Weathering winter in the woods

winter_lead

Fall is the time many builders begin preparing their railroads for harsh winter weather that lies ahead. Unless, of course, you’re lucky enough to live in a temperate climate zone. In the weeks before the cold arrives, some folks start to stow their structures, drain water features, and tuck the trains away for months of […]

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Weave a dry wash into your railway

dryscape4

Photo 1 River rock provides operator access Nancy Norris Photo 2 Nancy Norris Photo 3 Nancy Norris Dry streams can make a splash in your railway! There’s no water, yet the path still flows. Running a ribbon of river rock unites your scenery and gives bridges purpose. The premise is simple. We mirror a watercourse, […]

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A noisy little railway story

Black Canyon Railroad

As I walked up the driveway toward Mick Spilsbury’s Black Canyon Railroad, I could begin to hear the multitude of sounds stemming from the site. At first, I could distinguish the sounds of cows and sheep coming from the vicinity of four stock cars. But then I listened a bit more deliberately, and heard 10 […]

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A noisy little railway story

Black Canyon Railroad

As I walked up the driveway toward Mick Spilsbury’s Black Canyon Railroad, I could begin to hear the multitude of sounds stemming from the site. At first, I could distinguish the sounds of cows and sheep coming from the vicinity of four stock cars. But then I listened a bit more deliberately, and heard 10 […]

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The Garden Variety Railroad Show: Introduction, Episode 1

Man and women kneeling to inspect plants on a garden railroad.

As previously highlighted in the Rehab My Railroad: Outdoors episodes, the task of restoring Kent Johnson’s small garden railway (1:29 scale) seems to be an on-going effort. While the work on his main line continues in this new series, Kent, Rene, Cody, and others will also introduce you to topics, techniques, tools, projects, and places […]

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Anatomy of a water feature

water_illustration_v2

Nancy Norris/Rick Johnson Water goes down to ‘seek its own level’. Hygroscopic tension forces water sideways when moisture follows the underside of a spill rock or fallen branch. Soil wicks water in all directions by osmosis. Splashing bounces up. Water evaporates into thin air and we wonder if the reservoir is leaking. Water needs to […]

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Waterscape your garden railway

train on trestle

Waterscape your garden railway: Swirling water stirs the imagination. Splashing shuts out city sounds, and viewers remember seeing famous falls at national parks or smaller watercourses near home. Bridges over brooks urge us to see connections to the land and how plantings create the habitat for a popular scenic attraction. There are countless reasons why […]

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