| If you love model railroading and relish being | | | | (as much as possible) having to spend a lot of |
| outdoors in your garden or back yard, you may | | | | time pruning to keep your tracks clear. |
| be thinking of combining your two pastimes. How | | | | Buildings can be an important part of your plan. |
| about creating a G scale garden railway? | | | | Model train stations and freight depots can |
| Many believe that the G scale is the perfect size | | | | provide protection from the elements. You can |
| for this type of model railroad. The G scale is 1:22 | | | | construct a special shed somewhere on your |
| - i.e., the real-life prototype train is 22 times the | | | | property for housing your locomotive or your |
| size of the model - and it runs on #1 gauge track, | | | | entire train. |
| which measures 45 mm (about 1.77 inches) | | | | Your design can include appealing geographic |
| between the running rails. Rolling stock units are | | | | features - perhaps a pond in place of a lake and |
| each approximately 26.7 inches long and 6 inches | | | | rocks for boulders. Tunnels can be a special |
| high. | | | | challenge for garden railways because they are |
| Before leaping into a major endeavor such as this, | | | | popular refuges for animal life. Imagine your |
| take some time to examine your property to be | | | | freight train surprising a sleeping cat or raccoon! |
| sure that it's suitable. Is the available area | | | | Instead of the model village that is so popular with |
| relatively level? Will your railroad be added to an | | | | indoor layouts, you may want to take advantage |
| existing garden or will you be designing both at | | | | of the natural foliage outside and run your track |
| the same time? How elaborate will your garden | | | | through your plants and flowers. |
| railway be? If you are new at this, consider | | | | A lot of planning goes into creating a successful |
| starting with a simple, basic plan and leave room | | | | garden railway. If you take the time to review |
| for adding onto it later. | | | | existing layouts (via the many garden rail |
| What should you consider in planning your garden | | | | societies) and doing thorough research, your |
| railroad? | | | | efforts will pay off. |
| In addition to the normal details of planning any | | | | Keep in mind that you will be building a railway in |
| layout, you have to think about the effects of | | | | the countryside - even though it will be in |
| water, soil, leaves, and even wildlife (dogs, cats, | | | | miniature. Many of your challenges will be the |
| rabbits, and others). Since plants are an integral | | | | same as those faced by real-world railway |
| part of any outdoor railroad, think about planting | | | | builders. |
| dwarf varieties near your tracks and try to avoid | | | | |