This wooden column supports the control center. Leads have been neatly attached to it. Marc Horovitz Small trains give the illusion of traveling long distances in a garden railway. Marc Horovitz With our trackwork complete, we could now turn our thoughts toward wiring the Colorado & Pacific. Since ours was a small railroad, wiring would […]
Choosing the right tools will make garden railroading a much easier experience. Marc Horovitz There is no single right way to build a garden railroad. There are, however, lots of wrong ways. The first step in heading down the wrong path starts with the tools you choose to do the work. In garden railroading, as […]
In this overview of the entire FCM de STL, you can see how much action and detail is contained in a small space. Knobs on the fascia boards control turnouts, while on/off switches control power to sidings. Bill Zuback The open-air market in the town of Santa Lucia bustles with life. Bill Zuback An FCM […]
A lumberjack rolls wet timber to the ramp at the R&P Lumber Company sawmill. The “water” is made of clear resin. Marc Horovitz A bird’s-eye view of the little town of Aurora, nestled high in the Colorado Mountains. Marc Horovitz Engine No. 1 crosses the high bridge at Indian Leap, with a load of empties, […]
This RhB Ge 6/6 II locomotive is one of a batch that was built by the author and a group of other modelers. It takes its power from the overhead wires. Martin v. Meyenburg The functioning overhead catenary system provides power for all locomotives that run on the line. The entire system was scratchbuilt. Martin […]
I see there are locomotives in 1:24 scale for gauge-3 track. What width is gauge-3 track? How many gauges are there? Gauge 3 is 2.5″, which is the correct gauge for modeling standard-gauge trains in G scale (1:22.5). 1:24 scale is close. There are three gauges commonly used in garden railroading: Gauge 0 (11/4″ or […]
Align every rail joint Every rail joint must be carefully aligned, properly fitted, and level. Sight along the rail to check the alignment through the rail joiner. After the track is spiked down, use a fine file to smooth the top and inside corner of the rail joint until you can slide a fingernail across […]
Building reliable model railroad track doesn’t take a lot of expertise or fancy tools, but it does require care and patience. Train sets traditionally include an oval of sectional track that’s fine for getting a quick start. However, most modelers choose flextrack when they begin building a permanent layout. Flextrack is supplied in 36-inch or […]
