The essence of a garden railway

[emdmike]

Exactly Kevin, trains do not run thru the depot every min or two in most places in the real world, espically outside of major cities like NYC or Chicago.  So folks milling about on the platform, awaiting the arrival of the evening train, is completely prototypical and does lead the mind to wander and wonder.   Wonder what engine type will be on the express tonight, will it be on time ect.  I do not even run sound in my trains.  It sounds fake in my mind's eye and ears.  But in that same mind, I "hear" the train.  And on my small layout, I can "fade" it away as it leaves the depot.  Something hard to do with an electronic sound circuit.  My live steamer makes all the correct sounds and there is nothing "fake" about it!!!   Mike

[kstrong]

For me, it's a sense of "place." When I travel and see railroad tracks, an old depot, or some other railroad-related structure, there doesn't need to be a train running through the scene for my mind to be transported and fill in the blanks. It's the setting itself that evokes the sense of wonder. My mind puts the train there (most often a steam loco!) It doesn't need to be there for me to enjoy the setting.

 

A garden railroad should do the same thing. I don't know how often others run, but the majority of the time, my railroad is dormant. I see it out the window when doing such mundane tasks as washing dishes or getting the kids ready for school in the morning. But--like the prototype--trains don't need to be present for the railroad to evoke that same sense of wonder. I see it, and I enjoy it in its stillness--in its potential. Sure, some days my mind goes to "When will I ever have time to actually run a train???" but most of the time, it's just the quiet calm of seeing a station lit up at night with people lounging around the platform. They're anticipating the same thing I am--the eventual arrival of the train, and the sense of adventure it will bring wtih it.

 

Later,

 

K

[nycmodel]

You hit the nail on the head EMDMIKE! I too sometimes just like to walk around the garden railroad even if no trains are running. Or sometimes I can't be bothered pulling a complete train from the garage storage so I just run my Bachmann trolley. One of the best times is during dusk when I can see the garden and the solar lights are starting to come on. I made sure to include plenty of walking paths over the years, well 4 years.

[emdmike]

https://youtu.be/DFiywgk_Mwc

[ttrigg]

I too like to sit and just listen to all the sounds from the buildings. The blacksmith's forge, the honkeytonk music from the saloon, organ music from the church, the ompa music from the city park. On ocasion I'll set the streetcar on its auto-reverse up and down the bridge with the sound card active.

[emdmike]

What to you, is the essence of a or your garden railway?  To me it can be the quiet times, no trains are running, just the sounds of nature, the noise of the waterfall in the background.  Espically at night, buildings are lighted and such.    Or, in the early morning fog, a live steam locomotive is awaiting a signal to change, the sounds of the boiler at working pressure, the safety lifts every so often, the smells of steam and hot oil mix with the smells of nature.  A nice steam plume hangs in the fog as the train departs once getting a green signal.   Those are the magic times, that make all the sweat and banged up hands from building a railway so worth it!