Some way, somehow, trains have become a poignant symbol of the holidays. Children anticipate their construction under the tree as much as they do Santa’s arrival.
The intrigue of this scene will be available on a much larger scale for the City of Columbus this season, as renowned garden railway designer Paul Busse brings historic wonders of the world and iconic images from fairytales to life at the Franklin Park Conservatory.
Busse’s exhibit, The Enchanted Express, will be on display from Oct. 13-March 30. The track will wind through the Conservatory, past Busse’s creations of the Great Wall of China, the pyramids of Egypt and the Old Woman in the Shoe – all made from natural materials such as eucalyptus petals or lotus seedpods.
From his home in Alexandria, Ky., Busse took some time to talk to CityScene about his love of trains, his love of gardening, and how his career naturally came together.
CityScene: How did you get started in this somewhat obscure hobby of garden railway design?
Paul Busse: I’ve always loved toy trains, and I’ve also always been very interested in architecture and gardening. Miami University offered botany architecture, so I went there after high school because I thought it was the perfect fit. Then I heard about landscape architecture and transferred to Ohio State and got my degree in 1972. The work has evolved in many ways since, but that was the start of it.
CS: How did you know this work would be popular?
PB: I just think it’s the perfect combination. Everybody loves a train and you can’t go wrong with that. But to express the details in these buildings and bridges with natural plant material just made it appropriate to get involved in displaying at public gardens.
CS: How did you come to incorporate natural plant materials into your displays?
PB: There is something so warm and rich about using live plants. There is a uniqueness that is unparalleled in the world of trains, and I think that’s the draw. We’re not ordering this stuff from a florist. We’re out scouring the woods and when we’re traveling everywhere, it’s great because woods are different all over the country.
CS: Do you find something and then build around it or vice versa?
PB: It just depends. I found this humungous gourd that made the entire dome of the Jefferson Memorial and I think finding another one would be hard to do. We’re always out looking for unique pieces of wood, or hollow logs or branches that would work well in a display. You’re not going to see two pieces in a display that are similar and I think that’s the best part of doing this.
CS: What are some of your favorite materials to work with?
PB: I love working with “contorta,” which is a twisty stick. It gives us wonderful curves and arches and does some crazy things, which we need to help express our designs. I love working with stock stuff, like pine cones or seeds. There is a unique tree fungus that grows different than anything else I’ve seen and we take advantage of that, too.
CS: What is your biggest display?
PB: I did a bridge in Vegas last year that was 45 feet long and 23 feet tall. I remember when I first started doing this, I built a trestle that was 2 feet tall and 7 feet long, which I thought was the coolest, biggest thing. This career has come a long way.
CS: With permanent displays all over the country and seasonal displays in some of the bigger cities, what is next on your agenda?
PB: After Columbus I am going to New York and Washington and Chicago. We’re expanding in Omaha. We’ve talked about going international and I wouldn’t mind doing the Rose Bowl Parade, since we build everything out of natural plant material.
CS: Are you surprised your career has gotten to this point?
PB: Surprised isn’t the right word. I’m delighted it’s evolved. I never would have dreamed I’d be doing exhibits in Rockefeller Center. We’ve done Saks Corner on Fifth Avenue. To think about the fact there’s 17 million people in New York City full of amazing talent, and I’m from Kentucky and my work is on display ... It’s a great feeling.
CS: What surprises others most about this work?
PB: I think everyone expects the train to be sitting on a table or on the floor right in front of you. But I like to bring your eyes in as though you’re in scale. What you’re looking at while you’re walking under a bridge, for example, breaks the human scale barrier and it’s unexpected. I like feeling as opposed to scaling. It feels correct as opposed to scales correct.
CS: Personally, what are you most looking forward to with the FPC display?
PB: It’s always fun to come back to Columbus. The Conservatory is a creative, dimensional space. The type of buildings we’re doing is taking our expression to a new level because they’re so big and dramatic. I am just looking forward to combining the joy of gardening with the fun of trains and the uniqueness with the way we build everything.
CS: What can visitors expect from your display at the Franklin Park Conservatory?
PB: It’s very intense and enchanted. It will be full of fairytale pieces, like Rapunzel’s Tower, Goldilocks and the Three Bears; there will be a castle, a pumpkin carriage. My favorite is probably the Old Lady in the Shoe. It’s about 30 inches tall and the leather is made from tobacco. The display is very three-dimensional. It’s a discovery thing that appeals to all ages who have the gamut of interests. I am having intense fun with this and I think others will, too.
The Enchanted Express will roll through Franklin Park Conservatory from Oct. 13 through March 30. For more information, visit www.fpconservatory.org.
This will be Busse’s first time showing at the Conservatory. However, for about 15 years he’s had an annual exhibit in the lobby at the Huntington Bank headquarters in Downtown Columbus. The display is profoundly different than his FPC exhibit, as it focuses on German houses and incorporates artificial plants. It is also smaller, at 25 square feet. But, he admits, it creates a strong visual and is worth checking out to see the difference in layout. For more information about his work, visit www.appliedimagination.biz