What is Garden Railroading?

[ghelman]

Simple straight forward question. But, I beleive the answers will be as diversified as the kinds of steam locomotves built.
To get it started:
For me it is building my railroad on the ground running through plants and flowers. Putting up different structure. The layout doesn't necessarily follow a particular theme. Such as, some structures may look to scale and detailed while others may look a bit fantasy type. I like running my trains so others may enjoy them ( especially my grandchildren) I would like to see them interested in a good healthy activity such as this. My three year old grandson is becomming a train nut. Yeah! I got side tracked. Anyway I am not into switching all that much and once the trains are running I tend to just enjoy watching them make their rounds. At Christmas, because my layout is in my front yard I get a lot of visitors as the layout is decorated for the season. Anyway, what is garden railroading to you?[:D]

[Anonymous]

Ah, this old chestnut. Similar to you George, ground level and once it's running let it get on with it weaving in and out of the flower beds and bushes. No interest in switching or scale buildings, just like a short train slowly making its way around then I can sit and crack a beer and watch.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

TRAINS runing through flowers of many colors , and bushes, and with a pond in the garden, FULL OF GOLD FISH. BEN[:)]

[John Busby]

Hi ghelman
This is an interesting question for which you will get many answers.
My own answer is that the railway must look natural and right in its own suroundings
that is if one or the other is removed it doesn't look right in iether case.
This is regardless of hight weight size construction ect..
I like to have a little bit of shunting to do but also like just watching trains go by.
I firmly believe in the garden keep it as simple as possable but leave enough operational possabilaties to keep the owner happy so lean towards the broke narrow gauge end of things.
No doubt others will extole the vertuies of the busy main line.
regards John

[Anonymous]

Garden RR has some plusses but not for me living in Florida too many weeds always really hot lots of bugs. Not my liking so I run my trains indoors were I control the environment out of rain heat Sun bugs and critters. You know gophers ground moles snakes which I have a large black rat snack but being home bound I just hear about it.
I can enjoy my trains running on the 2 large loops in my train room 14 x 16 it would be
More intricate if I hadn’t run out of money before the b stroke. Now I am unable too
Work on my RR so what I got is what it is and I thank God for it. We try running it daily
It’s a release for me.

For you folks with garden RR Happy RR

[Capt Bob Johnson]

I too am a believer in the KISS layout! I like to fire up the coffeepot, go out and get a train running, go get a cuppa and sit on the porch watching the train and sippin on that wake up cup! The simple run around loop is also good for when one is entertaining!

I like to keep just a few sidings for occasional switching, a passing siding, and a couple of parking sidings for whichever train I'm not running at the moment.

At present I have 308 feet of main line running, and am finally ready to start up the mountain with a couple of more loops! eventually I expect to have a main line loop of about 750 feet! Ought to get three trips around the layout per cuppa!

[vsmith]

Any type of outdoor model railroad that interacts with or thru the garden plants, trees, lawn, planters or outdoor environment in general.

[powlee]

[:)]Mine is a garden with a train running through it. No buildings except a bridge or two, the pond. Sitting on the patio, a drink in one hand and the Train Engineer in the other.



This is my wife`s pride and joy. A small rhododendron. Unfortunately the bloom will soon disappear.[:)]

All the best

Ian P

[Anonymous]

Necessity! I started planning an indoor "S" scale layout but interior room is something that I just don't have. So outdoors I went[8D], in my mind anyways no track yet[;)].

[bman36]

Hey there,
For me it just keeps changing. First all I wanted was to get something running and watch it go. This year finds me examining different areas and trying to develop some scenes. Sometimes I get home late at night and I will just stare at how different it all looks then. Got my first solar building the other day. Lights up as soon as it gets dark. Found it at WalMart of all places. Not bad for size either. Guess I'll see how this all will change for me with time. Love the hobby...no better way to relax!!! Later eh...Brian.

[John Busby]

Hi powlee
I have a similar situation with a golden diosma I ended up puting a tunnel underneath it
to stop it geting scalded with steam.
just have to make the tunnel mouths and do a little light trimming to get it to look right
regards John

[grandpopswalt]

For me it's trying to get as close to scale as possible and realistic operation. So things like on-board R/C, working couplers, and reliable switches are important. I prefer operation (read, playing with trains) to watching them run (not an effcient use of battery/ R/C). Although, I do eventually plan to expand and run the trains through a garden setting between switching locations.

But who knows, this is such a dynamic hobby that my entire philosophy of Garden Railroading may change within a couple years.

Walt

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen I don't have much to disagree with at in what hasd been said, although my views do vary slightly.

I too like to watch them go around and I too like to drink a cup of coffe, a can of beer or a glass of wine in conjunction.

However shunting is ok in small doses but I have found with my new programme i have needed to get into some switching and my fertile little brain is working on ways to automate this.

I have one main circuit in my area 2, a reversing loop each in area 1 and are 3. and I run the trains around the main loop going into a reversing loop and coming out the other way when I am sick of the way it was going and this takes some switching. However I do have and MTS system which allows me to do it by remote.

My area 3 will also have its own circuit which will allow me to have two train operating simultaneously and independently. This cirtcuit is complex with many curves and 4 % gradients but very ineteresting to watch.


Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

Gentlemen I don't have much to disagree with at in what hasd been said, although my views do vary slightly.

I too like to watch them go around and I too like to drink a cup of coffe, a can of beer or a glass of wine in conjunction.

However shunting is ok in small doses but I have found with my new programme i have needed to get into some switching and my fertile little brain is working on ways to automate this.

I have one main circuit in my area 2, a reversing loop each in area 1 and are 3. and I run the trains around the main loop going into a reversing loop and coming out the other way when I am sick of the way it was going and this takes some switching. However I do have and MTS system which allows me to do it by remote.

My area 3 will also have its own circuit which will allow me to have two train operating simultaneously and independently. This cirtcuit is complex with many curves and 4 % gradients but very ineteresting to watch.


Rgds Ian

[Anonymous]

gee thoght i was see double this morning ian nope sorry just a double don't you hate it when it does that.