Garden Railroading Is Fun For Everyone

Garden railroading combines the lifelong hobby of model trains with the passion of landscaping and gardening. If you enjoy gardening, you can combine that interest with large model trains. It’s called garden railroading.

The lush greens of the trees, graceful curves of the track, and persistent rumbling of a train, work together in harmony to form a slice of everyday life in miniature. The difference between a traditional indoor model railroad and a garden railway is the difference between realism and reality. An indoor layout creates the illusion of reality by using artificial materials—mountains are made of plaster or foam, and rivers are created using plastic resin. A garden railroad brings everything outdoors. Mountains are made of dirt, rivers are real water, and rocks are actual stone.

While this hobby may be new to you, it has been around for more than a century, primarily in Great Britain. In the United States, garden railroading achieved some popularity in the 1920s and ’30s, but nearly died out by the end of World War II. Its resurgence was due in large part to the advent of colorful
LGB trains from Germany in the late 1960s. As the company introduced more American-style trains, people took notice and garden railways began to spring up all over the country. Since then, numerous
other manufacturers of large-scale trains have entered the market.
Part of the fun in this hobby is following the practices of a full-size railroad and working with the landscape. You need to consider the topography of your land and any existing gardens, trees, or other obstacles when planning your railway. If your backyard is sloped, you might build wood or metal trestles or raise the line on earthworks and use timber or stone retaining walls. The choice is strictly up to you. After all, it’s your railroad! You may think that garden railroading is a hobby strictly for gardeners or people who like trains. The truth is that anyone who loves being outdoors can be a garden railroader. Your railroad can reflect those interests. If you enjoy electrical challenges, for instance, you can build a line with a complex track plan. If you have some carpentry skills, you can make buildings from scratch and model a city. And if you like to work with machines, you can build and operate a live-steam locomotive.

However you choose to build your railroad, you can have fun and create an ascetically beautiful landscape for your property.

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Your Garden Railroad Power Source - Making Your Train Go



You have several ways to provide power for your Garden Train. Learn the secrets of consistent power to every area of your Garden Railroad. It is simple once you know how.

Remember how you powered your first model train? Well forget it. The options today are only limited by your imagination, or your budget.

Garden Railroad engines can operate from a number of different sources of power, each has its advantages and disadvantages. The most commonly used power sources are described here.

Track Power - the way we all got started!

Most garden railroad hobbyists start out powering their engines with track power. Most large scale engines contain a DC electric motor designed to operate at up to 24 volts. Supplying power to a track powered railroad couldn't be simpler. Clips are attached to the track and wires run back to a variable output DC power supply that plugs into a standard wall outlet. Turning the control in one direction moves the train forward and turning it the other way moves it backwards. Most starter sets come with everything you need to run one engine with track power.

Once a garden railroad empire begins to grow many operators continue to use track power but find that they need a power supply that has higher current capability to operate larger engines as they pull long strings of cars, especially if the layout includes even gradual climbs. Many also attach a radio control unit to their track power controller that allows them to move around the garden as they adjust the speed and direction of their trains.

Track power is simple, inexpensive and reliable. Its main drawback is that the track needs to be cleaned periodically and the electrical connections between track sections must be secure. Some track, Aristo-Craft, for example, uses screws to connect track sections. You can also use specialized clamps to securely join rails. Conductive grease can be used to help prevent corrosion at joints and maintain the electrical continuity throughout the layout.

Battery Power - The Hi-Tech Option!

Onboard battery power, using rechargeable batteries, is becoming more and more popular. Track cleaning, beyond removing debris that might derail an engine, is unnecessary. A variety of battery types including nickel cadmium, nickel metal-hydride, sealed lead acid and lithium ion are available and battery operated engines can run for many hours between charges.. Right now the most run time for each dollar invested comes with nickel metal-hydride. You can buy preconfigured battery packs or make your own from individual cells, such as AA's, wiring a number of cells in series until the desired voltage is reached.

Battery powered engines do require one more thing that adds to their cost, a radio control system. A hand held transmitter communicates with an onboard radio receiver that can change the engine's speed and direction. As an added bonus, most radio control systems allow you to have multiple trains on the same track. All the operator needs to do is to periodically adjust their speed so that one doesn't run into the other.

The batteries themselves can be installed inside of many engines, especially diesels, or in a steam engine's tender or in a trailing boxcar. The use of a separate battery car gives you the ability to quickly swap out a depleted battery car replacing it with another while the first one recharges.

Live Steam

Live steam engines operate, as their name implies, from steam that is created by boiling water and using that steam to move pistons that drive wheels that move the train, just like a real steam engine. Although not recommended for first time garden railroaders live steam adds to the realism and excitement of running trains in the garden. Engine sizes range from small 0-4-0's to highly detailed engines that can be several feet long and cost many thousands of dollars.

Most live steam engines are radio controlled and fired by either butane or alcohol although some add even more realism by burning coal!

Garden Railroad Landscaping Ideas



Garden railroad landscaping can be fun for the entire family. With small scale trains and miniature plants, this is a perfect project for the landscape. Those with an interest in model trains will be especially delighted with this landscape feature.

Railroad gardening is catching on. Some of the public botanical gardens even have such displays.

Garden railroads can be enjoyed year-round in warm climates as well as cold winter climates (see the photo of the garden railroad landscaping for the Winter).

A railroad garden requires careful planning. The plant size should be in proportion to that of the railroad. Generally, miniature and very dwarf plants are used. Why not visit the various garden railroad websites to see examples of what others have done? This will also give you a good idea of what plants folks are using.

Your budget is really the only limit when it comes to buying the railroad equipment for this landscape feature. There are affordable and luxury models available. As with all mechanical things, a certain amount of maintenance is needed. So build this cost into your budget if you’ll have to pay someone else to do it.

Since these projects are intended for year-round enjoyment, evergreens are most often used. Among the evergreens are conifers and broad leafs, such as hollies and boxwood. During the winter, these will still offer a vision of beauty. Use enough deciduous plants to provide some season interest. Flowering bulbs, annuals, and perennials, all of suitable size, can be used so long as they don’t overwhelm the design. Rock garden websites may also have good plant suggestions. That is true because most plants used in rock gardens tend to be either miniature or dwarf.

As with any landscape design project, the design principles still apply. If you don’t incorporate these principles into your design it will be dull and uninteresting. Those principles include contrast, repetition, form, and texture. Choosing evergreens with colorful foliage will go a long way in fulfilling these principles. The repetition can be done by repeating a color, a texture, or a form.

For garden railroads, slow growing plants are best. Those with a faster rate can overwhelm the scale of the design.

With all plants, check to see what the mature size will be. Choose ones that are the proper range, and they’ll never need pruning. During the planning phase make a list of the plants you want. Nurseries may be sold out by the time you order or arrive at the store. Avoid disappointment. Order early. Shop early in the season. And have some alternatives in mind in case they’re sold out. That way you can move ahead on the project.

Planning the railroad garden is an exciting time. So is the planting and construction phase. The real enjoyment comes when the project is complete, something the whole family can enjoy together.