The right tools for the job

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 […]

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An indoor, large-scale Mexican layout

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 […]

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The R&P Lumber Company

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, […]

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An indoor station on the RhB

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 […]

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A brief history of garden railroading

Garden Railways

At the turn of the century even the smallest trains left little room for indoor model railroading Back before the “dawn of time,” say around 1860, the model train hobby was in its infancy, as was the full-size railroad industry. In fact, for decades, the development of model railways closely paralleled that of full-size railways. […]

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Attaching wire to the rail

Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz Marc Horovitz There are several ways of connecting a lead wire to the rail. Perhaps the most positive is soldering it. The wire can also be connected mechanically. Screw-on connectors are not too reliable outdoors. However, a wire can be screwed to a clamp-on rail joiner. Split Jaw Rail Clamps offers […]

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Train-li-USA Railbender for 45mm track

Railbender for 45mm track Train-li-USA 3 Kensington Way Upton MA 01568 Price: $265 + s&h Web site: www.train-li-USA.com EasyBend-DuoTrack Railbender for gauge-1 track; #15-079 for code 250; #15-131 for code 332; galvanized-steel construction; simultaneously bends both rails on a section of track Pros: Sturdy construction; easy to use; calibrated scale on slider allows for duplication […]

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USA Trains diesel switcher

1:29 scale, gauge-1 diesel switcherUSA TrainsPO Box 100Malden MA 02148Price: $299.95Web site: www.usatrains.com 1:29-scale model of an Alco S-4 diesel switcher;two motors; eight-wheel drive; fan-poweredsmoke unit; directional headlights; cab light; cabinterior; opening doors; mostly plastic construction;control switches for motor, lights, smoke,and sound (sound system not included); suppliedwith hook-and-loop as well as USA’s knuckle couplers;some minor […]

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