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, […]
In 1995, Norfolk Southern was in the market for a modern, high-horsepower diesel to add to its roster. If you run an N scale railroad, you can do as NS did and pick up the General Electric Dash 9-40C, the latest offering from ScaleTrains.com’s high-detail Rivet Counter line. This modern six-axle workhorse is available as […]
Budget work train for DIY’ers A budget work train made its way into my life since I needed a project to work on to de-stress from the rigors of graduate school — for a price a grad student can afford. Wrecking crane I wanted my budget work train to center around two main cars, a 250- […]
If you want a structure for your outdoor layout that will hold up to the elements, consider using clay. I’m an art teacher and when I began my outdoor railroad it was my first choice of materials for my buildings. You can buy clay from local sources or online. Most catalogs sell it in 50-pound […]
By Frederic Williams Rohm and Brian Michelson I grew up in central Pennsylvania where my family had been long-time residents. My garden railroad is based on the Pennsylvania Railroad circa 1900; my grandfather and uncles worked on the PRR. The premier Pennsy passenger train of this era was the Pennsylvania Limited, which began making the […]
Common name: Weeping Norway spruce Latin name: Picea abies ‘Pendula’ Plant type: dwarf conifer USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-8 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, slightly acidic soil; sun to part shade Plant height: 18″ if prostrate; 10-12′ if staked Dark, evergreen needles on drooping soft branches make weeping Norway spruce an attractive specimen tree. Garden railroaders […]
How did you get started in the hobby? I received an HO scale model kit of a steam locomotive for Christmas when I was 14 years old. I had fun following the instructions, then building a railway to run it on. I also liked building outdoor villages with buildings and roads with toy cars and real […]
I love collecting and displaying large-scale trains. I also love showing off my 1956 GMC pick up at car shows, or even at the front of my driveway at home. I decided to combine the two and make a mobile display layout! The layout is an easy build. My truck has slots on the truck […]
