 The Family Garden Trains Primer section was started in 1999 to encourage newcomers to garden railroading, and to help them avoid some pitfalls. Since then, the list of articles has grown and has benefitted from many suggestions, corrections, and additions, by industry leaders, professional gardeners, prominent hobbyists, and other authors and friends.
Our goal is not to treat every subject, but to cover the 20% of information about garden railroading that 80% of all beginning garden railroaders need to know. If you want to know why we are making these articles available for free, please visit our article on "Why Our Content is Free".
Please let us know if an article is helpful to you, or if you think it could be made more helpful, or if you need information on something we don't discuss. Also, if you would like to be notified by e-mail when a new articles are posted, please sign up for our free e-mail newsletter by clicking the green button at the right.
In addition, please remember that all articles are for your personal use only; they are copyrighted by their respective authors and may not be copied without permission.
Table of Contents
- Introduction to Garden Railroading: - Help getting a handle on the worlds' fastest-growing model railroading hobby
- Garden Railroad Planning Articles - Help planning the physical, operational, and aesthetic aspects of your garden railroad
- Garden Railroad Construction Articles - Cost-effective and easy-to-use techniques for building your own garden railroad
- Garden Railroad Plant Articles - Articles about planning, planting, and cultivating the "garden" part of your garden railroad
- Garden Railroad Rolling Stock Articles - Articles about garden train locomotives, cars, self-propelled vehicles, and more.
- Landscaping Tips for Garden Railroaders - Ponds, retaining walls, and more
- Electrical Installation and Lighting - Powering your trains, lighting your buildings, and more
- Garden Railroad Structures - Articles about creating and improving buildings and bridges for your garden railroad
- Garden Railroading on a Shoe-String - Starting a fun and reliable outdoor railroad without spending a bundle.
- O Gauge Outside - Using O gauge trains and accessories outside
- Garden Railroad Maintenance Articles
- Real-World Trains and Operations - An introduction railroads in general and the kinds of operations you can consider modeling in your back yard
- Reference Information and Things to Think About - Miscellaneous topics that are important to most garden railroaders.
- Other Articles about Garden Railroading and Large Scale
Introduction to Garden Railroading:
 Garden Railroad Planning Articles: - A new index to available resources. We have articles about planning the layout and infrastructure, the operational options, the kind of railroad, the "look and feel" of your garden and many more. Updated, October, 2008.
A short list is provided below. For a complete list of our Planning articles, with descriptions, click here.
- Which Comes First, the Garden or the Train? - July, 2019
- Building a Garden Railroad on a Budget - Updated February, 2008
- Planning Your Garden Railroad for Watchability - July, 2006
- Planning Your Garden Railroad for High Reliability - January, 2001
- Planning Your Garden Railroad for Operations - August, 2006
- Tackle Those Grades With Ease Pete Eggink's article on calculating and planning grades - April, 2010
- Garden Railroad Track Options - June, 2008
- Is Aluminum Track a Viable Option? - June, 2008
- Accessible Garden Railroads - March, 2006
- Which Scale Should I Model? - Updated May, 2017
- Themes, Conventions, and Willing Suspension of Disbelief - Updated April, 2008
 Garden Railroad Construction Articles - A new index to available resources. The articles in this section start easy, small, and temporary, and work toward more permanent and more elaborate. We also try to present new, cost-effective, and easy-to-use techniques in great detail, so even the most inexperienced gardener, landscaper, or carpenter can achieve permanent, quality results.
A short list is provided below. For a complete list of our Construction articles, with descriptions, click
here.
- Introduction to Garden Railroad Construction - Updated, March, 2020.
- Building a Raised Platform Railroad - This is our new "flagship" article, based on 40 years' experience and observation in the hobby. It describes an approach to building an outdoor railroad that will require almost no maintenance and last without major refurbishment for as long as you plan to live in your home - New February, 2020
- 1-Day Railroad - When You Have One Day to Build a Garden Railroad - Updated, February, 2020.
- Simple Wooden Roadbed - You want your track smooth and weed-free, whether it is raised or ground-level. The most popular solution for this is a durable roadbed built from ground-rated 2"x6"s using common power tools. We provide the templates you need for any kind of track. New, October, 2020
- Building a Simple Raised Railroad- Using the Simple Wooden Roadbed solution above with 4"x4" posts to create a sturdy, low-maintenance right-of-way. Updated, October, 2020
- Building a Temporary Outdoor Railroad - Whether you're practicing for the "big one," starting a railroad on a rental property, or setting up a display for a party, Christmas display, or street fair - this article shows you how about three hours in the back yard with about $60 worth of lumber can give you a little railroad you can use for years and move whenever you want - December, 2012
- Raising a Ground-Level Railroad - April, 2006
- Flextrack and Railbenders - April, 2006
- HDPE Flexible Roadbed - An elegant solution - Updated March, 2006
- HDPE Lumber In the Shop - January, 2007
- The Little Railroad That Grew - June, 2003
- How We Built Our Garden Railroads - January, 2004.
- New Article: Refurbishing Garden Railroad Roadbed - September, 2008.
Garden Train Rolling Stock
Though we are currently working on more articles, these are the articles we currently have that address the trains themselves.
- Bachmann Couplers - Suggestions for making them work better for you.
- Buying Passenger Cars (Old Timey) - "Pros and Cons" of the "old-timey" passenger cars produced by each of the major garden train manufacturers
- Freight Car Measurements - How do the various boxcars, reefers, and stock cars from different brands "stack up"? I started this list in the 1980s, when it was hard to get product of any kind, and folks were "mixing and matching" products from different brands, scales, and periods just to make up their trains. Which, of course, caused all sorts of arguments about what was "close enough." I thought at least folks should have facts in hand when considering their next purchase.
- Fallen Flags of Garden Railroading - A description of garden train suppliers who have gone out of business, including Kalamazoo, Delton Locomotive Works, and Lionel's track-powered 45mm trains.
- Railbuses, Doodlebugs, and RDCs - Describes the various self-propelled gas, diesel, or diesel-electric rail vehicles that carried passengers or sight-seers over routes too small to justify locomotive-drawn trains, as well as past product lines that replicate those vehicles in Large Scale.
- Thomas the Tank Shootout - A side-by-side comparison of Bachmann's Thomas the Tank set versus Lionel's. Yes, both have been discontinued, but folks are still trying to track these down for their kids or display railroads.
- Bachmann's G Gauge Christmas Trains - An unofficial catalog of Bachmann's seasonal Large Scale offerings. Hopefully it will help you know which sets are worth tracking down.
Garden Railroad Maintenance Articles - A new but growing section on how to keep your garden railroad operating properly. Although we have several more articles "in the pipeline," the ones that are "ready for prime-time" are:
 Garden Railroad Plant Articles: - A new index to available resources. We have articles about planning, planting, and cultivating the "garden" part of your garden railroad just like the "pros" do . . . well, actually, better than some of them. Updated, October, 2008
A short list is provided below. For a complete list of our Plant articles, with descriptions, click here.
- Groundcover 101 - Updated August, 2005
- Trees for Your Trains - Choosing and Cultivating Dwarf Conifers The definitive article on planning, purchasing, trimming, planting, and maintaining evergreen plants that will give your railroad life and charm all year long - October, 2006
- Inexpensive and Low-Maintenance Plants for Garden Railroads - September, 2001
- "Fairy Garden Plants" Work Fine on Garden Railroads. - Our trip to a big local nursery shows that Fairy Gardens are creating a demand for the same sort of dwarf and miniature plants garden railroaders are always on the lookout for. New, April, 2017
- The Secret Life of Perennials - June, 2001
- Early Spring Color for your Garden Railroad - Start learning now how to make your railroad sparkle with bright color next Spring, in time to learn the name of things while you can still see them in bloom. Includes a bonus springtime "picture-poem" you can print as a poster! - April, 2006
- Gardening Safety Tips - July, 2005
Landscaping Tips for Garden Railroaders:
- Landscaping Design Tips for Garden Railroaders - Color, balance, proportion, and location of shade trees are just some of the factors that go into making a garden railroad a great garden as well. July, 2010
- Retaining Walls and Backfill - The definitive article on retaining walls for garden railroads. Includes photos and building tips for the most common ways to support your railroad, with guidelines to help you decide which method is best for you - June, 2006
- Making Concrete Rocks and Cliffs - Updated, September, 2007
- Dry-Setting a Paver Path - Ideas for walkways to, from, and past your garden railroad (and other places) - New October, 2008.
- Water Features and Garden Railroads - New information and photos about autumn and winter pond care, updated Fall, 2006
One-Day Waterfall - I recently had the chance to help a neighbor install a 70's-era fiberglass waterfall fixture that had been her mother's. Once the plants fill in, it should look great. New August, 2013
Paver Choices - Guide to the most common materials for making sidewalks and patios, with links to "how-to" articles. October, 2013
Pool2Patio - Dry-Setting a Patio With Antique Bricks - Why waste that great pad of compressed sand left over when the above-ground swimming pool came down? A really big patio made from used bricks is more fun than more lawn any day. New October, 2013
 Electrical and Lighting Articles - Explanations and hints about electricity on a garden railroad, including lighting buildings, and powering and controlling your trains. A short list is provided below. For a complete list of our electrical and lighting articles, with descriptions, click here.
- Large Scale Power and Control - How will you power and control your trains? Updated August, 2005
- DC Power Demystified - Describes the kinds of DC power used by model trains and the technologies that provide that power. Also provides an overview of "analog controllers" for track-powered trains. January, 2011
- Almost-Free Building Lighting - Use inexpensive supplies and discarded Christmas lights to create building lighting that is all but free. But don't wait until after Christmas to pick up the crucial part - 12v replacement bulbs for Christmas light strands. December, 2012
- Electrical Safety and Garden Railroading - Rules of thumb for safe use of electricity in any garden, especially a garden railroad. August, 2002
- Lighting Buildings with Low Voltage Garden Lighting - Describes low-voltage garden lighting installations and some ideas for using them on your garden railroad - Updated November, 2008
- 12 Volt Street Lamps from Specialty Light Strands - Use specialty garden-supply light strands to build working street lamps for a fraction of what they cost to buy. August, 2009.
- Building a Simple Power Cart - Jim Satterfield's tips on building a "power cart" to attach your power supplies and remote control receivers to your railroad quickly whenever you are ready to start running trains. May, 2010
- External Structure Lights - Wil Davis' article on adding industrial-style lights to your buildings. April, 2010
- Low-Voltage LED Garden Lighting - Using LED fixtures that have been "wired" to work in 12-volt systems - more light, less power, a few drawbacks. Updated December, 2009
- Ideas for Solar Lighting - Now's a good time to experiment with bringing light to the darkened corners of your railroad - Updated October, 2008.
-
Free Project Wire from Bad Light Strands - a source of useful project wire for house lighting, etc., in from something you were going to away anyway - January, 2009.
 Garden Railroad Structures - A new index to available resources. We have articles about making conventional models more durable and realistic, and about creating buildings from unconventional (and inexpensive) materials, and much more. -
Updated October, 2008.
A short list is provided below. For a complete list of our Structure articles, with descriptions, click here.
- Painting Plastic Structures - Free "how-to's" and many photos and examples to help you make your buildings more attractive and weather-worthy - Updated October, 2007
- Detail Painting Storefronts - Colorado Model Structures' new Market Street line of inexpensive 2- and 3-story city buildings was the inspiration for an article to help even beginners help city structures look their best. New, August, 2013
- Prepping a CMS Plastic House for Year-Round Service - A step-by-step introduction to "best practices" of prepping a plastic model structure for appearance and durability. New, September, 2013
- Painting a Piko Gingerbread House - February, 2008
- Painting the Colorado Model Structures Tower - October, 2007
- Detail Painting Storefronts - Colorado Model Structures' new Market Street line of inexpensive 2- and 3-story city buildings was the inspiration for an article to help even beginners help city structures look their best. New, August, 2013
- Glazing Windows with Lucite? - October, 2007
- Structure Buyer's Guide - Technically, this isn't a primer page - it's a buyer's guide - but for 2013, we've added a nice selection of entry level building kits from multiple vendors, plus links to articles on painting and assembling those buildings.
- Trashbashing 101 - Updated for 2013 - More photos and tips about converting busted-up or discarded toy buildings into attractive, inexpensive, weather-resistant scale buildings. But we've also added inexpensive alternatives you might consider, unless, of course, you are addicted to the "flea market flip" aspect of this approach. Updated, May, 2013
- Stuff to Have on Hand - What to keep around so you're not always having to run to the store.
- Trashbashing a Fisher Price Cape Cod ("Play Family" House)
After eight straight years outside, a building that I converted from a toy to a useful farmhouse over a decade ago needed some refurbishment. While it was in pieces, I took photos so I could explain how anyone who comes across one of these cheap can have a nice scale structure for a few dollars and a little elbowgrease. New, October, 2013
- Trashbashing Step-By-Step - This followup to our "Trashbashing 101" article has additional tips on using masking tape to get a clean, professional paint job with no skill required but patience. New, October, 2012
- Temporary Building Fronts from Recycled Plastic Signs
- If you have access to a color laser printer, you can print inexpensive, attractive building fronts that you can afford to leave out in bad weather or public displays. - New, September, 2012
-
Printed Buildings for Outdoor Railroads - Use your color printer, some waterproof label material, and some concrete blocks to make a whole business district that you can afford to leave out in less-than-secure locations. August, 2009
- Recycle Road Spam - Reusing fluted plastic sign material - January, 2008
- Making Corrugated Metal Panels from Disposable Aluminum Pans - a cheap, quick, and effective way to produce attractive "corrugated steel" building materials - January, 2009.
- Converting an Artline Bird Feeder into a Gazebo - November, 2008.
- Mullions (Free windowframes) - Updated October, 2008
- Trestles 101 Build elaborate-looking structures with a home-made jig and a few simple hand-tools. July, 2007
- Rod Horsburgh's Windowsill Trestle - An indoor display bridge that can be moved outside when the time comes. New, July, 2009
- Building a Simple Foam Viaduct - September, 2007
- Building an HDPE Tunnel Portal - an easy but effective project by reader Daryll Smith, New April, 2009
- Cribbing - Build attractive "retaining walls" to complement your tunnel portals and mountain trackage, another easy but effective project by reader Daryll Smith. New June, 2009
- Cast in Concrete - Ben Hartman's Stone Houses - September, 2008.
 Garden Railroading on a Shoe String - Yes, you can have an outdoor railroad that doesn't "break the bank," as long as you have patience, ingenuity, and willingness to learn. In fact, some folks take it as a personal challenge. This is our lead article on "Shoe-String Garden Railroads," with many ideas and links to helpful articles. Other articles include:
 O Gauge Outside
- Introduction to O Gauge Outside - The first two articles in a series that will show the "does and don'ts" of building an O gauge garden railroad. Lots of help from John and Gale Blessing; lots of photos from Dawn Hatfield. - May, 2007
- Using O Gauge Gargraves Track (Outside) - January, 2008
- Evolution of the B&P Garden Railroad (B&P) An O Gauge Hi-Rail Railroad Designed for Outdoor Use
- Part 1 - Designing an O Gauge Hi-Rail railroad for outdoor use
- Part 2 - Building an HDPE Roadbed Infrastructure That Will Survive Las Vegas Summers
- Part 3 - Finishing Touches on an HDPE Roadbed
- Part 4 - Installing Atlas Nickel-Silver O-Gauge track on HDPE Roadbed
- Part 5 - HDPE Expansion in the Nevada Summer - July, 2008.
- Part 6 - Additional Track Repair, Storage, and Wiring for TMCC - November, 2008.
- Part 7 - Final Outcome and Lessons Learned - October, 2009
- Using Lionel's TrainMaster? Command Control Outside - October, 2007
- Fred Young's Ground-Level Arizona Railroad - A ground-level railroad that has TMCC control, lots of operational options and some unique ways of adapting to the Arizona summer sun. Updated, September, 2009
Real-World Trains and Operations - Articles of introduction to railroads in general and the kinds of operations you can consider modeling in your back yard, including:
- Real-World Trains You can Model - What kind of railroad do you want to model? This is a summary of your basic choices, followed by a list of reading resources for learning more. Note: Unique resources you'll find only on our pages include:
- Thirty-Inch Railroading - The trains that "did more with less." Some 30" railroads provided all the functions of full-service common carriers on hastily-laid trackage that went boldly where no one else has gone before or since - New, April, 2008.
- Small but Mighty - 30" Power - The unique "real-world" steam locomotives that pulled 30" trains - May, 2008.
- The Little River Railroad - A standard-gauge logging railroad with common carrier aspirations. This Smoky Mountain railroad used compromises and combinations of equipment that hardly anyone would believe today if it wasn't for the photographs - August, 2008.
- Little River Railroad Northern Division Learn about the last and most unusual locomotive that ever ran on the Little River Railroad, now fully restored and running in south-central Michigan - October, 2008.
- Rail Cars and Busses on the Little River Railroad - with more modeling ideas for your own empire - March, 2009.
- Introduction to Train and Car Cards - This is a companion article to the Planning Your Garden Railroad for Operations above. This article gives more detail about how folks use various planning techniques to run their railroads more like the real thing. - August, 2006
-
Introduction to Mallets - Anatole Mallet's designs allowed a locomotive to use steam twice. Learn about these steamboat-sized centipedes to your railroad. June, 2010
-
Articulated Locomotives of the USA - Pete Eggink gives us an overview of Articulated locomotives, which had hinged frames to allow very long locomotives to go around curves. August, 2010
Reference Information and Things to Think About - Miscellaneous topics that are important to most garden railroaders.
- Details for your Garden Railroad - Updated, October, 2008.
- Idiot-Friendly Digital Cameras for Photographing Trains (and other things) - with new examples and tips, and a "best buy" to consider if you still haven't taken the digital plunge yet. Updated, December, 2009
- Open House Checklist - Tips about preparing for and holding a garden railroad open house.
- Glossary of Garden Railroading Terms - Updated June, 2005
- Getting (and Keeping) the Kids Involved - Updated August, 2013
- Where to Buy Garden Railroading Stuff - Updated 9, 2006
- Storing and Schlepping your Garden Trains - October, 2009
- Where Do I Go From Here? - Updated, April, 2008.
Other Articles about Garden Railroading and Large Scale
Basic Weathering with Powders - a "primer" for someone who wants their equipment to look more realistically "grungy" but who is nervous about getting started. April, 2010
Mixing and Matching Large Scale Cars/
Sample Car Measurements - Updated, May, 2017
Other People's Articles
- If you want to get "down-and-dirty" technical details on most of the commonly used Large Scale locomotives and rolling stock, refer to George Shreyer's "Technical Tips Page". This page also reviews many power and control solutions for your locomotives, including DCC, Crest/AristoCraft Train Engineer, etc. In fact, George is an expert on several subjects and one of the hobby's most prolific writers. His resources should be important to you as your railroad grows.
- If you want some quick ideas for inexpensive and relatively easy
scratchbuilding projects, look at Phil Creer's Toenail Ridge Shortline Articles Page.
Note: Our Contents pages for Planning, Structures, etc., also include links to related articles on other sites we enjoy.
Keep watching this space: We always have more articles in the "pipeline."
*Note: In some cases, I also wanted to provide an authoritative reference to reduce some of the misunderstandings about issues like scale and gauge that have caused problems and even arguments. To that end, I sought and received the assistance of many industry professionals when putting together articles such as "Which Scale Should I Model?" Thanks again to all who participated.
Thanks to all my editors, error-catchers, contributors, and encouragers, including:
Dave Smith
Dick Friedman
Ray Turner
Walter Sheldon
Peter Stremic
James R. Avery
Ric Golding
Noel F. Widdifield
David J. Smith
Lewis Polk
Earl J. Chevalier, Jr.
David Buffington
George Shreyer
Vance Bass
Tony Walsham
Marc Horovitz
Scot Osterweil
Wil Davis
Peter Wine
TATE (Whoever you are)
Fred Mills
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