How to create a believable large-scale scene

A caboose passes the station on a garden railway.

Structures are the easiest way to bring a scene to life. As with anything on the railroad, scale is the primary concern. You’ll want to find structures that match the scale of your trains. That’s not always as easy as just looking on the box. Even in commercial kits where a scale is designated, architectural […]

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Photo gallery of large-scale layouts at the 36th National Garden Railway Convention

Tennessee & Virginia Railroad Chris Bamburg

  The Nashville Garden Railway Society welcomes you to Nashville to attend the 36th National Garden Railway Convention! Nashville is a one-of-a-kind city that has something for everyone. High-tech meets small town, family values meets big business, country music meets symphony orchestra, micro-brewery meets vineyard. It’s all here! The Gaylord Opryland Resort & Convention Center […]

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New large-scale products for the week of February 4, 2021

Worx 20V Power Share portable inflator

Tools Six-sided scraping tool. For removing plastic from hard-to-reach areas. Features six different sizes of working area: 2mm, 3mm, 4mm, 5mm, 6mm, and 7mm. $26.99. Produced by Alec, available from Kalmbach Hobby Store, KalmbachHobbyStore.com Super cutting compass. For circle and radius cuts. Features titanium blade. 1/16” minimum diameter. 1/16” to 2” radius cuts. $19.99. Produced […]

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Glues and adhesives for garden railroads

Several bottles and tubes showing the various adhesives described in the article.

Glues and adhesives are among the first things you need when building a model — to hold it together! There are lots of adhesives, and they all do specific jobs depending on the material. General-purpose adhesives White glue — This is known as a PVA (polyvinyl acetate) glue. When it dries, it’s nearly transparent. Its […]

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Basic maintenance tips for large-scale locomotives

Large-scale model steam locomotive disassembled for lubrication and cleaning.

  Basic maintenance is the key to reliable operation. Here are several simple things you can do to keep your engines running: Proper lubrication is so important to reliable operation that Bachmann includes a video with many of its locomotives showing how to do it. This is no less important with other manufacturers’ locomotives. Many […]

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Country Christmas Display in Large Scale

A large scale (1:24) holiday layout that’s part of The Ingleside Hotel’s Country Christmas festive exhibits

Enjoy an exclusive, behind the scenes look at the large scale (1:24) holiday layout that’s part of The Ingleside Hotel’s Country Christmas festive exhibits (lighted outdoor trail and indoor village). Located in Southeastern Wisconsin, this 12 x 30-foot indoor display features no less than 12 trains routing through winter scenes. Marvel at the action and […]

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75 tips & tricks for your garden railway

This special collection of tips from Garden Railways magazine staff and readers includes: Easy ways to keep your trains running smoothly Guidance on plants to use in your garden railway Workshop safety tips An overview of etiquette when visiting garden railways Enter your e-mail below and instantly receive a FREE 14-page download, as our gift. You’ll also […]

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