Click here to download a PDF of Build a Loading Crane. […]
Build a loading crane
Tag: Large Displays / Backyards
A great railroad in a small space
Railway at a glance Name: Bondesbjerg Mountain Railway Size: 8m x 4m (26’2″ x 13’1″) Scale: 1:10 Gauge: 45mm Era: Today Theme: Former industrial railroad, now a tourist attraction Age: 5 years Motive power: Scratchbuilt industrial diesel locomotive Length of mainline: 30m (98′) Maximum gradient: 2% Type of track: LGB rail spiked to wooden ties […]
Covered bridge drawings
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. […]
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. […]
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 […]
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 […]
Modeling industrial railroads in 7/8″ scale
In the October 2010 issue, Charles McMillan shows us his brass Oscar 2 locomotive. Download the article that inspired him to build this impressive engine. […]
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 […]
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 […]
How to prune dwarf Alberta spruce
How to prune dwarf Alberta spruce In an effort to model conifer trees, garden railroaders usually go to the nearest garden center and find dwarf Alberta spruce shrubs. This classic, Christmas-tree-shaped evergreen has a nice, green color and a densely packed growth habit, giving it a fuzzy look. Picea glauca conica (aka. P.g. var. albertiana […]
Irish narrow gauge in the garden
Bo-bo diesel, built for the West Clare Railway in 1955, with two six-wheel saloon carriages in CIE livery, waits at the station on Neil Ramsay’s railway. Marc Horovitz avan and Leitrim train in the livery of the nationalized Irish transport system, Coras Iompair Eireann, or CIE. The sea of tiny, green leaves, replicating Ireland’s plains […]
The Tuloumne County Narrow Gauge Garden Railroad
The Tuolumne County Narrow Gauge Garden Railroad Bob Brown Railway at a glance Name: Tuolumne County Narrow Gauge Size of railroad: 30′ x 60′ Scale: 1:20.3 Gauge: 45 mm Era: 1920-1930 Theme: A pleasant place to run trains in the garden Age: Six years Motive power: Small, live steam, geared and rod locomotives plus several […]
