WEST VALLEY CITY, Utah -- Thousands of dollars, hundreds of hours and 40,000 pounds of gravel have all combined to create a miniature railroad in one Utah man’s backyard.

Some people claim imaginations dim a little as we age, but if you ask Cory Mohl of West Valley City, he’ll say you're never too old to chase after your dreams.

"Yeah, I refuse to grow up,” Mohl said.

It was late last year that inspiration struck.

“I just decided in December I was going to do it, and that's when I bought this thing and started ordering what I needed to do it,” Mohl said.

After lots of work: "It definitely was a back buster,” Mohl said.

And a whole lot of money: "It's gonna be between $17,500 and $18,000 when it's all done,” Mohl said.

Cory has a fully functioning railroad right in his backyard. So far, it's been a big hit with his younger neighbors.

“They all love it,” Mohl said. “All the neighbor kids have been hanging on the fence as I’ve been building this thing. I've given most of the neighbor kids a ride or two around here, and they enjoy it."

But it's not just the neighborhood kids who think the train is cool.

“My mom thinks it's, like, just the thing, you know,” Mohl said. “She's 74 years old and just thinks it's as neat as can be."

Mohl can't wait to share the train experience with his grandson one day.

“He’s still too little,” he said. “He's only a year old, but another couple of years, and as he gets a year or two older—and like most boys when he realizes what a train really is—I think he's gonna go nuts.”

While the railroad already goes around the entire backyard, Mohl thinks it could be even better.

“I’m gonna add some scenery,” he said. “Might get some scale buildings, might make a little town on the way and do some other things."

He said he plans to keep improving it.

"It's a blast,” he said. “I mean, I don't think I’ll be getting tired of this anytime soon."