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Visiting the Burlington Garden Center

Hal and Rene are on location at the Burlington Garden Center in Burlington, Wisconsin. In this episode, they showcase the garden center’s railway display, show you tips on weathering a structure, and update you on Cody’s diesel locomotive project! […]
How to build a garden railroad

Click here to download a PDF version of this article. Don’t miss the other parts to this series! June 2010: Preliminary construction August 2010: Choosing track October 2010: Laying track and ballasting December 2010: Accessories, structures, and lighting […]
Garden Railways, February 2010
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How to make drawings for a large-scale structure

Once you have decided on a building to model, a plan of it on paper will be a great help. If the building you are contemplating is small enough, a full-size drawing is a good idea. This will allow you to see the actual size of the structure in advance. This article will be usedful […]
Build a 1:22.5-scale combine

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 […]
Accucraft Forney locomotive

Subscribers: Don’t miss the exclusive highlight video of this impressive locomotive! Acccucraft Forney Marc Horovitz 1:20.3, gauge 1, live-steam 0-4-4 ForneyAccucraft33268 Central AvenueUnion City CA 94587Price: $659Web site: www.accucraft.com Freelance, live-steam Forney; all-metal construction; two double acting, piston-valve cylinders; piston-valve reversing; link-and-pin couplers; 50 psi blow-off pressure; single flue, gas-fired boiler; boiler fittings include safety […]
American Model Supply knuckle couplers

Gary Raymond Vital statistics 1:32 scale, working knuckle couplersAmerican Model Supply33268 Central AvenueUnion City CA 94587Price: $10/pairWeb site: www.amstrains.com Working knuckle couplers and sprung draft-gear boxes for 1:32 scale Pros: Prototypical, working drop pin; Kadee #1-scale #820/920 mounting-hole compatibility; perfect size for 1:20.3 cars using three-quarter-size couplers Cons: Slightly oversize for 1:32 scale American Model […]
Bachmann starter sets

Bachmann Lumberjack set Marc Horovitz Bachmann Prospector set Marc Horovitz Gauge 1, large-scale starter setsBachmann Industries1400 East Erie AvenuePhiladelphia PA 19124Price: Lumberjack, $350; Prospector, $375Web site: www.bachmanntrains.com Large-scale starter sets; each set has a 1:20.3-scale Davenport diesel-outline locomotive, loop of track, power supply, accessories, DVD, and instruction book; “Prospector” (#90070) includes four side-dump ore cars; […]
Massoth Electronics DiMax Reverse Loop Module

Massoth Electronics DiMax Reverse Loop Module Kevin Strong iMax Reverse Loop ModuleMassoth Electronics6585 Remington Dr. Suite 200Cummings GA 30040Price: $128.50Web site: www.massoth.com 15-amp capacity, automatic reverse-loop detection and direction-control system for DCC or DC operation Pros: Non-shorting detection eliminates arcing and pits that can damage wheels and track; works with DCC and analog DC (with […]
How large-scale locomotives are powered

Download “Making them go,” Kevin Strong’s 2003 article describing how large-scale locomotives are powered. Look for an updated version of this article in the April 2010 issue. […]
A gallery of miniature conifers

A gallery of miniature conifers: Nothing gives a sense of scale and believability to a garden railway quite as well as miniature trees. When it comes to really small trees that translate well to our railroad landscapes, conifers (cone bearing, needled evergreens) seem to have the most representatives in the miniature woody-plant kingdom. I will […]