Glue for outdoor wood kits on garden railroads

Three bottles of glue on a workbench

Q: I am getting ready to start building a boat kit that is made with wood. I seem to remember reading years ago that I should use “yellow” wood glue, rather than white glue, as the white glue might eventually warp the wood. Does it make any difference whether I use yellow or white glue? […]

Read More…

A citrus train for the garden railroad

Front of grover’s caboose citrus train model

I thought it would be fun to make a citrus train for the garden railroad. I like to reuse broken hobby items from my junk box, and I had several pieces to build my train inexpensively. Certain livestock trains had a car — usually a converted long caboose — called a drover’s caboose for the drovers (cowboys) to […]

Read More…

Rainbow bush or variegated elephant bush

A miniature “tree” next to a model house and pickup truck.

Common name: Rainbow bush, variegated elephant bush Botanical name: Portulacaria afra f. variegata Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 4′ high x 4′ wide (easily kept much lower) USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 (protected in other zones) Cultural needs: Gravelly, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun The elephants and deer-like kudu of South Africa […]

Read More…

2022 National Garden Railway Convention preview

Model steam train with snowplow on tracks

2022 National Garden Railway Convention preview: The Denver Garden Railway Society welcomes you to Denver this June! This year’s event will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and will include an ice cream social, a BBQ at the Colorado Railroad Museum, daily bus tours to the railways on display, and pre- and post-convention tours. […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 21, 2022

Photo of steam locomotive painted gold, black, and silver.

Large scale locomotives 2-6-0 Mogul steam locomotive. Denver & Rio Grande Western (yellow and black) and Atchison, Topeka & Santa Fe (green and black with desert Southwest painting on tender). One road number per scheme. Dual-mode SoundTraxx sound decoder; separate, factory-applied tank piping, handrails, and ladders; and detailed cab interior with engineer figure. $699.99. June […]

Read More…

Meet the modeler: Ray Dunakin

Model diesel locomotive stopped at a depot

In a paragraph, how did you get started in the hobby? Meet Ray Dunakin: As a child, I had always been interested in trains and model railroads. When I was in junior high my dad gave me and my brothers a 4′ x 8′ plywood layout he had acquired from a friend. It came with […]

Read More…

News & Products for the week of April 14, 2022

Photo of engineer’s side of large scale Forney 0-4-4RT steam locomotive painted black with gold graphics on white background.

Large scale locomotives Wiscasset, Waterville & Farmington Ry. 0-4-4RT Forney steam locomotive. One road number. Features ball bearing Bühler motor, various light and sound functions, digitally controlled smoke unit, and mfx/Digital Command Control decoder. $779. Second quarter 2022. LGB (Märklin, Inc.), 800-321-8811, lgb.com   Large scale freight cars Union Pacific double-sheathed center-cupola caboose. Separate, factory-applied parts […]

Read More…

Moonlight extra on the snowy Jericho & Mt. Zion Railway

Snowy garden railway with lit train approaching

Name: Ray Wheeler Railroad Name: Jericho & Mt. Zion Railway Location: Lynnwood, WA Scale: G scale Theme: Tourist railroad with freight operations in the modern era. Description: Moonlight extra – Gas Electric M-2 “Sadiebug” runs an extra passenger service on the Jericho & Mt. Zion Railway on a cold and snowy evening. Music from Epidemic […]

Read More…

A rural farmhouse for your garden railroad

garden railroad farmhouse front

When I started my garden railroad, around 1994 or 1995, I built structures from drawings printed in old Model Railroader issues. At the time, I was looking for something to build for the contest at the National Garden Railway Convention in Orlando, Fla. (mid 1996). I found drawings in the January 1992 issue (p. 124)  […]

Read More…