Czech Man Builds a 650-Metre Railway in His Garden

What began as a personal railway experiment has grown into a 650-metre attraction in the garden of a Czech family. In Vracov, in the Hodonín region, Zdeněk Iš and his relatives operate three trains across a miniature network built on roughly 4,000 square metres.

The line has 12 remotely controlled switches, about 20 signals and four level crossings. A safety system automatically checks whether the track is clear. When the property opens to tourists, families and children gather beside the line, waving to passengers as the trains pass.

Iš started the project in 2007 with only 20 metres of track. The line reached 250 metres in 2008, 500 metres in 2014 and more than 600 metres from 2022. It now uses a 600-millimetre gauge and runs three trains during an operating day.

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The property belongs to our family. We build it entirely ourselves. At first I only wanted to try whether I could build a vehicle that could run on rails.

The railway did not begin as a tourism project. Iš said he wanted to test whether he could build a vehicle capable of travelling on rails. He entered the railway industry in 1989 as a rolling-stock repair mechanic at the Veselí nad Moravou depot and hoped to become a locomotive driver. He drove locomotives during his time there but never officially held that role. He later qualified as an electrician and left the depot after restructuring in the railway system.

Iš and his brother went on to establish a company that they still own. The garden railway emerged later as a separate project, gradually adding the infrastructure needed to operate trains and welcoming visitors once the property opened to the public.

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The railway currently measures 650 metres. There are 12 remotely controlled switches, about 20 signals and four level crossings. Three trains operate during a day of operation.