Common name: Rainbow bush, variegated elephant bush Botanical name: Portulacaria afra f. variegata Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 4′ high x 4′ wide (easily kept much lower) USDA Hardiness Zones: 10-11 (protected in other zones) Cultural needs: Gravelly, well drained, neutral, or slightly acidic soil; full sun The elephants and deer-like kudu of South Africa […]
2022 National Garden Railway Convention preview: The Denver Garden Railway Society welcomes you to Denver this June! This year’s event will be held at the Crowne Plaza hotel, and will include an ice cream social, a BBQ at the Colorado Railroad Museum, daily bus tours to the railways on display, and pre- and post-convention tours. […]
Increase traction of PIKO switcher: I bought a PIKO America GE 25-ton engine for my railway. As I ran the little diesel on my layout, it went around a couple of times nicely over the trestle and under the tunnel. I hooked two cars to the engine, and sent it on its way again. As […]
Name: Ray Wheeler Railroad Name: Jericho & Mt. Zion Railway Location: Lynnwood, WA Scale: G scale Theme: Tourist railroad with freight operations in the modern era. Description: Moonlight extra – Gas Electric M-2 “Sadiebug” runs an extra passenger service on the Jericho & Mt. Zion Railway on a cold and snowy evening. Music from Epidemic […]
When I started my garden railroad, around 1994 or 1995, I built structures from drawings printed in old Model Railroader issues. At the time, I was looking for something to build for the contest at the National Garden Railway Convention in Orlando, Fla. (mid 1996). I found drawings in the January 1992 issue (p. 124) […]
The author glued an owl nest to the top of her Aggie’s grain elevator. One day, a chickadee boldly robbed the straw as her family watched. Rooftop details add interest to garden railways The roof usually isn’t an especially attractive part of a structure – it’s a weather-proofing function. Yet, we usually look down […]
Name: Ray Wheeler Railroad Name: Jericho & Mt Zion Railway Location: Lynnwood, WA Scale: G scale Theme: Tourist railroad with freight operations in the modern era. Description: The J&MtZ No. 20 runs an extra freight train for railfans on a rainy March day. Ride along on J&MtZ Caboose 02 as we tour the railroad. Watch […]
A northern Illinois model railroader is using his – and others – love of the hobby as a Boy Scout project to raise funds for a large-scale railroad group to expand its facilities. George Werderich, who appears on the toy-train oriented GFW Trains Channel on YouTube, is organizing GFW Trainfair as a community service project […]
A northern Illinois model railroader is using his – and others – love of the hobby as a Boy Scout project to raise funds for a large-scale railroad group to expand its facilities. George Werderich, who appears on the toy-train oriented GFW Trains Channel on YouTube, is organizing GFW Trainfest as a community service project […]
The Fairplex Garden Railroad in Pomona, California is located in the middle of the Los Angeles County fairgrounds. The 100′ x 300′ railway has occupied the same space since 1935 and has been a part of the annual fair every year except for the war years of 1942-1947. However, the fair’s train display is […]
Common name: Trailing spikemoss, golden clubmoss Latin name: Selaginella kraussiana ‘Aurea’ Plant type: Groundcover Plant size: Moist, acidic soil; part or full shade USDA Hardiness Zones: 6-9 Cultural needs: Mounding as high as 6″, spreading to 24″ Spikemoss, with its seaweed-like jointed stems, has an other-world appearance, as do the liverworts, when you get […]
The railway at a glance Name of railroad: Virginia & DACS Railroad Size of railroad: Approximately 14′ x 36′ Scale: 1:22.5 and 1:20.3 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Theme: Pre-diesel, western countryside Era: 1930s-40s Motive power: LGB and Bachmann steam-outline engines Length of mainline: Outer loop, 90′; inner figure-eight with spur, 120′ Maximum gradient: 3.5% Minimum […]
