New Zealand man spent 11 years building home railway; property sells for NZ$240,000

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.