What appears to be just an average backyard shed is actually the workshop of a Columbia man who has the unique talents and skills to make some of the most remarkable miniature-scale creations of villages, cities and landscapes, complete with a fully-functional 12-volt railroad system.
Regardless of your age, if you're a child or an adult, and whether or not you have any interest in model trains or miniature landscapes — the exquisite detail and realism of Mario Hoffmann's creations will surely fascinate anyone who views his magnificent displays.
His extraordinary talents are compounded further by the fact that he managed to accomplish everything in this one exhibit, to date, in only 13 months. He began the project in December 2019.
Besides his extensive collection of modern and vintage train engines, cars, tracks, parts, etc., Hoffman custom-makes all of his landscapes from scratch, using layers of plaster onto handmade forms.
He said he simply begins with a vision, and then his ideas take on a life of their own. Even though it may appear complete, with every possible feature positioned perfectly in place, Hoffmann said, to him, there is really no such thing as ever being completely finished.
"There is always something I notice that needs to be changed or removed or added to, so there is absolutely no limitation," Hoffman said. "Every single piece of architecture or railway or equipment or even landscape can always be modified in some way."
As a full-time employee of Lamar County Schools, Hoffman still finds time after work and on weekends to pursue his internal driving force to build and add and change. He does, however, stop short of calling it an obsession, but rather a healthy distraction or hobby to keep him busy.
He said he has the full support of his wife, Wandee Spiers, who actually helps him with portions of his projects, including painting parts of the detailed murals around the perimeter walls that bring such an enhanced element of realism to the exhibit.
Although Hoffmann now calls Columbia home and shares his creative talents with the local community, life has not always been an easy venture for him.
Born in 1959, he spent his entire childhood under the communist reign of East Germany, where he endured another 30 years of strict control before the toppling of the Berlin Wall in 1989, which ultimately liberated all of Germany.
But, during that same period of time, Hoffmann enjoyed about 17 years doing what he truly loved since he was 6 years old — he worked for the railroad from 1977 until 1994.
"It was my dream as a child to come to America, and I finally did in 1995 when I was 35 years old," Hoffmann said. "In East Germany, all eligible-aged men were required to serve in the army or navy or some branch of the military. I ended up serving six-and-a-half years in the navy."
Once he made his final decision to come to the United States, Hoffmann boarded a plan for an extremely long flight across the Atlantic Ocean to New York City, with only a few belongings and $700 in cash. After spending only three days in the "Big Apple," he was robbed at gunpoint on the street and left penniless to survive.
"They took all my money and my passport, and I had to hitchhike from New York City all the way to New Orleans, where there was supposed to be an embassy," he said. "But I got hung up in Meridian, where a German lady took me in and helped me out for about a year-and-a-half."
Hoffmann said he eventually made his way south to Hattiesburg, where he found the love of his life, Wandee, and they ended up "dancing the night away." The rest, he said, is history.
Born the second oldest of four children, Hoffman had an older brother and two younger sisters. He continues to stay in contact with his mother and sisters, who still live in Germany. After finally settling down in Columbia, Hoffmann said he eventually contacted one of his sisters and had her ship all of his train equipment to him, some pieces of which are older than him.
Hoffmann said he has in excess of 240 assorted train engines alone, as well as hundreds of various types of train cars such as container, open-cargo, passenger, etc., and countless pieces of track connections, including curves, straight extensions and multiple versions of connector links.
As far as placing a value on his creations, Hoffmann said that could probably never be done accurately because of all the time and effort and vision he has put into his projects. Instead, he said, it's really only about the passion.
"I don't think I'll ever be done with it," he said. "I love it too much."
A small village, situated above the main city, is illuminated by tiny LED lighting installed in each building.
Hundreds of feet of 12-volt railroad track intertwine throughout the exquisitely detailed miniature city and outlying country landscape.
The tiny city comes alive at night, complete with hundreds of LED lights, people, animals, school buses, ambulances and even police cars.
Hoffmann demostrates how his master controls can operate every electrical circuit throughout the exhibit.
The fascinating imagination and talents of Columbia's Mario Hoffmann are revealed in his incredible miniature creations.
