I'm a newbie who made many mistakes and had a lot of fun, but if I had it to do over again..
Way before getting to the technical end I would start by figuring out what era and style you like. Do you like the old west, narrow gauge look? 20th century big steam? Do you like modern diesels? It matters because the general look and style of the trains you like effects everything else. Lots of people model narrow guage, for good reason. It looks better in a small space. Of course, you can do whatever you want and mix eras and styles (I do), but a big modern diesel looks silly on the same curves that look great under a Bachmann 2-8-0
Then figure out what kind of layout you want. Just decorative, or do you want to operate it like a real railroad? A lot of hands on yard operation? Or hands off automatic operation while you sip the beverage of your choice? Do you want a high level of realism? I'm running a three car passenger trin with Aristocraft heavyweight coaches. If I wanted A station platform long enough for all three coaches, it'd be eight feet long! If I had the more prototypical 6 coaches, I'd need a station platform 16 feet long!!! So how much realism do you want?
Is it a garden train, or a train layout that happens to be outside? If the point is the train, not the garden, you'd be happier if you just elevated the whole thing. Less bending over, less debris on track
I'd visit as many garden railways as I could and talk to people
I would recommend MTH DCS control system for it's features if you would like several engines running and maybe some lashups. Aristocraft stainless track is great. I might now go to brass for cost reasons. If you just want to run one train at a time stay with dc. You can always use a good power pack down the road for expansion.
See my reply to a post today in adding sound: under Garden Railway design
Vic
You still have fire pix from I think it was last year or year before last of the members in CA.? I remember the pictures. One mans house gone with his shop and Railroad, just gone.
Toad
Speaking as someone in the architecture business. If your rebuilding again in a high fire zone: Masonry, steel, and roll down fire shutters. If you can afford it, when you rebuild. NO WOOD
After two devistating fire down their if anything one should assume that every peice of fire fighting equipment in the world can be thrown at a fire and still may not be able to save a house, but if that house is designed with fire combat in mind, and that is what it is, combat, the odds return to your favor. Houses can be made to be almost fireproof, you just have to make the effort to see how. Study the reports that have been made regarding how a house built to current code is still at high risk to burn in a windborn fire. Tile roofs have to be carefully designed as embers got blown in between the open tiles at the bottom and under gaps at valleys and edges of setting roofs aflame from under the tiles, I would use a standing seam metal roof. Embers got blown thru roof vent into attics so vent codes are insufficient, heat from fires cracked and broke windows allowing embers into structures, and also the heat alone from a close fire radiating thru the glass can be enough to ignite curtains inside, automatic roll down fire shutters pervent both. Other ideas, Do not plant trees or shrubs anywhere near the house, they become torches, use succulents to surround the house, they do not burn, fire sprinklers are also a must, anyway I could go one, if I ever move out somewhere like this, my own house will look more like a Hobbit hole that a standard stucco mediterranian job most common, but that stucco job can be every bit as fire proof as my hobbit hole. Anyway I'm rambling so I'll shut up..
Now for trains, take your time, research, read, figure out what it is YOU like first and foremost.
Standard guage? Narrow Gauge? European?
Now if you can make the trip, go to the Big Train Show June 6&7 in Ontario Ca you can see just about everything in the large scale universe and ask any questions in person to many different experts. Its really worth the day trip.
Keep in mind that track is your most expensive item so plan accordingly, dont think you have to buy everything at one, I bought track a little at a time, took a while but I also didnt break the bank. If you decide track power I would suggest stainless steel, as its so close in price to brass and far better. If you go battery-radio control get aluminum track, its cheaper than brass and is a better choice for R/C. If you can pick up used track on the cheap, do so, you can always mix and match, especially if your R/C. Heck even plastic track would work but I wouldnt recommend it.
Have fun with your trains
Guys, you missed it!
Rene has put together a nice "Beginners start here" setup at the top of this page!
After that, read, digest, and read some more!
I can't understand why people say this is an expensive hobby. Golf, $$$ for clubs, $$$ for lessons, $$$ for the proper clothes and shoes, $$$$$$ for the lost balls, and a bunch of $$$ for Greens Fees everytime you go out to play! Duck hunting, 1,500 for a boat, 800 for a motor, couple hundred in materials to build a blind, 300 for clothes, couple hundred for waders and keep you dry stuff, 300+ for the shotgun, $$$ for decoys, 50 for a box of shells; just to get up at an ungodly hour in freezin a__ cold weather and shoot a duck you could have gone to the A&P and gotten for 5.95? Expensive hobby?
Bachmann track will rust apart so that being said, don't buy.
I guess I should have clarified the "inexpensive" comment - it is not so much from a cost perspective, but from a newbie mistake perspective... i dont want to make the mistake of buying X track with Y connectors or Z train and realize they all dont work together after install.
and yes, i like the aspect of the dirt and rock and retaining walls - the garden cost is a given!
thanks all for your help!
CaptainKev wrote:Ok, so first of alllet me say I am completely new to this. I recently lost my house in the San Diego Fires and after much contemplation decided to buy a new 1 acre lot to build our dream home, with pool and (i have to say) garden railroad in the back yard. I know nothing, and after beginning to read the forums, don't know where to start. questions like, if I buy Aristo track, can I put another companies train on it? are tracks all interchangeable, or if i start with one company, am i locked into them for life? what is the 'range' of a remote control? what is the best or most inexpensive route to begin? I dont want to have to redo stuff? but for a 100 - 120' track layout, what would everyone suggest? kits, or just drive in and make my own track? aughghh... the questions are endless - anyone want to mentor me? I am in San Diego area...
Ok, so first of alllet me say I am completely new to this. I recently lost my house in the San Diego Fires and after much contemplation decided to buy a new 1 acre lot to build our dream home, with pool and (i have to say) garden railroad in the back yard.
I know nothing, and after beginning to read the forums, don't know where to start. questions like, if I buy Aristo track, can I put another companies train on it? are tracks all interchangeable, or if i start with one company, am i locked into them for life? what is the 'range' of a remote control? what is the best or most inexpensive route to begin? I dont want to have to redo stuff? but for a 100 - 120' track layout, what would everyone suggest? kits, or just drive in and make my own track?
aughghh... the questions are endless - anyone want to mentor me? I am in San Diego area...
First bit of advice - Join your local club - http://www.sdgrs.com/
There are a couple of sandy eggo guys you'll see regularly on various fora -
Greg E.- http://www.elmassian.com (an electronics guru)
and Ray D. - http://www.raydunakin.com/Site/In-ko-pah_Railroad.htm (a true artist)
A "G" gauge track is pretty much the same size - 45 mm wide. Most brands a track will work with each other - Aristo, LGB, USA, etc. There are some code (or height differences). Most is code 332 or 0.332 inches high. Some guys like a shorter or more prototypic looking rail and work with code 250 or 215.
Just starting out? with track power go with aristo stainless
battery/rc - any track will do
Sectional track is the easiest for beginners but the train-li dual rail track bender makes it pretty easy to do flex track if you comfortable with cutting track etc.
Sets are really only good for around the christmas tree.
You'll find with this hobby, you will always need to redo stuff!
-Brian
ps - click on by signature below to see by blog and what I've done in the past two years.
Welcome aboard!
The first thing to do is get a subscription to Garden Railroader magazine.
The second thing to do is read everything you can find on the subject of GR and large scale trains.
The third thing is to hold onto your money and think about what you want out of your RR.
Start with a simple loop if you're a rank amateur. Go to this website's magazines and back articles, there are hundreds of tips for laying track.
Realize that this hobby is relatively expensive unless you like to build from scratch. 'Relative' being a 'relative' term, I know. What's expensive to one might be chicken feed to another. Sort of like real life.
Realize that, for an outdoor RR, you're going to have to buy an awfully lot of stuff non-RR related, like fill dirt, paving blocks, plants, shrubs and items common to gardening.
I can't mentor anyone, because I'm quite new myself and don't have many answers. There are a lot of guys on this board who have been the whole route, though, and are happy to share their opinions.
Read, read, read.
Les W.
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