Access into your ground-level garden railway

scene on garden railway with house in front

To elevate or not to elevate? That is the question we address while deciding on a style for our garden railway. Proponents of the “box” style like to raise the trains closer to view and say they don’t have to bend over so much, but it may surprise you to know that plenty of folks […]

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The Roundhouse: Episode 18

Hal Miller, Marc Horovitz, and Kent Johnson

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page Now that spring has arrived, Host Hal Miller shifts the roundtable discussion to garden railroading. Two first-time guests, Garden Railways magazine editor Marc Horovitz and MRVP’s Kent Johnson, share their enthusiasm for running big (Large scale) trains in the great outdoors. Along with […]

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Pulp train in the snow

A diminutive garden scale live steam locomotive hauls a train through a snowy outdoor layout.

Name:  Eric Schade Forum User Name:  captain perry Railroad Name: Winnegance and Quebec Location: Phippsburg, Maine Scale:  1:13.7 Theme: Maine Narrow gauge Description:  My little SD Warren Engine, a 7/8″ scale modified Ruby, hauls some pulpwood on a snowy February day. This is the engine discussed in the October and December 2013 issues of Garden […]

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The Tortoise and Lizard Bash Garden Railroad

A model train running on a bridge in a garden railroad

The Tortoise & Lizard Bash Garden Railroad at a glance Name: Tortoise & Lizard Bash Railroad Size of railway: 52′ x ~20′ plus a 10′ x 15′ “L” Scale: Trains, 1:29; structures, 1:24 Gauge: Nº 1 (45 mm) Era: September 1957 Theme: Fantasy, town and country mainline, and switching Age: 15 years Motive power: Primarily […]

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The Wascana Canyon Railway

The Wascana Canyon Railway

The Wascana Canyon Railway at a glance Name: Wascana Canyon Railway, with operating rights for Canadian Pacific Railway Size of railway: About 30′ x 40′ Scale: 1:29 Gauge: Nº 1 (45 mm) Era: Past 30 years Theme: Mainline shipping of grain, containers, and petroleum Age: Six years Motive power: USA Trains SD-70, two GP 38-2s, […]

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Visit a 1970s branch line

Visit a 1970s branch line

UP/CB&Q at a glance Name: Union Pacific & CB&Q Size of railroad: 40′ x 40′ Scale: 1:29 Gauge: Nº 1 Era: 1970 Theme: Southern Nebraska branch line featuring joint UP & CB&Q operations Age: 9 years Motive power: USA Trains Alco S-4s, GP-30, GP-7, F-3 Length of mainline: 180′ Maximum gradient: 2.5% Type of track: […]

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Scratchbuild a White Tower graphics

white tower restaurant

Bob Santos describes how to scratchbuild a White Tower restaurant in the February 2014 issue. Here, he provides extra graphics to detail your structure. Download a PDF file of signs, and full-size drawings for 1:24 scale. For full instructions, see the February 2014 issue. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most […]

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How to train trees like topiaries

trees on a hillside

Our little scale trees really make or break the scale quality of our railway gardens. Did you know you could choose from several methods of keeping trees in scale? Here are three practices, but we’ll focus on the third. One approach, planting genetically miniature* plants, ensures almost no pruning for quite a long time but […]

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Winter on the Zavoronki Railroad

Winter on the Zavoronki Railroad

Name:  Ilya Krishtal Railroad Name:  Zavoronki Railroad Location: Russia, Zavoronki village Scale: 1:22.5 Theme: First winter day run! Description:    I installed special equipment in my Baldwin Forney 2-4-4 steam locomotive. Now I can run this locomotive on battery power with radio control even in winter! Russian winters are always very cold and snowy and this […]

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Russ and Barb Larson’s garden railroad

Russ and Barb Larson's garden railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In this video we visit Russ and Barb Larson’s large scale layout, the Pagosa Springs & Northern. Russ is a former MR publisher and editor, and he and his wife share their beautiful garden railroad, as well as offer some insight into what […]

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Russ and Barb Larson’s garden railroad

Russ and Barb Larson's garden railroad

Having trouble viewing this video?   Please visit our Video FAQ page In this video we visit Russ and Barb Larson’s large scale layout, the Pagosa Springs & Northern. Russ is a former MR publisher and editor, and he and his wife share their beautiful garden railroad, as well as offer some insight into what […]

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