Our little scale trees really make or break the scale quality of our railway gardens. Did you know you could choose from several methods of keeping trees in scale? Here are three practices, but we’ll focus on the third. One approach, planting genetically miniature* plants, ensures almost no pruning for quite a long time but […]
Name: Ilya Krishtal Railroad Name: Zavoronki Railroad Location: Russia, Zavoronki village Scale: 1:22.5 Theme: First winter day run! Description: I installed special equipment in my Baldwin Forney 2-4-4 steam locomotive. Now I can run this locomotive on battery power with radio control even in winter! Russian winters are always very cold and snowy and this […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In this video we visit Russ and Barb Larson’s large scale layout, the Pagosa Springs & Northern. Russ is a former MR publisher and editor, and he and his wife share their beautiful garden railroad, as well as offer some insight into what […]
Having trouble viewing this video? Please visit our Video FAQ page In this video we visit Russ and Barb Larson’s large scale layout, the Pagosa Springs & Northern. Russ is a former MR publisher and editor, and he and his wife share their beautiful garden railroad, as well as offer some insight into what […]
In the October 2013 issue, Carmen Trapani explains how to make a mailbox out of wood and styrene. Download a bonus “Just for kids” article from the June 1994 issue on building two other styles of mailboxes. Download a PDF of the article here. […]
When we start out, we intend to make our dream come true. Our piqued imagination and the enthusiasm of fellow modelers are necessary to sustain us through the long construction process. Long-term and second-go-round railroad gardeners have used strong building materials for their walks, retaining walls, railroad and structures. They researched the plants to find […]
Rod Eaton In the August 2013 issue, contributor Eric Schade demonstrates how to make “stone” structures from leftover composite decking material. Download this companion article, originally published in the October 2011 issue, about how to make “stone” bridges easily out of Styrofoam. Click here to download a PDF of the article. […]
What do your buildings have to say for themselves? Each structure evokes a feeling for its purpose, the folks who might live or work there, and a bit about the history that transpired on the premises, as shown in photo 1. How the structure was built and maintained is “written on the walls.” All of […]
Railway at a glance Name: Nepenthes, Gestalt, & Delirium Railway Size of railroad: 40′ x 25′ Scale: Individual trains to various scales Gauges: 45mm & 63.5mm Era: Today Theme: The garden, trains, and the gestalt that results Age: 9 years Motive power: On-board battery, diesel outline; live steam; a little clockwork Length of mainline: 96′ […]
Name: Perry Railroad Name: The Plattsburgh & Poverty Railroad Location: Champlain Valley – Northeast USA Scale: G, 1:29 Description: Here’s a quick peek at a small garden railroad in a back yard that I’ve built over the last number of years. It’s not much here in 2012 but its coming along. I hope you like […]
Got a brown thumb? Need low, rugged groundcover? Here’s a botanical group of succulents with more than 400 varieties—sedums. Common names include “live forever” and “stonecrop” but most gardeners call them sedum (rhymes with “can’t beat ’em”). In this column you’ll see foliage colors that range like a rainbow, from red to purple and even […]
Railway at a glance Name: P&BW RR Size of railroad: 30′ x 40′ Scale: 1:29 and 1:20.3 Gauge: Nº 1 (45mm) Era: Late 1800s to present Theme: Colorado railroading then and now Age: 4 years Motive power: USA Trains diesels, LGB and Bachmann steam locomotives Length of mainline: Lower loop, 106′; upper loop, 146′ Maximum […]
