Here are five tools for a garden railroad you can make or obtain cheaply.
1. Make a ballast broom
If you do a lot of reballasting (or ballasting) on your railway, take an old 4-inch paint brush and attach the handle with screws to an extension pole about 3 feet long. This becomes a mini-broom to push the ballast around. You can use it standing up, it’s narrow enough to get into tight spaces, and it won’t disturb plants or trackside structures.
![Grouping of old toothbrushes](https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GRW_five_cheap_garden_railway_tools2_121..jpg)
2. Keep that old toothbrush
An old toothbrush is a great tool for any number of projects, such as cleaning kit parts before assembly or brushing small bits of dust and debris from a structure.
3. Easy roadbed maintenance
A shrub rake — a narrow rake with long, thin tines — is ideal for clearing your track of leaves, twigs, and other debris. When used carefully, its flexible tines will not harm adjacent foliage.
4. Cosmetic-brush duster
A cosmetic brush (available at drug stores and beauty-supply houses) makes an ideal duster for trains that have been sitting on a shelf. They come in a variety of sizes and are inexpensive to buy.
![An inexpensive cordless screwdriver contains a useful motor for railroad projects.](https://www.trains.com/wp-content/uploads/2021/01/GRW_five_cheap_garden_railway_tools1_121-300x300.jpg)
5. Cheap motor and gearbox
Looking for a cheap motor with a reduction gear and a rechargeable battery to power your next kitbashed or scratchbuilt large-scale locomotive or railcar? You can find them in inexpensive cordless screwdrivers. These items are often on sale at hardware stores for about $10.