In a paragraph, how did you get started in the hobby? Like many model railroaders, I got started in the hobby with toy trains: first with Marx clockwork, then with Lionel when I was six. In my teenage years I moved up (or down, depending on your point of view) to HO, then HOn3. I […]
Magazine: Garden Railways
New large scale products for September/October 2023
New large scale products for September/October 2023 Locomotives and rolling stock Accucraft, 33260 Central Ave, Union City, CA 94587, has a 13T Class A Shay locomotive, available in kit and ready-to-run versions. It features brass and metal construction, is butane fired, two safety valves, and a water level gauge. Price: $1,995. Delivery expected in November […]
Columnar Japanese holly
Common name: Columnar Japanese holly Latin name: Ilex crenata ’Sky Pencil’; synonym I.c. ‘Sky Sentry’ Plant type: Shrubs & small trees Plant size: 4-6′ high x 4-12″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Cultural needs: Sun; moist, drained soil Introduced by the National Arboretum in 1985, columnar Japanese holly is usually called Sky Pencil or Sky […]
Small rural station with freight house
Sometime ago I decided to build a combination small rural station with a freight house. I often use pieces of several kits (or sometimes broken items) to make my projects. For this one, I started with a Korber station and used part of an Aristo-Craft platform to add waiting platform with roof. I wanted the […]
Steam locomotives in the garden
Steam locomotives in the garden Do you have a photo you’d like considered for a future gallery? Email editor@gardenrailways.com for more information. […]
Preview September and October 2023 Garden Railways content
While we may no longer be printing Garden Railways magazine, we’re adding new content to Trains.com every week! Here’s a few recent items, and a preview of what’s coming in the next month. Become a Trains.com member so you don’t miss any of this great content! If you have a story suggestion, email editor@gardenrailways.com Diesel […]
Diesel locomotives in the garden
Do you have a photo you’d like considered for a future gallery? Email editor@gardenrailways.com for more information. […]
LGB Norfolk Southern Rescue Train now available
LGB Norfolk Southern Rescue Train Scale: 1:22.5 Price: $2,000 Manufacturer: LGB (Märklin, Inc.), 800-321-8811, lgb.com Features: Three-piece set includes diesel locomotive, tank car, and boxcar. Locomotive includes an mfx/Digital Command Control decoder with various light and sound functions and two Bühler motors. Running sounds also work in analog. Tank car can be filled with water […]
Kitbash a saddle tank engine
Kitbash a saddle tank engine: I uncovered an old Lionel large scale 0-6-0 with outside drive gears that I had kitbashed several years ago. It had a neat cab and unusual stack, which was a little bent due to a smoke unit overheating. The drive system was so poor that I had to undo one of the driver […]
Snow in summer or mouse ear
Common name: Snow-in-summer, Mouse ear, Silver carpet, Chickweed Latin name: Cerastium tomentosum Plant type: Groundcover Plant size: 6-8″ high by 1-2′ wide; can be invasive USDA Hardiness Zones: 3-10 (short-lived in Zones 8-10) Cultural needs: Full sun (light shade in hot Zones), well-drained, moderately rich soil, water well after soil dries somewhat Snow-in-summer is an […]
How to get in and out of your garden railway
Get in and out of your garden railway: Isn’t it usually when guests are watching that things get stuck in inconvenient areas of the railway? When we can easily get into those remote regions, without crushing that umpteen-hour project, it’s pure joy. However, one size does not fit all when it comes to solving railway […]
21 must-have gardening tools
I’m going to share 21 must-have gardening tools. Railroad gardening is a niche of general gardening with many overlaps. What I’ll cover in this column are the tools that fit particular jobs that come with gardening in general, but especially railroad gardening. You don’t necessarily need all these tools but most of them can find […]