'Train Lady' opening her North Barrington estate to public

Elaine Silets, who is affectionately known as "The Train Lady," will open her extensive private North Barrington gardens for a public fundraiser at Wandering Tree Estate from 10 a.m. to 4 p.m. Friday, June 16, and Saturday, June 17.

Visitors will get to see her internationally famous "Gloree and Tryumfant" garden railway, which includes about 6,000 linear feet of railroad tracks, waterfalls, streams, lakes, bridges, trestles, city and country vignettes, as well as a circus.

Proceeds will go to Hands of Hope, a charitable organization run by volunteers that benefits starving women and children in Africa.

Silets is a well-known designer and manufacturer of model railroads and garden railways. She'll also open to the public the Harvey M. Silets Memorial O-scale model railroad museum.

For more information, check trainlady.com.