Garden railroading at The Colorado Railroad Museum

Garden railroading at The Colorado Railroad Museum

The railway at a glance Name of railroad: DGRS Garden Railway at the Colorado Railroad Museum Size of railroad: 97′ x 70′ Scale: Various Gauges: 0 (32mm) and 1 (45mm) Era: Late 1800s to modern Theme: Colorado mountains and plains Age: 24 years Motive power: All types, including track power, battery power, and live steam […]

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Accessories for garden-railroad vignettes

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Photo 1 The clay jugs and pots were made by the author’s wife Joyce. The standing figure working at a potter’s kick-wheel was obtained from Just Plain Folks. Don Parker Photo 2 This painted, rustic bench looks in place with the squared-log cabin. Note the watering-can planter with simulated flowers behind the figure of the […]

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Video 101 Trains at twilight

trains running on a garden railroad at twilight

Many garden railways are lighted for evening viewing. Some have intricate model street lighting, while others use various yard lights or strings of overhead outdoor bulbs. Bob Guinan installed several light sources along his railway, including inside buildings and balloons, overhead, and along the viewing pathways. Our club looks forward to Trains at Twilight on […]

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Make-A-Wish Railway Project

Make-A-Wish Railway Project

Make-A-Wish Northeastern California and Northern Nevada is one of 62 chapters nationwide. Since the foundation began in 1980, more than 250,000 wishes have been granted to children ages 2½ to 18 with life threatening medical conditions. This particular chapter began in 1983 and has granted more than 4,700 wishes. Make-A-Wish organized volunteers from 4 organizations […]

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Video 101: Where’s my stuff?

Even short videos require lots of media. Locating your libraries of video clips, photographs, sound clips, titles, transitions, and backgrounds is the first step in postproduction video assembly. When I open my movie software, the first thing I see is a desktop with three sections. Whether you are using the IMovie software that is supplied […]

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Creative ideas for your garden railroad

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Photo 1 This plunging waterfall is on the author’s Hoot ’n’ Holler Railroad in northern Ohio. It is “pondless,” with an underground pump reservoir beneath the mill. Don Parker Photo 2 The waterwheel from the mill in photo 1 is built around a section of 4″ plastic drain pipe. Don Parker Photo 3 This telltale […]

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Take steps to make stairs for your garden railway

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Photo 1 On the gravel division of the author’s Aggie (a 7/8″ railway at 1:13.7 scale), work piles up, but it’s time to take a break on the front steps. Lake Phillips welded steel stairs and wrap-around decking for the ceramic mine office, modeled after one in Wales by Chris Greenwald (C&N Designs—candndesigns@msn.com). The raised […]

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Video 101: Postproduction

a model train running on a garden railroad

“The trainyard is your media; the train is your story. Assemble the tracks you need. Then create the trains to run on them.” My Apple Store instructor was searching for an analogy for our class about movie making, not describing Southern Pacific operations. The resemblance worked for me. Postproduction Transforming our rough clips and music […]

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Video 101: Shooting on location

Today we hit the road. Our goal will be to make an interesting 3 minute, home video using a readily available action camera, still cameras and homemade accessories. Our raw video will be edited on consumer level software; we will add sound effects, and zippy music. We will make a gift copy for the owner, […]

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