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In my January 3, 2022, Garden Railways article, I detailed how I used landscaping timbers as the roadbed for my garden railway. The railway was built in the summer of 2013. Now, 11 years later, after successfully operating trains without any track or roadbed problems, I’m ready to do a much-needed maintenance service of this […]
Early model railroaders used wood, wire, and paper to create rolling stock. Today’s scratchbuilders can choose from myriad detail parts and use sophisticated laser cutters and 3-D printers. Sometimes it’s fun to explore old-school materials and techniques. To make this little G scale tender, I used a hybrid approach — mixing the old and the […]
Sometime last year I took a serious look at one of my vehicles. I leave my vehicles out all year, and the weather takes its toll. I could strip the pickup and repaint it, but I’m planning a firehouse in my town, so why not make a fire truck? The vehicle is a Solido 1:19 […]
My garden railway is like a 4 x 8-foot layout, only it’s scaled up to around 12 x 32 feet and built outdoors. I’ve added a small garden retaining wall to raise the railway to knee height, which is comfortable for viewing and placing trains on the track. Originally, the patio had no roof or […]
Fake steam gauges I’ve made my own fake gauges before I thought of this. I found some pictures of gauges by doing an Internet image search. I then sized them to fit my old kitbashed Pacific’s backhead, which I plan to use in a Challenger. I put shiny, clear tape over them to give the […]
The Georgia Garden Railway Society (GGRS) announces a Southern Get-Together event. This regional event will take place August 23-25 and includes self-guided tours to garden railways, tours of the Trainz.com’s new warehouse facility, and large-scale vendors at the Atlanta Model Train Show in Duluth, Ga. Also available is a custom steel boxcar, made by USA […]
Planning your travel for this summer? Be sure to include some model trains in those plans! These five train layouts throughout the country (and world) are all worth a visit this summer. Colorado Model Railroad Museum Featuring more than 500 HO scale locomotives, 80 scale miles of track, and tens of thousands of handmade trees, […]
The most recent version of the American Freedom Train (AFT) was assembled to help celebrate the United States’ 1976 Bicentennial. The complete train, which visited all 48 contiguous states over a two year period, had a total of 23 pieces of rolling stock, including passenger cars, showcase cars (with full-scale historical artifacts, like the Lunar […]
Trainworld, 751 McDonald Ave., Brooklyn, NY 11218, is offering a Flat Car with Pipe Load (70-76071, shown, 70-76072) aa part of the RailKing One Gauge line. The car is 1:32 scale, features a removable pipe load, and is available in two numbers. Expected delivery in September 2024. Price: $149.99. Order from trainworld.com […]
Smoke and Oak Railroad Located in Pennsylvania This image from Charlie Zimmerman does not use Photoshop—everything was captured live with his camera. First, he used a garden hose to add enough water for a reflection in the shot. He then added a single off-camera light to help illuminate the train so it wouldn’t get washed […]
Common name: Eastern red cedar, Virginian juniper, eastern juniper, red juniper, pencil cedar, or aromatic cedar Latin name: Juniperus virginiana Plant type: Shrubs and small trees USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-9 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun Plant size: 40′ unpruned but easily kept under 2′, with a width half […]
My early “trainhood” was 1955 to 1968. I had an uncle who gave me a train the year I was born, and he added to the Lionel fleet on birthdays and Christmas for many years. All the trains were Lionel, but when I unboxed them in the early 1990s, I discovered the track, switches, and […]
