New Zealand man sells home with 370m miniature railway after 11 years of work

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. 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 railwayThe 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 ...