What do you enjoy most about garden railroading?

[Anonymous]

I voted "other" because I like the nuts and bolts construction of an outdoor layout. Solving problems, choosing the best materials, trying new ideas and making it look good give me a fun time.
The trains are just moving scenery to me. I run my locos out-of-the-box and weather my cars a little and rarely add any after-market detail. If they add to the look of my layout I keep them. If not, I sell them.
I think of my layout as a sculpture where all things must make a pleasing whole. One element should not stand out over the others, it needs to be in balance.

Running trains is not my "thing" so they usually run only when guests are here.
OLD DAD

[Gary Crawley]

[#welcome] Bob
I live in Canberra, Australia and I also have no contact with Garden Railroaders in my city, but the good people on the forum makes distance irelavent,
There's always somebody that will help and your never alone.
Regards
Gary

.

[Anonymous]

Not fair [:(] I wanted to choose a couple of the answers because I felt a couple of the catagories fit in my case. Oh well, I picked the better of the two [;)]

[Anonymous]

[#welcome] Bob,

What area or country do you live in? There may be another GR closer than you think, you just need the contacts to find it. This forum is a great place to start. the world sure seems a smaller place now the internet has come along.

Glen Anthony.

[van buren s l]

Renee

I voted "other" since all of the answers were applicable except the one about the friendly folks. I play trains alone or with members of my family. Other than on the web or in GR, I've never seen another garden railway.

Bob

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by frankweir

I voted bigger trains because when I first started getting back into the hobby I started with HO. I sold all of that collection and have S gauge inside the house. But large scale really caught my eye when a friend had a Christmas display in his hardware store. I am getting ready to start on my garden railroad in the spring. Being and engineer for our local railroad museum I look forward to the challenges the changing weather will bring me just as in full scale.

[#welcome] Frankweir, I to have "S" indoors, but I am going to go large scale outside.
I believe my indoor is going to be a 4 scales in their on loop on a shelf layout in my office, large scale towards the wall, daughters "O" next followed "S" and HO nearest to the edge.

[vsmith]

For me its always been about the modeling so I chose Bigger Trains. I'm the odd duck here being indoors and not in the dirt. But my primary interest has always been in the modeling aspects not so much the running or operation in the outdoor (or indoor)enviroment.

[Anonymous]

I voted bigger trains because when I first started getting back into the hobby I started with HO. I sold all of that collection and have S gauge inside the house. But large scale really caught my eye when a friend had a Christmas display in his hardware store. I am getting ready to start on my garden railroad in the spring. Being and engineer for our local railroad museum I look forward to the challenges the changing weather will bring me just as in full scale.

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,

For me, it's everything about the hobby. Working on the premise that nothings ever finished in this game it's good to sit back after a day of gardening/railroading/maintenance of waying and say 'I did that, and it was fun'
A big hello to the names I haven't seen before. [#welcome]
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Gary Crawley]

Hi Rene
I voted "other" for the same reasons as most folks have. "The Best hobby in the World" and the great people on this Forum proves it.
To all our Aussie friends watch out for those Kiwis. (any bets on the football)
Gary

[Anonymous]

I voted out doors.
I like all the other stuff too, but after working all day in an air-conditioned building where you can't even see out the window, and then being at home on the weekend on a glourious sunny day, do you really think I want to head indoors to a train room?

Of course outside is not so fun in winter, but you can always stay inside by the heater and make wagons and buildings ready for the summer.

Also Hi Reg, from Auckland. That makes at least 3 of us from New Zealand on this forum (that I know of).

Glen Anthony (Christchurch, NZ).

[Anonymous]

I voted other, as i love designing, doing civil engineering work and laying railway lines, encountering and solving a myriad of small problems as I go.

But I do agree with many of the other aspects as well.


Regards

Ian

[Anonymous]

I guess I like all of those things in the list. But what I like most of all is the challenge of the changing seasons. Just like the real lines, it is a never ending battle to keep things going. While it may seem to be a pain sometimes, it actually adds to the interest level.

Much like the postman, “Neither wind, rain, nor snow …,” hey, two out of three ain’t bad!

Regards,
Bill C.
South Jersey

[Anonymous]

I voted other for all of the above reasons. Even if I am not running trains I still love the garden, the railroad, etc.

George

[Anonymous]

I voted "other" for all of the above.
(1) The older I get the bigger the trains.
(2) Love the outdoors.
(3) Can't wait to run in the snow.
(4) My rock gardens and trains go together like a horse and carriage.
(5) Friendly folks like the ones at Marty Cozad's steam up.
(6) Yes, I use the 10 ft. rule.

Henson Tittle
Ozark & Cherokee Central
Lincoln, Arkansas

[SandyR]

I voted 'outdoors' because my garden railroad reminds me so of the Adirondacks. Now that I can't travel anymore, sitting out by my garden watching the train go by is so relaxing, like being up in the mountains. With a train, to boot. It doesn't matter that it's the same train going by each time. Tomorrow it can be a different one. Tomorrow, I might have a different set of buildings out. It doesn't do anything or really go anywhere...it just is so peaceful.
Next year will bring a branch line and the opportunity to run point to point and do some switching. I'm looking forward to that, if my back heals sufficiently.
It's a railfan's railroad, really. Just kick back with a Pepsi and watch 'em run!
SandyR

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by regcar

The best thing I like about Garden Railway is to see the childrens faces when they look over my garden fence and see the miniture world of railway they get so excited pointing to the different models in the garden

Reg Tyson
Auckland New Zealand Joined 30th Oct.2004

[#welcome] Reg to the forum!!!

[Anonymous]

I said other as well, to me it's probably all of the above as well, but the whole concept from being outdoors real plants for scenery and the size just sucked me in![:p][:D]

There NO going back now!

[Anonymous]

It's all of them really.The fascination of trains,the great outdoors,the plants ect.
The garden for us has always been important because is is a safe place for our children to play in.The garden railway has enhanced this as it adds more interest and more variety from a childs point of view.Whilst the boys are playing football,the girls will be running their 'Barbie'rail service.I always let the children get on with it.They run the most bizarre trains but they enjoy themselves.
The result-happy children,stress free wife,and a train that delivers beer to the Dad .

[Anonymous]

The best thing I like about Garden Railway is to see the childrens faces when they look over my garden fence and see the miniture world of railway they get so excited pointing to the different models in the garden

Reg Tyson
Auckland New Zealand Joined 30th Oct.2004

[powlee]

It has got to be `other` as I can`t vote for more than one. I enjoyed 00/H0 in the garden but G is even better. The outdoors, the society members when they bring their trains, I can build bigger structures. The wife does the gardening!!

Ian P

[Anonymous]

I initially came into the hobby becuase I like trains and wanted the somewhat unlimited space the outdoors offers. I then came to this forum for information and discovered, instead, the great variety of people. I came with questions and left with friends, is there nothing better than that?

Capt Carrales

[Anonymous]

Rene
I voted gardening , to bad you can not pick two of them, tthe other is the friendly folks in the hobby,and on this fourm, who try and help you. BEN [:D] [tup] [2c]

[Anonymous]

Hi Rene
I voted other.
Because I will finally get a layout where trains go out of sight for real
because it is real trains in the real world and I got the burned fingers to prove it[:D]
You dont get the smell of warm steam oil and wisps of steam in doors do, you just the stink of smoke oil and paint.
and you cannot smell the flowers or the earth. a garden railway has a reality
that indoors just cannot match.[:D]
The sizzle of the steaks and onions and this great company only prove that you are in the right hobby for all the right reasons.
regards John

[Anonymous]

I had to vote "other" because it really was "all of the above".
I also enjoy r/c aircraft and helios. But my love for the rails has me on them more than any hobby even my soap making and wood crafts.

[kstrong]

I went with "being outdoors." They're all worthy choices and virtually equal in importance, but if I had to boil it down to one quintessential reason why I do large scale vs. any other scale, it's the simple reason that the trains run outdoors in the real environment. Now, I've been known to blow the occasional gorgeous day spending it inside in the workshop, but the reason I build the models (beyond the satisfaction of just building them) is to take them outside and run them through nature. To that end, "working in a changing environment" goes hand in hand with "being outdoors," and could easily be interpreted as the same choice.

Later,

K

[tangerine-jack]

I chose "other" because, again, I feel that it is "all of the above". Each choice is only one of many reasons I enjoy garden railroading, but it's the combination of all of them that makes it so great. Each has it's own merit, but doesn't stand alone as the over riding enjoyment of the hobby. [oX)]

[Rene Schweitzer]

I don't think it would be fair for me to vote on my own poll, but I would choose the friendly folks. [:D]