more information. This year the Train Garden will have several new features that must be seen. More information will be posted on the blog in the very near future and on the Highlandtown Train Garden Facebook page.

Work Has Begun on the 2016-2017 Highlandtown Train Garden

Several new items are being added to this year's train garden. The engineers - Terry, Scott, and George - have been creating three new features such as those pictured below. One of the items is an arabber which was a Baltimore tradition years ago. Terry is working on a new and improved Figure 8 and Scott and George are working on a new display. Several more new items will be added in the very near future.

Last Meeting of the 2015-2016 Highlandtown Train Garden

On Saturday, February 13, 2016 members of the Highlandtown Train Garden met at Pasticcio's Restaurant in Canton to review the data from the 2015 Train Garden and to express ideas for the upcoming 2016-2017 Train Garden. After the discussion the members enjoyed their meal comprised of salads and pizzas. In a few more months work will be begun on the 2016 Train Garden.