Why this Hobby?

So you think you are interested in starting a new hobby. How about one that combines an age-old hobby, gardening, with a more recent (1850s to present) pastime, Model Railroading.

We call it GARDEN RAILROADING and it can be done outside as well as inside. Unlike some outdoor hobbies, Garden Railroading is a year-around endeavor. Equipment manufactured for this hobby can be operated in all kinds of weather, offering you a range of excitement and diversity not offered in other hobbies. You will get to work with your mind as well as your hands while developing something uniquely yours.

As your project grows you will develop expertise in gardening, carpentry, electronics, painting, model building, engineering, history research, and much more. But you don’t have to do all of these or any of them to enjoy this diverse hobby. You can concentrate on the things that most interest you now, secure in the knowledge that as the months or years go by you can branch out into each and every aspect of your hobby as the mood strikes you.

People who have started a Garden Railroad just for their own gratification have often discovered that it ends up being an activity that the whole family partakes in. Kids of all ages enjoy model trains and what better way to spend some quality time with the kids and grandchildren. The time spent with them will teach both patience and the joy of building something with their hands.

Most appealing to everyone is that the equipment used in Garden Railroading is large enough to be enjoyed by all ages equally. Its movements and sounds are realistic and the larger size makes it easy to work with. Even those who aren’t interested in the trains themselves will marvel at a garden that has movement in it.

With something like 500,000 model train hobbyists in the U.S. and Canada, modeling trains is becoming more popular each year and Garden Railroading is a large segment of the hobby.

There are a lot of excellent resources available in print as will as on the web to help you get started in your Garden Railroading hobby. We have listed just a few here to get you started.

Scale

As it relates to model Rail Roading scale is a ratio of modeling size to prototypical size (the actual size of the original).

The common scales used in model railroading are:

F or Fn3 G 1 O S HO N Z
1:20.3 1:22.5 1:32 1:48 1:64 1:87.1 1:160 1:220

These are generally accepted worldwide however some manufacturers stray from these standards.  For example, G scale is sometimes referred to as being 1:24. Today 1 Gauge is starting to become popular in the US due to it's ability to accomodate live steam.

 

On the Web...

Large Scale OnlineLarge Scale Online

LSOL is exclusively Large Scale Trains. It is the premier location for Large Scale Dealers, Manufacturers and Club Members to meet on the Internet and exchange information. Computer users can access Large Scale Online 24 hours a day, 7 days a week from their home computer. Recently LSOL has joined Team Large Scale to form the largest collection on Large Scale information on the web.

Team Large ScaleTeam Large Scale

Together St. Aubin (the #1 Large Scale dealer in the world) and LSOL.com will - through informative articles, product videos, layout photos, timely podcasts and face-to-face contact at shows - become your all-encompassing news, information and go-to sales force. We are absolutely committed to helping Team Large Scale members get as much enjoyment from Large Scale Garden Trains as we do.

Garden Trains AssociationGarden Trains Association

Excellent resource for the hobby. Includes information onclubs, tools, tips, retailers and much more all by veterans of the hobby.

 

Garden Trains.comFamily Garden Trains

Good source of informaton about getting started in thehobby. This site offers free information and opportunities to purchase books and tapes about getting started.

 

Family Garden TrainsFamily Garden Trains

This page was started in 1999 to encourage newcomers togarden railroading, and to help them avoid some pitfalls. Since then, the list of articles has grown and has benefited from many suggestions, corrections, and additions, by industry leaders, professional gardeners, prominent hobbyists, and other authors and friends.

Model Railroads NetModel Rail Road Net

This is a Model Rail Road Resource for all scales. Featuringfree classified, train show listings, book sales, photo galleries, personal ads and web site listings.

 

in print...

Garden RailwaysGarden Railways Magazine

Garden Railways Magazine has a lot of information onbuilding and maintaining outdoor railways. The companion website also has information on tools and techniques.

forums...