September, 2017 Update from Family Garden Trains^TM

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In This Issue

The most obvious difference is that at least part of it will be raised on a lumber framework. And in my back yard at the moment, that's all you can really see - a bizarre structure that looks like a tree fort for really short people or some such. But within a few days, I hope to have track, dirt and plants on one layer of the thing and have a good start on the next layer.

Two longtime garden railroading friends have already chided me for not doing things the way they would have. But, of course, that's the beauty of this hobby. Every garden railroader appreciates a different subset of aspects and activities. Some like making figures; some like making buildings; some like operating trains like a real railroad; some like trimming trees to look like miniature redwoods; some like modifying their model trains to look like different trains, some like automation, and so on.

There are so many aspects of garden railroading that no garden railroad is going to cover all of them, not even mine. Especially in its first year when the biggest focus is just getting trains running and a few plants and buildings in place.

By the way, we got a lot of good feedback on our Fallen Flags articles, and I've been working on the next one, but I can finish that up when the snow is falling, unlike the railroad I'm attempting to build.

Also, when we were updating our buyers' guide in advance of the holiday rush, we came across a delightful offering that we've been missing for about three years. Our "welcome back" is below.

The weather channel is saying that October is going to start out unusually warm in the Great Lakes region. Here's hoping that includes a few more sunny weekends.

The following content is linked to or included in this newsletter:

• Framing the New New Boston and Donnels Creek Railroad, Parts 2, 3, and 4 - Our plans are springing to life, and getting changed around a little at each step. We're building the new railroad from the top down, so to speak, but we're learning as we go. The top layer is almost track-ready, and hopefully the next layer will go more quickly, now that we have a better idea of what we're doing.

• Ladybug Alert - A backyard favorite reappears, at least for a brief time.

• Garden Railroading in Late Autumn - Seasonal tips.

Framing the NEW New Boston and Donnels Creek RR,
Part 2 - Once I started dropping posts in the holes and screwing things together, I didn't want to stop before I had the basic frame built (for one thing, the wood warps less once it's fastened in place). Now the folks driving down the street past our house (we're on a corner lot) probably wonder if I'm building an elaborate chicken coop, but that's fine with me. I still need to make a few more lumber runs and do a lot more cutting and sawing, but having the basic frame in place should make the next bits a lot easier.

Click on the following link to see our status as of September 7, 2017 https://familygardentrains.com/newbost/17_09_framing/framing2.htm

Framing the NEW New Boston and Donnels Creek RR,
Part 3 - With the basic frame in place, I framed out the top layer and started ordering parts for the waterfall and planning the decking layer. It still looks like an elaborate play fort or something, but it's getting there.

Click on the following link to see our status as of September 17, 2017

https://familygardentrains.com/newbost/17_09_framing/framing3.htm

Framing the NEW New Boston and Donnels Creek RR,
Part 4 - With the frame for the top layer finished, I added the 2"x6" decking, leaving some extra length where I thought I might need to make further adjustment. Then I set out a loop of track to test clearances and the placement of the bridge and waterfall weir.

Click on the following link to see our status as of September 26, 2017

https://familygardentrains.com/newbost/17_09_framing/framing4.htm

Ladybug Alert!

We knew this was going to be available this year, but didn't say much about it because it hadn't hit the stores yet. Now it has - Bachmann's new "Eggliner." That's a reissue of AristoCraft's most beloved little locomotive. I have one of the old Aristo ones, and it runs like a champ. Over the years, many garden railroaders collected one eggliner for each season; several clubs would have events where all the members would bring their eggliners and run them together in one long train. Though very few locomotives that looked anything like these at all were ever built in the real world, these little guys were extremely popular back during the peak of AristoCraft's popularity. They were also built like little tanks, and the motor block they used was one of the most reliable in the hobby.

I hope that this is a sign that some of the other Aristo molds and engineering have been saved, and that products based on them will become available again. However, Bachmann was clever to start with this one, and I don't think they'll be many sitting on the shelves for long.

To see an assortment of Eggliners on Amazon, please click the following link:

http://amzn.to/2x30X3V

In the meantime, we are trying hard to keep our buyers' guide pages updated in advance of the holiday rush. But we keep discovering that products which were widely available only a few months ago are either getting thin on the shelves or disappearing altogether. Knowing how many "garden railroads" actually start out as Christmas presents, I would recommend that you don't wait too long to pick up any train you think you would like to start with.

If you haven't checked out our buyer's guides yet, here are the two most popular pages:

Garden Railroading in Late Autumn

If you've got all that done, take another swipe at perennial weeds that might get nasty over the winter. Thistles, clovers, dandelions, weed grasses, etc. That should give you a head start next spring, as long as you stay ahead of the thistles that spring up from seed in the meantime.

This is also a great time to consider planting bulbs that will provide you with some bright color next spring. There are many small and miniature bulb plants to choose from, whose foilage will fit right in once the flowers are gone. A few are described in the following article:

https://familygardentrains.com/primer/plants/spring_color/spring_color.htm

Keep in Touch

Finally, please let us know about your ongoing projects. Ask questions, send corrections, suggest article ideas, send photos, whatever you think will help you or your fellow railroaders. In the meantime, enjoy your trains, and especially enjoy any time you have with your family in the coming weeks,

Paul Race

FamilyGardenTrains.com

To view the newsletter for August, 2017, click on the following link:

http://familygardentrains.com/fgt_newsletter/17_08_newsletter_gr.htm

To read more, or to look at recommended Garden Railroading and Big Indoor Train products, please click on the index pages below.