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58 Articles

Finescale modeling

Many garden railroaders, as well as modelers in smaller scales, practice what is known as finescale modeling. The object is to recreate a miniature replica of a full-size object, whether it be simply a chair or a parlor car with complete interior and underbody detail, as closely and accurately as possible. Needless to say, this takes a great deal of time and skill, to say nothing of the years required to develop both the ability and patience to do this kind of work. The end result, though, is almost always extremely impressive to the viewer and immensely satisfying to the modeler. A friend recently directed me to a YouTube video of a TED Talk by Bill Robertson, a Kansas City man who builds “miniatures,” or what we would call models, of…

Finescale modeling

Finescale modeling

Many garden railroaders, as well as modelers in smaller scales, practice what is known as finescale modeling. The object is to recreate a miniature replica of a full-size object, whether it be simply a chair or a parlor car with complete interior and underbody detail, as closely and accurately as possible. Needless to say, this takes a great deal of time and skill, to say nothing of the years required to develop both the ability and patience to do this kind of work. The end result, though, is almost always extremely impressive to the viewer and immensely satisfying to the modeler. A friend recently directed me to a YouTube video of a TED Talk by Bill Robertson, a Kansas City man who builds “miniatures,” or what we would call models,…

Finescale modeling

PRODUCTS Engines & rolling stock LGB (Märklin) has released a digital “Factory Train” (#L29050) to commemorate LGB’s 50th anniversary in 2018. The prototype of the so-called Factory Train stood for many years in front of LGB’s plant in Nürnberg. The model replicates this train and consists of steam locomotive Nº 99 5606, with etched-metal builder plates separately applied. The locomotive has an mfx/DCC decoder with many digitally controlled functions and sounds, as well as a built-in smoke unit, with steam exhaust synchronized to the motion of the wheels. Operational sounds also work in analog operation. All rolling stock is prototypically painted. The two-axle gondola has hinged hatch covers and a separately applied brake wheel. The two, two-axle boxcars have prototypically arranged brake shoes on the inner surface of the wheels. Price: $1,099.99.…

Garden pests I’ve had to deal with squirrels and chipmunks chewing on my outdoor Christmas lights for years. The thing that keeps them away is a critter spray designed for deer and rabbits called Liquid Fence. It has no chemicals in it, being composed of deer blood, garlic juice, and egg. It smells when you apply it but dissipates quickly. Just watch your skin and clothes, unless you enjoy the smell. —Matthew Gaul, pauliewannacrack@hotmail.com 35 years of Garden Railways I was remembering the beginnings of Marc’s vision, 35 years ago, of a magazine dedicated to the new hobby in the US of outdoor trains. LGB had recently appeared in the US and was starting to show up in hobby stores. I received a starter set from my wife for Christmas, purchased at the…

Sharper images A reader named “Aria” wrote, asking how to get sharply focused videos that reveal the road names on his rolling stock. His question appears here: https://bit.ly/2FC0K7k We realized that sharper images of both prototype and model trains challenge our skills and equipment. With professional lighting, cameras that allow control of frame rate, aperture, depth of field, and light sensitivity, sharp focus is demanding but manageable. However, using consumer-level cameras, portable still cameras, and smartphones, with digital post production, my own results were mixed and frankly somewhat disappointing. Trains of any scale pose depth-of-field challenges. A train on a distant horizon can be photographed as a landscape but a train stretching from close-up to a distant view requires lots of light, a small aperture, and a film speed (ISO) high enough to…

PRODUCTS Engines & rolling stock LGB (Märklin) has released a digital “Factory Train” (#L29050) to commemorate LGB’s 50th anniversary in 2018. The prototype of the so-called Factory Train stood for many years in front of LGB’s plant in Nürnberg. The model replicates this train and consists of steam locomotive Nº 99 5606, with etched-metal builder plates separately applied. The locomotive has an mfx/DCC decoder with many digitally controlled functions and sounds, as well as a built-in smoke unit, with steam exhaust synchronized to the motion of the wheels. Operational sounds also work in analog operation. All rolling stock is prototypically painted. The two-axle gondola has hinged hatch covers and a separately applied brake wheel. The two, two-axle boxcars have prototypically arranged brake shoes on the inner surface of the wheels.…

Garden pests I’ve had to deal with squirrels and chipmunks chewing on my outdoor Christmas lights for years. The thing that keeps them away is a critter spray designed for deer and rabbits called Liquid Fence. It has no chemicals in it, being composed of deer blood, garlic juice, and egg. It smells when you apply it but dissipates quickly. Just watch your skin and clothes, unless you enjoy the smell. —Matthew Gaul, pauliewannacrack@hotmail.com 35 years of Garden Railways I was remembering the beginnings of Marc’s vision, 35 years ago, of a magazine dedicated to the new hobby in the US of outdoor trains. LGB had recently appeared in the US and was starting to show up in hobby stores. I received a starter set from my wife for Christmas,…

Weathering basics: part 1

Realistic models are one of my passions. Much of the key to that realism comes from weathering. Hobbyists often say they like weathering but have no idea how to do it. Let’s see if I can give you a place to begin. The main reason modelers weather their equipment is to improve realism. Shiny plastic bodies and bright silver wheels don’t look like full-size trains. Even in Europe, where railroad equipment was kept considerably cleaner than that in the US, there’s still a layer of dust and oil on many surfaces. Trains get dirty, so we get to look for ways to recreate that look in miniature. I apologize to the collectors who cringe at the notion of dirtying up a pristine model, but look at it this way—your pristine model becomes…

Weathering basics: part 1

Modeling mines and quarries

To hollow out a mine or build a rock quarry is to fall in love with the versatility and artistry of stonework, a more forgiving modeling medium than plants. Thanks to gravity, we can stack natural stones to create stable structures. If the rocks will be subjected to high winds or foot traffic, then mortar, concrete bonding adhesive, or exterior-grade glue will hold it all in place. Here I’ll show how modelers shape hardscape into mine portals and bowl-shaped quarries. Some have stone-supported incline railroads hauling ore; most are fringed in nature’s greenery. Unearthing ore The gravel division of my Agriculture & Gravel Elevated (photo 1) recently expanded to include slate processing for three reasons. First, the slate wagons (GR product review, Feb. 2014) are winners—rusting replicas of those used in Welsh…

Modeling mines and quarries

Sharper images A reader named “Aria” wrote, asking how to get sharply focused videos that reveal the road names on his rolling stock. His question appears here: https://bit.ly/2FC0K7k We realized that sharper images of both prototype and model trains challenge our skills and equipment. With professional lighting, cameras that allow control of frame rate, aperture, depth of field, and light sensitivity, sharp focus is demanding but manageable. However, using consumer-level cameras, portable still cameras, and smartphones, with digital post production, my own results were mixed and frankly somewhat disappointing. Trains of any scale pose depth-of-field challenges. A train on a distant horizon can be photographed as a landscape but a train stretching from close-up to a distant view requires lots of light, a small aperture, and a film speed (ISO)…

REGIONAL GARDENING REPORTS

How have you landscaped or accessorized your mine? Ray Turner San Jose, California, Zone 9 Ore My Mystic Mountain Mining & Manufacturing is freelance and scratchbuilt, with 120 pounds of cast concrete around the mine and mill. On the side of the mine building is a trestle (painted styrene) on which workers push the tailings and dump them over the side. The ore carts are 0n30 Bachmann models. The large rocks are just what I dug out of the ground here; the smaller ones, representing tailings, are 0-scale ballast. The fine “dust” particles are granite fines used for setting flagstone. Ore is loaded into ore cars below the extension, which is made of acrylic instead of concrete, like the rest of the building. Richard Friedman Sacramento, California, Zone 9 Oil I saw many oil…

REGIONAL GARDENING REPORTS

Weathering basics: part 1

Realistic models are one of my passions. Much of the key to that realism comes from weathering. Hobbyists often say they like weathering but have no idea how to do it. Let’s see if I can give you a place to begin. The main reason modelers weather their equipment is to improve realism. Shiny plastic bodies and bright silver wheels don’t look like full-size trains. Even in Europe, where railroad equipment was kept considerably cleaner than that in the US, there’s still a layer of dust and oil on many surfaces. Trains get dirty, so we get to look for ways to recreate that look in miniature. I apologize to the collectors who cringe at the notion of dirtying up a pristine model, but look at it this way—your pristine…

Weathering basics: part 1

Anthropogenic microfeature

Geologists call human-made landforms on Earth’s surface or in shallow water “anthropogenic” because of the human-transported materials or rock. Soil-conservation terraces and mining pits originate from deposition (levees) or removal (quarries). Lately, geologists have proposed naming a new cycle, called Anthropocene—an era we model when we access these landforms with scale tractors and trains. Visit https://bit.ly/2GD8hr9 • Search GardenRailways.com and use keywords “rock structure” for more than 40 stories, some with how-to instruction. • Search “Google Images” for “slate quarry,” “mine portal,” “mine rail,” etc. for inspirational photos. Click on image to get location and more. • Get in the car and tour your local stone quarry, gravel pit, and mine.…

PLANT PORTRAITS

Shrubs & small trees Common name: Lip fern, silver cloak fern Latin name: Cheilanthes argentea USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Cultural needs: Sun to part shade; well drained, slightly acidic, poor soil Plant size: 6" high and wide The perfect dwarf fern for railway gardens elevated on rocks is the lip fern. Able to withstand some drying out, resistant to deer, and tolerant of poor soil, silver lip fern is tough. The fronds feel like cardboard. The underside of each frond is cloaked in a chalky white coating, thus the “silver” name. When the tips dry out or when a frond inevitably dies, the fronds seem to go belly up to expose the starry-white sides that resemble flowers—not bad for adding interest. The two little clumps in the photo grow in a 2" crevice between flagstones. In…

PLANT PORTRAITS

Modeling mines and quarries

To hollow out a mine or build a rock quarry is to fall in love with the versatility and artistry of stonework, a more forgiving modeling medium than plants. Thanks to gravity, we can stack natural stones to create stable structures. If the rocks will be subjected to high winds or foot traffic, then mortar, concrete bonding adhesive, or exterior-grade glue will hold it all in place. Here I’ll show how modelers shape hardscape into mine portals and bowl-shaped quarries. Some have stone-supported incline railroads hauling ore; most are fringed in nature’s greenery. Unearthing ore The gravel division of my Agriculture & Gravel Elevated (photo 1) recently expanded to include slate processing for three reasons. First, the slate wagons (GR product review, Feb. 2014) are winners—rusting replicas of those used…

Modeling mines and quarries

Handlaid track reconsidered

My Ogden Botanical Railway was completed more than 20 years ago. All of the track was hand built, which I described in a three-part series entitled “The fundamentals of handlaid track” beginning in the December 1996 issue of Garden Railways. All of the rails were held in place on redwood ties with individual spikes. While time consuming and somewhat tedious to construct, I loved the look of the finished track. The track worked well for almost 20 years. However, I discovered that the spikes were loosening in the ties and some of the rails were becoming a little sloppy. Derailments, once almost nonexistent, were becoming more frequent. I found that the wood was rotting around the spikes and the spikes were losing their grip. The spikes themselves were still in generally…

Handlaid track reconsidered

REGIONAL GARDENING REPORTS

How have you landscaped or accessorized your mine? Ray Turner San Jose, California, Zone 9 Ore My Mystic Mountain Mining & Manufacturing is freelance and scratchbuilt, with 120 pounds of cast concrete around the mine and mill. On the side of the mine building is a trestle (painted styrene) on which workers push the tailings and dump them over the side. The ore carts are 0n30 Bachmann models. The large rocks are just what I dug out of the ground here; the smaller ones, representing tailings, are 0-scale ballast. The fine “dust” particles are granite fines used for setting flagstone. Ore is loaded into ore cars below the extension, which is made of acrylic instead of concrete, like the rest of the building. Richard Friedman Sacramento, California, Zone 9 Oil…

REGIONAL GARDENING REPORTS

How to make OUTDOOR HARD-SHELL SCENERY

AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF designing my Ridgeway Grande Scenic Railway was my desire to recreate the feeling of diminutive narrow-gauge trains traversing huge expanses of San Juan mountain scenery. The challenge was how to accomplish this with a gently sloping backyard. The saying “Necessity is the mother of invention” comes to mind. I had not seen a method of recreating expansive scenery outdoors. However, I’ve seen examples of hard-shell scenery indoors, so why not do the same thing on an outdoor railway? Outdoor hard-shell is a steel-and-mortar foundation that can support either rock castings or sculpted-rock formations. Think of it as an all-weather substrate upon which you can apply realistic rock formations (photo 1) to enhance the realism of your garden railroad. Hard-shell uses a sandwich of rebar, remesh,…

How to make OUTDOOR HARD-SHELL SCENERY

Anthropogenic microfeature

Geologists call human-made landforms on Earth’s surface or in shallow water “anthropogenic” because of the human-transported materials or rock. Soil-conservation terraces and mining pits originate from deposition (levees) or removal (quarries). Lately, geologists have proposed naming a new cycle, called Anthropocene—an era we model when we access these landforms with scale tractors and trains. Visit https://bit.ly/2GD8hr9 • Search GardenRailways.com and use keywords “rock structure” for more than 40 stories, some with how-to instruction. • Search “Google Images” for “slate quarry,” “mine portal,” “mine rail,” etc. for inspirational photos. Click on image to get location and more. • Get in the car and tour your local stone quarry, gravel pit, and mine.…

The Northern California Narrow Gauge

My only childhood railroad memories revolve around the TV show “Petticoat Junction” and a few abortive attempts to build a layout. As I had neither money nor talent, I never got much further than buying a board and attaching a few sections of track. As I got older, my talent didn’t increase but my disposable income did so I decided to buy a small, complete N-gauge layout. This quickly bored me. Not long after, close friends Don and Karen Brown in Arizona brought me to a home with a garden railroad. This was the inspiration I was looking for. It appeared to be within the range of my talents, as the landscaping wasn’t created from plaster but already existed in my backyard—a koi pond with hills and streams. I would…

The Northern California Narrow Gauge

PLANT PORTRAITS

Shrubs & small trees Common name: Lip fern, silver cloak fern Latin name: Cheilanthes argentea USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-9 Cultural needs: Sun to part shade; well drained, slightly acidic, poor soil Plant size: 6" high and wide The perfect dwarf fern for railway gardens elevated on rocks is the lip fern. Able to withstand some drying out, resistant to deer, and tolerant of poor soil, silver lip fern is tough. The fronds feel like cardboard. The underside of each frond is cloaked in a chalky white coating, thus the “silver” name. When the tips dry out or when a frond inevitably dies, the fronds seem to go belly up to expose the starry-white sides that resemble flowers—not bad for adding interest. The two little clumps in the photo grow in…

PLANT PORTRAITS

Plants on the Northern California Narrow Gauge

Rocklin, California | USDA Hardiness Zones 8-9 STATION AREA TREES Japanese maple Acer palmatum Japanese littleleaf boxwood Buxus microphylla japonica Korean littleleaf boxwood Buxus microphylla koreana Creeping wire vine Muehlenbeckia axillaris STATION AREA GROUNDCOVER Purple wood sorrel Oxalis purpurea Blue star creeper Pratia pedunculata Hooked spur violet Viola adunca TUNNEL AREA BONSAI’D CONIFERS Golden Monterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Donard Gold’ Italian cypress Cupressus sempervirens Spartan juniper Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’ Dwarf Alberta spruce Picea glauca albertiana ‘Conica’ Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens glauca Emerald arborvitae Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ TUNNEL AREA GROUNDCOVER Bluebell bellflower, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima Wirevine Muehlenbeckia axillaris Winged everlasting Ozothamnus sp. Hot Lips littleleaf sage Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ Woolly thyme Thymus pseudolanuginosis Creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum…

Handlaid track reconsidered

My Ogden Botanical Railway was completed more than 20 years ago. All of the track was hand built, which I described in a three-part series entitled “The fundamentals of handlaid track” beginning in the December 1996 issue of Garden Railways. All of the rails were held in place on redwood ties with individual spikes. While time consuming and somewhat tedious to construct, I loved the look of the finished track. The track worked well for almost 20 years. However, I discovered that the spikes were loosening in the ties and some of the rails were becoming a little sloppy. Derailments, once almost nonexistent, were becoming more frequent. I found that the wood was rotting around the spikes and the spikes were losing their grip. The spikes themselves were still in…

Handlaid track reconsidered

Build a SUGAR-INDUSTRY CABOOSE

This is a little caboose based on several I saw on a 1981 trip to Cuba, when we visited sugar lines on the island for nine days. It was a wonderful trip that I will never forget. I have well over 900 photos from that trip, both black-and-white and color slides, to help me remember and from which to model. Most cabooses in Cuba were fashioned from steel but a few, mostly older examples, were of wooden construction. My version is of the more typical steel caboose. It uses the same frame as described in my flatcar article in the April 2018 issue of GR. Caboose designs in Cuba were generally “form follows function.” However, the creative hand of the builder shows in some instances. Decorative railings and occasional window trim adorned…

Build a SUGAR-INDUSTRY CABOOSE

How to make OUTDOOR HARD-SHELL SCENERY

AT THE HEART AND SOUL OF designing my Ridgeway Grande Scenic Railway was my desire to recreate the feeling of diminutive narrow-gauge trains traversing huge expanses of San Juan mountain scenery. The challenge was how to accomplish this with a gently sloping backyard. The saying “Necessity is the mother of invention” comes to mind. I had not seen a method of recreating expansive scenery outdoors. However, I’ve seen examples of hard-shell scenery indoors, so why not do the same thing on an outdoor railway? Outdoor hard-shell is a steel-and-mortar foundation that can support either rock castings or sculpted-rock formations. Think of it as an all-weather substrate upon which you can apply realistic rock formations (photo 1) to enhance the realism of your garden railroad. Hard-shell uses a sandwich of rebar,…

How to make OUTDOOR HARD-SHELL SCENERY

Railbus kitbash

More than 20 years ago I purchased Northeast Narrow Gauge’s generic railbus kit to build for my future Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes narrow-gauge railway. I began constructing the kit a few months after my purchase but never finished it. Now I’m retired, and decided to complete the kit. I soon realized that it needed major modifications to approach the design of the original SR&RL Nº 4 railbus, the only one still in existence today. I had recently completed assembling a new 3D printer (Prusa i3 MK2S), which would be ideal for the required modifications. Photo 1 shows the prototype as it exists today, while photo 2 shows the original kit design. I am modeling the last years of service (1933-1935) on this premier two-foot-gauge line in north-central Maine. At that…

Railbus kitbash

Build a ROT-PROOF TRESTLE

WHEN I BEGAN BUILDING the Z&R Railroad about nine and one-half years ago, I started without direction. Constructing a garden railroad was a new and alien concept to me. However, I am not a purist and am open to new means and methods of construction. I knew I needed roadbed to support my track, so I did one of the things I hate most—I researched the subject. I found an article by Paul D. Race on his Family Garden Trains website, “HDPE Flexible Roadbed,” which described the use of a product called Bear Board, manufactured by EPS Lumber. Bear Board is a plastic-lumber product made from recycled milk jugs and other plastics. It can be purchased in a multitude of sizes (2" x 4", 2" x 6", etc.) and lengths up to 16'…

Build a ROT-PROOF TRESTLE

The Northern California Narrow Gauge

My only childhood railroad memories revolve around the TV show “Petticoat Junction” and a few abortive attempts to build a layout. As I had neither money nor talent, I never got much further than buying a board and attaching a few sections of track. As I got older, my talent didn’t increase but my disposable income did so I decided to buy a small, complete N-gauge layout. This quickly bored me. Not long after, close friends Don and Karen Brown in Arizona brought me to a home with a garden railroad. This was the inspiration I was looking for. It appeared to be within the range of my talents, as the landscaping wasn’t created from plaster but already existed in my backyard—a koi pond with hills and streams. I would…

The Northern California Narrow Gauge

Tools and materials

• Table saw. Any table saw will do. Mine is a DeWalt job-site portable with a 10" rip/crosscut blade that came on the saw. (A finer blade can generate excess heat and melt the plastic.) • Chop saw. A chop saw is optional. Sometimes I use one and sometimes not. I find it to be a safer and easier way of cutting pre-ripped material to length. • Battery-powered drills. I use two 3/8" battery-powered drills. One has a 1/8" bit for drilling pilot holes, while the second has a #2 Phillips-head screwdriver bit. You could use one drill and a hand screwdriver if you choose. However, you may find that there will be so many screws that it is not practical. • Trestle jig. The one I use is homemade, inherited from my…

Plants on the Northern California Narrow Gauge

Rocklin, California | USDA Hardiness Zones 8-9 STATION AREA TREES Japanese maple Acer palmatum Japanese littleleaf boxwood Buxus microphylla japonica Korean littleleaf boxwood Buxus microphylla koreana Creeping wire vine Muehlenbeckia axillaris STATION AREA GROUNDCOVER Purple wood sorrel Oxalis purpurea Blue star creeper Pratia pedunculata Hooked spur violet Viola adunca TUNNEL AREA BONSAI’D CONIFERS Golden Monterey cypress Cupressus macrocarpa ‘Donard Gold’ Italian cypress Cupressus sempervirens Spartan juniper Juniperus chinensis ‘Spartan’ Dwarf Alberta spruce Picea glauca albertiana ‘Conica’ Colorado blue spruce Picea pungens glauca Emerald arborvitae Thuja occidentalis ‘Emerald’ TUNNEL AREA GROUNDCOVER Bluebell bellflower, Harebell Campanula rotundifolia Sweet alyssum Lobularia maritima Wirevine Muehlenbeckia axillaris Winged everlasting Ozothamnus sp. Hot Lips littleleaf sage Salvia microphylla ‘Hot Lips’ Woolly thyme Thymus pseudolanuginosis Creeping thyme Thymus serpyllum…

Build a SUGAR-INDUSTRY CABOOSE

This is a little caboose based on several I saw on a 1981 trip to Cuba, when we visited sugar lines on the island for nine days. It was a wonderful trip that I will never forget. I have well over 900 photos from that trip, both black-and-white and color slides, to help me remember and from which to model. Most cabooses in Cuba were fashioned from steel but a few, mostly older examples, were of wooden construction. My version is of the more typical steel caboose. It uses the same frame as described in my flatcar article in the April 2018 issue of GR. Caboose designs in Cuba were generally “form follows function.” However, the creative hand of the builder shows in some instances. Decorative railings and occasional window…

Build a SUGAR-INDUSTRY CABOOSE

Computerized design and manufacturing

Commercial steam-locomotive suppliers today rely on modern computerized design and manufacturing. Model locomotives are drawn in CAD (computer aided drafting) programs and rendered in 3D to check assembly. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools churn out precision parts far more quickly than traditional methods. CAD design and CNC machining also help to reduce the costs of these models. This is all very well for the commercial locomotive builders who can afford this type of equipment, but how can the individual benefit from automated-manufacturing technology? Surprisingly, there are a number of opportunities to use this equipment to make items for your own live-steam hobby. One of the first things you will need to do in order to take advantage of automated-manufacturing technology is to acquire and learn how to use a CAD software…

Computerized design and manufacturing

Railbus kitbash

More than 20 years ago I purchased Northeast Narrow Gauge’s generic railbus kit to build for my future Sandy River & Rangeley Lakes narrow-gauge railway. I began constructing the kit a few months after my purchase but never finished it. Now I’m retired, and decided to complete the kit. I soon realized that it needed major modifications to approach the design of the original SR&RL Nº 4 railbus, the only one still in existence today. I had recently completed assembling a new 3D printer (Prusa i3 MK2S), which would be ideal for the required modifications. Photo 1 shows the prototype as it exists today, while photo 2 shows the original kit design. I am modeling the last years of service (1933-1935) on this premier two-foot-gauge line in north-central Maine. At…

Railbus kitbash

Improve your garden’s success: part 2

In my last column, I discussed good preparation of the site and soil by careful evaluation of the growing conditions (light, moisture, soil type, and microclimate) and best ways to amend the existing soil. In this issue, I want to focus on choosing the right plants for the right place for the right reasons, and getting them to grow as you want them to. Photo 1 illustrates the planting phase of my current railroad—transplanting material from my former garden railroad. Before you head for the garden center to buy plants, I assume you have researched well to know what each plant requires for best growth. There’s no point in buying a plant that will fail because you planted it in a site with conditions it can’t tolerate. You can push a…

Improve your garden’s success: part 2

Build a ROT-PROOF TRESTLE

WHEN I BEGAN BUILDING the Z&R Railroad about nine and one-half years ago, I started without direction. Constructing a garden railroad was a new and alien concept to me. However, I am not a purist and am open to new means and methods of construction. I knew I needed roadbed to support my track, so I did one of the things I hate most—I researched the subject. I found an article by Paul D. Race on his Family Garden Trains website, “HDPE Flexible Roadbed,” which described the use of a product called Bear Board, manufactured by EPS Lumber. Bear Board is a plastic-lumber product made from recycled milk jugs and other plastics. It can be purchased in a multitude of sizes (2" x 4", 2" x 6", etc.) and lengths…

Build a ROT-PROOF TRESTLE

Three SCRATCHBUILT ENGINES

During the past couple of years I have been building locomotives for my garden railway, the Bondesbjerg Mountain Railway (see Garden Railways, June 2011). These are of my own design but I have found inspiration from different sources. My first project was a small steam engine with a coal-tender. Both the locomotive and the tender are motorized, each with an LGB drive. My dear wife donated a can from her hair-spray for the boiler and the top of a deodorant container for the dome. Other materials include aluminium shapes and sheet from the hardware store, polystyrene sheets and a few brass parts from the hobby shop, as well as a lot of small parts from my own stock. Since I already had a small diesel, and now have a small steam engine,…

Three SCRATCHBUILT ENGINES

2 September, 2018: LGB 50th Anniversary Event, Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California • 4 p.m.-8 p.m. • RSVP to stacy.cousins@marklin.com or 573-265-9522 by August 6 18-19 August, 2018: Denver Garden Railway Society Steamup • Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado • Mike Harris, dgrssteam@q.com 9 September, 2018: Columbus Garden Railway Society Annual Garden Tour of Homes • 1-5 p.m. rain or shine • For maps, visit thecgrs.org 20-23 September, 2018: Fall Steamup at Staver Locomotive • 2537 NW 29th Ave., Portland OR 97210 • 503-222-3223 • info@staverlocomotive.com • http://staverlocomotive.com 27-28 October, 2018: Rocky Mountain Hobby-Expo • Denver Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave., Denver CO 80216 • 303-345-5031 • http://rockymountainhobby-expo.com 29-30 March, 2019: East Coast Large Scale Train Show • York Expo Center, York PA • Info: 410-349-4290 • www.eclstc.com Future Garden Railway Conventions 2019: Portland…

Tools and materials

• Table saw. Any table saw will do. Mine is a DeWalt job-site portable with a 10" rip/crosscut blade that came on the saw. (A finer blade can generate excess heat and melt the plastic.) • Chop saw. A chop saw is optional. Sometimes I use one and sometimes not. I find it to be a safer and easier way of cutting pre-ripped material to length. • Battery-powered drills. I use two 3/8" battery-powered drills. One has a 1/8" bit for drilling pilot holes, while the second has a #2 Phillips-head screwdriver bit. You could use one drill and a hand screwdriver if you choose. However, you may find that there will be so many screws that it is not practical. • Trestle jig. The one I use is homemade,…

One thing that garden railroaders often say separates us from modelers in the smaller scales is that we don’t take ourselves or our trains so seriously. We may scratchbuild a perfect model of a South Park passenger car from 1899, and be justifiably proud of its historical accuracy, but we’re not above putting a figure of Albert Einstein in one of the seats. It’s all about fun—otherwise it isn’t really a hobby, is it? Who else is having fun with their trains? Here’s someone: the trains are small scale, and they’re wood, and they’re Thomas the Tank and friends. And you’ll have to watch the video to understand what craziness they’re up to. Thanks to Nancy Norris for finding this: tinyurl.com/Thomas-stunts Having a good eye for interesting or colorful buildings can make…

The very first Garratt

This is a model of the very first Beyer-Garratt locomotive, K1, delivered to the two-foot-gauge North East Dundas Tramway in Tasmania in 1910. There, the K1, along with its sister engine K2, hauled silver/lead ore for two decades. Over the years, parts from both engines were combined into a single locomotive, still called K1. In 1947 it was repurchased by its maker, Beyer Peacock in Manchester, as a museum piece. It was later purchased by the Festiniog Railway and a full restoration commenced in 1995. In 2006 the engine entered service again on the Welsh Highland Railway. Beyer-Garratt engines are unusual in the steam-locomotive world in that they have a large boiler slung between two articulated steam motors. The arrangement gives the relatively large engines flexibility and agility, enabling them to…

The very first Garratt

Computerized design and manufacturing

Commercial steam-locomotive suppliers today rely on modern computerized design and manufacturing. Model locomotives are drawn in CAD (computer aided drafting) programs and rendered in 3D to check assembly. Computer numerically controlled (CNC) machine tools churn out precision parts far more quickly than traditional methods. CAD design and CNC machining also help to reduce the costs of these models. This is all very well for the commercial locomotive builders who can afford this type of equipment, but how can the individual benefit from automated-manufacturing technology? Surprisingly, there are a number of opportunities to use this equipment to make items for your own live-steam hobby. One of the first things you will need to do in order to take advantage of automated-manufacturing technology is to acquire and learn how to use a…

Computerized design and manufacturing

Improve your garden’s success: part 2

In my last column, I discussed good preparation of the site and soil by careful evaluation of the growing conditions (light, moisture, soil type, and microclimate) and best ways to amend the existing soil. In this issue, I want to focus on choosing the right plants for the right place for the right reasons, and getting them to grow as you want them to. Photo 1 illustrates the planting phase of my current railroad—transplanting material from my former garden railroad. Before you head for the garden center to buy plants, I assume you have researched well to know what each plant requires for best growth. There’s no point in buying a plant that will fail because you planted it in a site with conditions it can’t tolerate. You can push…

Improve your garden’s success: part 2

Accucraft produced this 3/8"-scale hopper to complement their C&O and Virginian 2-6-6-6 Allegheny locomotives, which pulled vast strings of similar cars. Our review sample is black, decorated for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. The prototype was one of a batch of 1,000, built in 1951 by Bethlehem Steel. The model has a plastic body with a high level of exterior detail. The interior of the car has bracing between the bays but no rivet detail. The coal doors at the bottoms of the bays are not functional. Grab–irons and piping are produced in what appears to be scale-diameter wire. Steps are cleanly molded, integral with the body. Full brake gear is included at one end of the car. All details are crisp and sharply rendered. The car is furnished with Accucraft’s working,…

Handy garden-railway truss bridge

We first reviewed this company’s stainless-steel bridges in the December 2013 Garden Railways. A new review sample has been received, which incorporates some improvements over the original structure This is a simple truss bridge, laser cut from 18-gauge (.050") stainless steel sheet. The bottom and sides of the bridge are made from a single piece, with the sides folded up. The top edges are also folded 90° inward for stiffness. A laser-cut top section, also with folded edges, fits over the lower section and is welded to it, creating an extremely solid, stable assembly. All edges have been deburred and are smooth, posing no hazard to the user. The deck of the bridge is a solid piece except for mounting holes. These holes are duplicated along the lower sides of the bridge…

Handy garden-railway truss bridge

Three SCRATCHBUILT ENGINES

During the past couple of years I have been building locomotives for my garden railway, the Bondesbjerg Mountain Railway (see Garden Railways, June 2011). These are of my own design but I have found inspiration from different sources. My first project was a small steam engine with a coal-tender. Both the locomotive and the tender are motorized, each with an LGB drive. My dear wife donated a can from her hair-spray for the boiler and the top of a deodorant container for the dome. Other materials include aluminium shapes and sheet from the hardware store, polystyrene sheets and a few brass parts from the hobby shop, as well as a lot of small parts from my own stock. Since I already had a small diesel, and now have a small…

Three SCRATCHBUILT ENGINES

2 September, 2018: LGB 50th Anniversary Event, Orange Empire Railway Museum in Perris, California • 4 p.m.-8 p.m. • RSVP to stacy.cousins@marklin.com or 573-265-9522 by August 6 18-19 August, 2018: Denver Garden Railway Society Steamup • Colorado Railroad Museum, Golden, Colorado • Mike Harris, dgrssteam@q.com 9 September, 2018: Columbus Garden Railway Society Annual Garden Tour of Homes • 1-5 p.m. rain or shine • For maps, visit thecgrs.org 20-23 September, 2018: Fall Steamup at Staver Locomotive • 2537 NW 29th Ave., Portland OR 97210 • 503-222-3223 • info@staverlocomotive.com • http://staverlocomotive.com 27-28 October, 2018: Rocky Mountain Hobby-Expo • Denver Mart, 451 E. 58th Ave., Denver CO 80216 • 303-345-5031 • http://rockymountainhobby-expo.com 29-30 March, 2019: East Coast Large Scale Train Show • York Expo Center, York PA • Info: 410-349-4290 • www.eclstc.com…

British narrow-gauge guard’s van

The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) is one of the very few British narrow-gauge lines built to a gauge of three feet. At its peak, the line was more than 46 miles long but today it operates on only 15 miles of trackage. The line opened in 1873 and continues in operation today with its original locomotives and rolling stock Accucraft has produced live-steam models of the IMR locomotives and also has an IMR coach. This brake van complements this other equipment. Americans are not familiar with brake vans. In Britain, they served to help brake trains that carried rolling stock (freight and passenger) without brakes. Inside the van is a large wheel that the guard must turn to apply the brakes to the van, thus adding drag to the rest of…

British narrow-gauge guard’s van

One thing that garden railroaders often say separates us from modelers in the smaller scales is that we don’t take ourselves or our trains so seriously. We may scratchbuild a perfect model of a South Park passenger car from 1899, and be justifiably proud of its historical accuracy, but we’re not above putting a figure of Albert Einstein in one of the seats. It’s all about fun—otherwise it isn’t really a hobby, is it? Who else is having fun with their trains? Here’s someone: the trains are small scale, and they’re wood, and they’re Thomas the Tank and friends. And you’ll have to watch the video to understand what craziness they’re up to. Thanks to Nancy Norris for finding this: tinyurl.com/Thomas-stunts Having a good eye for interesting or colorful buildings…

High-tech series Our latest installment of “High-tech modeling for garden railroaders” follows author Steve Berneberg as he continues building a water tower. Visit www.GardenRailways.com/hightech Video 101 Learn how to create sharper images in our latest Video 101 installment. Type “John Cushman” into the search box. Full-size drawings Everyone can download a PDF of full-size caboose drawings designed by Thomas A. Yorke. Type the author’s name into the search box. More photos Subscribers have access to more product-review photos for the Accucraft Garratt. Visit “Product reviews” under “Products & hobby news.”…

Excellent intro to high-tech modeling

If you are new to 3D printing and/or laser cutting, or if you have been curious about these technologies and getting into them, this book is for you. The authors have put together a comprehensive primer, specifically aimed at model railroaders, to familiarize you and get you up and running with these technologies. The book begins with an introduction to CAD (Computer Aided Design), as this is the starting point for any 3D-printing or laser-cutting project. The authors describe in simple terms what CAD is and how it can be used in both 2D and 3D forms. They then go on to discuss no fewer than 11 different CAD programs, outlining the pros and cons of each. The best part is that all of these programs are available free on the…

Excellent intro to high-tech modeling

The very first Garratt

This is a model of the very first Beyer-Garratt locomotive, K1, delivered to the two-foot-gauge North East Dundas Tramway in Tasmania in 1910. There, the K1, along with its sister engine K2, hauled silver/lead ore for two decades. Over the years, parts from both engines were combined into a single locomotive, still called K1. In 1947 it was repurchased by its maker, Beyer Peacock in Manchester, as a museum piece. It was later purchased by the Festiniog Railway and a full restoration commenced in 1995. In 2006 the engine entered service again on the Welsh Highland Railway. Beyer-Garratt engines are unusual in the steam-locomotive world in that they have a large boiler slung between two articulated steam motors. The arrangement gives the relatively large engines flexibility and agility, enabling them…

The very first Garratt

Accucraft produced this 3/8"-scale hopper to complement their C&O and Virginian 2-6-6-6 Allegheny locomotives, which pulled vast strings of similar cars. Our review sample is black, decorated for the Chesapeake & Ohio Railroad. The prototype was one of a batch of 1,000, built in 1951 by Bethlehem Steel. The model has a plastic body with a high level of exterior detail. The interior of the car has bracing between the bays but no rivet detail. The coal doors at the bottoms of the bays are not functional. Grab–irons and piping are produced in what appears to be scale-diameter wire. Steps are cleanly molded, integral with the body. Full brake gear is included at one end of the car. All details are crisp and sharply rendered. The car is furnished with…

Solar lighting for your structures

There are several ways to enhance your railway. One that really makes a difference is lighting for night running. There are a few ways to power your lights, including a common power supply, battery power, and solar power. Let’s look and the pros and cons of each. Common power supply. Pros: Fairly reliable; easy to use; consistent. Cons: You must have a power supply; lots of wiring to contend with; affected by corrosion. Battery power. Pros: No excessive wiring; fairly inexpensive; easy to wire. Cons: Must switch on and off; battery life; corrosion prone. Solar power. Pros: No wiring; no need to turn on and off; corrosion doesn’t seem to be an issue; minimal cost. Cons: Unsightly solar panels. A couple of years ago I started rebuilding my hurricane-damaged buildings and, at…

Solar lighting for your structures

Handy garden-railway truss bridge

We first reviewed this company’s stainless-steel bridges in the December 2013 Garden Railways. A new review sample has been received, which incorporates some improvements over the original structure This is a simple truss bridge, laser cut from 18-gauge (.050") stainless steel sheet. The bottom and sides of the bridge are made from a single piece, with the sides folded up. The top edges are also folded 90° inward for stiffness. A laser-cut top section, also with folded edges, fits over the lower section and is welded to it, creating an extremely solid, stable assembly. All edges have been deburred and are smooth, posing no hazard to the user. The deck of the bridge is a solid piece except for mounting holes. These holes are duplicated along the lower sides of…

Handy garden-railway truss bridge

British narrow-gauge guard’s van

The Isle of Man Railway (IMR) is one of the very few British narrow-gauge lines built to a gauge of three feet. At its peak, the line was more than 46 miles long but today it operates on only 15 miles of trackage. The line opened in 1873 and continues in operation today with its original locomotives and rolling stock Accucraft has produced live-steam models of the IMR locomotives and also has an IMR coach. This brake van complements this other equipment. Americans are not familiar with brake vans. In Britain, they served to help brake trains that carried rolling stock (freight and passenger) without brakes. Inside the van is a large wheel that the guard must turn to apply the brakes to the van, thus adding drag to the…

British narrow-gauge guard’s van

Excellent intro to high-tech modeling

If you are new to 3D printing and/or laser cutting, or if you have been curious about these technologies and getting into them, this book is for you. The authors have put together a comprehensive primer, specifically aimed at model railroaders, to familiarize you and get you up and running with these technologies. The book begins with an introduction to CAD (Computer Aided Design), as this is the starting point for any 3D-printing or laser-cutting project. The authors describe in simple terms what CAD is and how it can be used in both 2D and 3D forms. They then go on to discuss no fewer than 11 different CAD programs, outlining the pros and cons of each. The best part is that all of these programs are available free on…

Excellent intro to high-tech modeling

High-tech series Our latest installment of “High-tech modeling for garden railroaders” follows author Steve Berneberg as he continues building a water tower. Visit www.GardenRailways.com/hightech Video 101 Learn how to create sharper images in our latest Video 101 installment. Type “John Cushman” into the search box. Full-size drawings Everyone can download a PDF of full-size caboose drawings designed by Thomas A. Yorke. Type the author’s name into the search box. More photos Subscribers have access to more product-review photos for the Accucraft Garratt. Visit “Product reviews” under “Products & hobby news.”…

Solar lighting for your structures

There are several ways to enhance your railway. One that really makes a difference is lighting for night running. There are a few ways to power your lights, including a common power supply, battery power, and solar power. Let’s look and the pros and cons of each. Common power supply. Pros: Fairly reliable; easy to use; consistent. Cons: You must have a power supply; lots of wiring to contend with; affected by corrosion. Battery power. Pros: No excessive wiring; fairly inexpensive; easy to wire. Cons: Must switch on and off; battery life; corrosion prone. Solar power. Pros: No wiring; no need to turn on and off; corrosion doesn’t seem to be an issue; minimal cost. Cons: Unsightly solar panels. A couple of years ago I started rebuilding my hurricane-damaged buildings…

Solar lighting for your structures

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