In 2015, Cory Mohl of West Valley City, Utah, turned a lifelong fascination with trains into a full-scale backyard project.
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Mohl → turn → project
Over the next several months he laid about 400 feet of track, hauled roughly 40,000 pounds of gravel for the roadbed, and invested hundreds of hours of labour into what he jokingly calls the Cory Mohl Railroad.
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he → lay → what
By mid-2016 the line was complete, neighbourhood children were asking for rides, and Mohl told ABC News he expected the final cost to land near $17,500 to $18,000.
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cost → ask → 18,000
A childhood love that never faded
Mohl, then 43, described himself as a lifelong train enthusiast who had spent years building and storing model railroads.
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who → fade → railroads
He told ABC News that he had always wanted to return to the hobby in a bigger way once his daughter was older and more independent.
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daughter → tell → way
When the idea of a backyard railroad took hold in December 2015, he said he simply got a wild bug and decided to do it, turning a personal passion into a tangible, rideable creation.
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he → take → creation
The project gave him a chance to revisit the joy he felt as a child around trains, but on a scale that friends and neighbours could experience directly.
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friends → give → that
Instead of watching a miniature locomotive circle a tabletop layout, people could sit in a small car and travel along a real track that wound through his yard and even into a shed.
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that → watch → shed
For Mohl, the backyard railroad was both a personal milestone and a way to share his enthusiasm with the community around him.
Building a real railroad on a residential lot
The Cory Mohl Railroad stretches about 400 feet around the yard, not counting the sections that run through the shed.
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that → share → shed
Laying that much track required careful planning to fit the line into a typical residential lot while still offering a satisfying ride.
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Laying → lay → ride
Mohl moved roughly 40,000 pounds of gravel to create a stable roadbed, then set the rails, ties, and switches by hand over many weekends and evenings, as per the report.
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Mohl → move → report
He sourced the locomotive from another local enthusiast who lived about half a mile away and already had a railroad that ran around his house and across his driveway.
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that → source → driveway
That connection made it easier for Mohl to acquire equipment that was designed for backyard use and compatible with the scale of track he was installing.
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he → make → track
The purchase helped him avoid the cost and complexity of building a custom engine from scratch.
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him → help → scratch
Mohl estimated that he spent hundreds of hours on the project between planning, earthmoving, track laying, and finishing work.
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he → estimate → work
Each stage demanded attention to detail, from grading the ground so the train would run smoothly to ensuring the track was level and properly aligned.
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track → demand → ground
The labour was largely unpaid, but the time investment was a major part of what made the railroad feel like a true passion project rather than a simple weekend upgrade.
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railroad → make → upgrade
As materials and equipment added up, Mohl tracked his spending and told ABC News he expected the final cost to settle around $17,500, with some reports rounding that figure to nearly $18,000.
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reports → add → 18,000
That amount covered track, gravel, the locomotive, rolling stock, and various supplies needed to make the line safe and functional.
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line → cover → track
For a backyard hobby, the price was substantial, but Mohl viewed it as the cost of building something unique and enduring.
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Mohl → view → something
Neighbours line up for rides
Once the railroad was operational, it quickly became a local attraction.
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it → line → rides
Mohl said a few people started coming by to ask about the setup, and children in the neighbourhood began requesting rides.
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children → say → rides
The sight of a small train circling a residential yard was unusual enough to draw attention, but the chance to actually ride it turned the project into a shared experience for families on the block.
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chance → circle → block
Those rides transformed the railroad from a private hobby into a community feature.
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rides → transform → feature
Parents could watch their children climb into a car and travel along the track, while Mohl operated the train and explained how the system worked.
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system → watch → train
In that sense, the backyard railroad became a social space as much as a technical achievement, creating moments of connection between neighbours who might not otherwise interact.
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who → become → neighbours
Plans to expand and decorate
Even with the main line complete, Mohl had ideas for making the railroad more elaborate.
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railroad → expand → ideas
He said he intends to expand the track even more and add decorations for the upcoming holidays.
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he → say → holidays
These additions might include seasonal themes or lights or small structures along the route, all of which are intended to enhance the experience of riders and viewers alike.
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all → include → riders
These expansions would be a continuation of what he had already created, making the railroad an evolving project rather than a one-time build.
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railroad → create → build
Each new section or decoration would be a reflection of his ongoing passion for trains and his desire to keep putting time and money into the hobby.
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section → keep → hobby
The railroad, for Mohl, was never meant to be static, but rather a living manifestation of his childhood dream.
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railroad → mean → dream
Why backyard railroads capture people's imagination
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railroads → capture → imagination
Backyard railroads exist in a unique space between model train layouts and full-size heritage lines.
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railroads → exist → layouts
They’re big enough to ride on and operate like real trains, but small enough to fit on private property and be maintained by one enthusiast or family.
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They → ’re → enthusiast
This middle road allows builders to combine engineering, landscaping and storytelling in a way that appeals to both adults and children.
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that → allow → adults
Mohl’s project demonstrates how a personal passion can bleed into the public realm, even within the confines of a residential yard.
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passion → demonstrate → yard
The Cory Mohl Railroad became a source of pride for the neighborhood, and a physical reminder that large-scale creativity is still possible in suburban settings.
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creativity → become → settings
For Mohl, the satisfaction came not just from completing the track, but from seeing neighbors enjoy the rides and share in the experience.
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neighbors → come → experience
The Aporia
