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Taking the Wide View in 1999
Garden Railroading Primer Articles: All about getting a Garden Railroad up and running wellGarden Train Store: Index to train, track, and other products for Garden Railroading
Large Scale Starter Sets: Begin with a train you'll be proud to runBest Choices for Beginning Garden Railroaders: a short list of things you're most likely to need when starting out
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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains

Taking the Wide View April, 1999.

[Notes from 2006: I took this photo facing south, while standing at what would become the south edge of the north loop. At that time, I had started some trackage north and built up a little bit of the ground, but where I was standing was still ground-level and knee-deep in daylilies, courtesy of the previous homeowner..

At the time this photo was taken, I planned for the trackage to join into parallel line as quickly as possible, so you can see that the spur coming toward you from the left would be joining up with the spur coming toward you from the right pretty soon. Later, I revisited that plan and had the bit that you see at the left head more "due north" so that there was a wider "tabletop" between the two northbound and southbound sections.

I apologize for the lack of detail in these early shots, but in 1999, I was using a Canon Sure-Shot, printing 4x6s and scanning the photos to get them onto the web site. P.S.

The offensive daylilies are now 99.9% gone, although I keep getting a few wild onions in the same spot - go figure - and the ground covers you can barely see in these photos have about taken over the area around the pond. Compare this photo to the title photo in the Layout So Far article, taken in 2003 if you want some idea of how fast things can fill in. Okay, back to the original article:]

This is a picture of the southern loop (and only working trackage), from a position in the northern wilderness. You know, when you dig up hundreds of daylilies and transplant them, then plant two feet of soil on top of them, that should take care of it, don't you think? Wrong. The narrow peninsula that may one day be the connection to the northern loop (if it ever happens) is now completely overtaken with survivors. I have just received permission from the grounds manager to deal with them more permanently this time. :-)

The little spur is visible in this picture. Need to wire the turnouts to get remote control, though. :-(

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