PIKO America Pennsylvania Railroad 25-ton diesel locomotive Pennsylvania RR 25-ton diesel locomotive. Factory-installed, battery-powered model with remote control. Sound system created by TCS and PIKO America. Sound effects can be triggered with pocket remote. Model will run on six AAA batteries (not included; high-capacity rechargeable recommended). $449.99. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com […]
Polka dot plant introduction Common name: Polka-dot plant, Freckle face Latin name: Hypoestes phyllostachya Plant type: Annual USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, slightly acidic soil; sun to part shade Plant size: 12-18″ (species), 6″ (hybrids) Who gets to decide how large a leaf is okay for a garden railway? The gardeners […]
Long-time Garden Railways contributor Eric Schade shows off running and plowing scenes on his Winneance & Quebec Railway. The scenes have it all: double-headed steam locomotives, craftsman-level coaches, snowy scenes and more! Schade creates his garden railroad empire in Maine. […]
A solar-powered garden railroad building is a fairly easy project for most do-it-yourselfers. But one day while shopping at a home-improvement store, I stumbled on to a solar pathway light similar in shape to an HO scale model I liked. I thought the size would work well in my garden railroad as a structure. I […]
Durable roadbed for garden railroads, as a topic, developed for me after retirement. For many years, I was an “armchair” garden railroad enthusiast. With plenty of time on my hands I began focusing on building the railroad. Having more time did not make things easier because, being a rookie, I agonized over which method should […]
Common name: String of beans Latin name: Senecio radicans Plant type: Perennial USDA Hardiness Zones: 8-10 Cultural needs: Sandy, well-drained soil, in sun or part shade Plant size: 1″ high trailing to 2′ or longer String of beans’ succulent bead-like leaves grow from stringy stems and present a unique opportunity for railroad gardeners. The designers, […]
This large scale indoor club layout started life as a custom build of a local large-scale collector. The 8-by-11-foot board had been unused for at least a decade and I immediately knew where this display would be best displayed — at the 7.5” gauge, 1.5” scale live-steam train club that I belong to. Many […]
A large scale engine house project is just one example of how buildings complete a scene. It little matters if the large scale railroad is an indoor table presentation or an outdoor garden expanse. I built a two-bay roundhouse with the added feature it can be partially disassembled for storage and transport. It’s a hybrid […]
Organizers of this year’s International Small Scale Steam Up in Diamondhead Miss. are excited to welcome you to their 2022 event. The annual show, which started in 1993, features a vendor room, flea market, operating live-steam tracks, and plenty of time for camaraderie and conversation with fellow enthusiasts. The event welcomes newcomers and experienced hobbyists […]
How did you get started in the hobby? My earlier memories of model trains go back to first grade. On my way to school, we would pass by the front window of a store that would set up a layout during Christmas time. Later I learned that it was an HO train set, but at […]
A California-inspired garden railroad is what you can see in our Morning Glow Railroad. It was developed after watching numerous videos, reading many Garden Railways magazines, then determining the type of garden railroad I wanted to construct. Its theme is based on the type of natural setting that I enjoyed the most, namely a vacation […]
Common name: Brass buttons, creeping gold buttons Latin name: Cotula fallax, C. hispida, or C. lineariloba Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 2″ high x 10″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10 Cultural needs: Somewhat xeric, sun or part shade Renamed Cotula fallax, this semi-evergreen groundcover is not to be confused with other popular fern-like Cotulas, […]
