California-inspired garden railroad

Santa Fe Super Chief model engine

A California-inspired garden railroad is what you can see in our Morning Glow Railroad. It was developed after watching numerous videos, reading many Garden Railways magazines, then determining the type of garden railroad I wanted to construct. Its theme is based on the type of natural setting that I enjoyed the most, namely a vacation […]

Read More…

Brass buttons, creeping gold buttons

A ground cover on a garden railway

  Common name: Brass buttons, creeping gold buttons Latin name: Cotula fallax, C. hispida, or C. lineariloba Plant type: Perennial Plant size: 2″ high x 10″ wide USDA Hardiness Zones: 5-10 Cultural needs: Somewhat xeric, sun or part shade Renamed Cotula fallax, this semi-evergreen groundcover is not to be confused with other popular fern-like Cotulas, […]

Read More…

ScaleTrains.com N scale GE Dash 9-40C

ScaleTrains.com N scale Dash 9 locomotive

In 1995, Norfolk Southern was in the market for a modern, high-horsepower diesel to add to its roster. If you run an N scale railroad, you can do as NS did and pick up the General Electric Dash 9-40C, the latest offering from ScaleTrains.com’s high-detail Rivet Counter line. This modern six-axle workhorse is available as […]

Read More…

Budget work train for the garden

Large-scale MOW train

Budget work train for DIY’ers A budget work train made its way into my life since I needed a project to work on to de-stress from the rigors of graduate school — for a price a grad student can afford. Wrecking crane I wanted my budget work train to center around two main cars, a 250- […]

Read More…

Use artist’s clay to make a large-scale structure

A clay structure of a store

If you want a structure for your outdoor layout that will hold up to the elements, consider using clay. I’m an art teacher and when I began my outdoor railroad it was my first choice of materials for my buildings.  You can buy clay from local sources or online. Most catalogs sell it in 50-pound […]

Read More…

Convert a large-scale LGB passenger car into a dining car

Model figures in a dining car

By Frederic Williams Rohm and Brian Michelson I grew up in central Pennsylvania where my family had been long-time residents. My garden railroad is based on the Pennsylvania Railroad circa 1900; my grandfather and uncles worked on the PRR. The premier Pennsy passenger train of this era was the Pennsylvania Limited, which began making the […]

Read More…

Weeping Norway spruce

A spruce on a garden railroad

Common name: Weeping Norway spruce 
Latin name: Picea abies ‘Pendula’ Plant type: dwarf conifer USDA Hardiness Zones: 2-8 Cultural needs: Moist, well drained, slightly acidic soil; sun to part shade Plant height: 18″ if prostrate; 10-12′ if staked Dark, evergreen needles on drooping soft branches make weeping Norway spruce an attractive specimen tree. Garden railroaders […]

Read More…

A fun, large-scale Halloween display

A Halloween display layout on a truck

I love collecting and displaying large-scale trains. I also love showing off my 1956 GMC pick up at car shows, or even at the front of my driveway at home. I decided to combine the two and make a mobile display layout! The layout is an easy build. My truck has slots on the truck […]

Read More…

A large-scale Halloween display in a vintage pick-up truck

Halloween layout on a pick up truck

Hobbyist Dale van Ingen loves collecting large-scale equipment. He also loves his 1956 GMC pick-up truck. He combined the two to create a traveling display layout! Watch this video of a Halloween-themed display he shares with others. Learn more about how he built the display and see more photos in our photo gallery. […]

Read More…

News & products for the week of October 14, 2021

Austrian Federal Rys. Taurus Railjet locomotive.

Large scale locomotives Austrian Federal Rys. Taurus Railjet locomotive. Digital Command Control sound decoder; molded and separate, factory-applied parts, including lights, windshield wipers, handrails, horn, vents, fans, bumpers, and exhaust stack; hook-and-loop couplers; and can-type ball-bearing motor. $779.99. November 2021. PIKO America, 619-280-2800, piko-america.com Large scale passenger equipment Austrian Federal Rys. Railjet first-class coach. Plastic wheelsets, molded […]

Read More…