Garden Railroading

 

 

Model trains and railroads are typically seen as indoor hobbies. One popular way to display a train set is around the Christmas tree circling all the gifts. However, most railroad enthusiasts set up their display for year-round viewing inside their home. Rarely will you find a model train set up and displayed outdoors due to fear of theft or damage. Those fears however, sometimes keep model railroaders from enjoying another fun aspect of model railroading; the outdoors! In fact, there are large scale trains made just for that purpose!

 

Unlike its indoor counterpart, outdoor railroading opens up the possibility for realistic layouts using the natural vegetation around your garden, patio, or yard. In fact, many nurseries and specialty plant growers offer miniature versions of all types of plants that can be integrated into your outdoor layout. This alone creates an enhanced sense of reality versus the artificial materials required for building indoor railroads.

 

 

First, you'll need to know a few basic steps for setting up a good outdoor train system. Outdoor model trains should always be located in a secure area or have the ability to be stored securely.

 

You may want to consider building your outdoor railroad around your garden or patio. Or, build your train layout and then design your garden around it!

 

 

 

You can get started with just a single track railway, a locomotive and three or four pieces of rolling stock.

 

Start by digging a small trench about two or three inches deep along the route that your train track will follow. Fill in the the track bed with sand and set your track in place. Then place more sand in the track to level everything out. This will help provide you with an even surface to operate your train system. Once that's complete, it's time to choose your outdoor toy train!

 

The most common scale of trains used for outdoors is G Scale. Several manufacturers make locomotives, rolling stock, track, parts, accessories and scenery in this scale. Some of the more common include Aristocraft, Bachmann, LGB, and Marklin. You can find all these brands and more by following the link to G Scale in our store menu on the left. To find a specific brand, particular locomotive, building kits, parts or accessories, use the advanced search bar at the top of the page.

 

These are only a few of the many choices available for your garden model train display. With proper construction and smart shopping, you can create your own realistic railroad right in your own backyard!