In the June 2011 issue, author Eric Schade begins a two-part series on building a covered bridge from wood. Download this companion article on a covered bridge from the May/June 1985 issue of Garden Railways. […]
Covered bridge drawings
Scale: Large Scale
Piko America LLC BR199 German diesel locomotive
Piko America LLC BR199 German diesel locomotive With its new model of a German narrow-gauge diesel, Piko has entered the market for G narrow-gauge equipment in a big way – literally. The two-motor, 12-wheel locomotive is more than 21″ long. The prototype for Piko’s model is a B-B diesel-hydraulic that was developed for the East […]
Drawings to build the Canton Depot
Download the PDF of this project here. In the April 2011 issue, Ian Stringer’s Hensellvania Division shows a model of the Canton Depot. Download these plans to build your own Canton Depot, compliments of our sister publication Model Railroader. […]
Selective compression techniques for large-scale structures
In the April 2011 issue, Kevin Strong describes how to create purpose for your garden railway. He suggests using a technique for structures called “selective compression.” Download this related article by Jack Verducci, who describes how to use this technique. […]
Plans to make a big-top circus tent
Download the PDF of this project here. In the April 2011 issue, Rich Perrelli and his wife tell us how they used part of their railway to create a county fairground. Download these plans to build a big-top circus tent for your railway! […]
Miniaturizing trees using bonsai techniques
Bonsai is an ancient horticultural practice that has been developed into an art form. Years can be spent studying and perfecting it. I doubt there are many garden railroaders with the time or inclination to get into true bonsai culture. Fortunately, there are some shortcut (and likely unorthodox) methods to make miniature trees with less […]
Build a 1:22.5-scale warehouse with loading dock
Download the PDF of this project here. This PDF is formatted to print on your home printer. Most pieces are formatted to fit on a 8.5″ x 11″ piece of paper. For larger parts of the plan, you will see “break lines.” Line up the break lines to create the larger piece. Despite our best […]
A modeler’s guide to USRA locomotives
USRA locomotives were born under unique circumstances. A confluence of circumstances led to the nationalization of many of America’s railroads under President Woodrow Wilson in 1917. The outbreak of World War I, which necessitated a ramp-up of American industrial production capacity, and the financial circumstances of the early 1910s led to a liquidity crisis for […]
How to make stairs in half inch scale
These stairs look complex but are surprisingly easy to construct using the author’s method. They add lots of character to structures. Add stairs to your structures with this step-by-step guide by Larry Elsenheimer! […]
USA Trains center-cupola caboose
Marc Horovitz 1:29 scale, gauge 1, center-cupola cabooseUSA TrainsPO Box 100Malden MA 02148Price: $199.95Website: www.usatrains.com Mostly plastic model of a standard gauge, steel, center-cupola caboose; available in a long list of road names and liveries; plastic trucks; metal wheelsets; operating lights and markers; operating fan-driven smoke unit; full interior; underbody detail; truck-mounted LGB-style hook-and-loop couplers […]
An innovative indoor/outdoor O-scale line
1. A Southern Pacific 2-8-4 Berkshire with a Vanderbilt tender takes a freight train over the bridge. Nothing in the picture suggests that this garden line is actually built up on benchwork. Bill Hook 2. Full-size trees and the lake in the background can be seen in this dramatic view from behind the railroad. The […]
How to lay flex track
Trackwork at the Hoot Valley complex shows #8 limestone gravel roadbed underlying the #9 limestone ballast. The near track is the mainline and the other is the lumber-yard and engine-service siding. (The mainline runs through the train-storage shed in the background.) Don Parker Now it’s time to get that track onto prepared roadbed […]
