Garden railroading combines the best of landscaping, gardening and large-scale model trains.
Here are some tips from Doug Blaine of Bachmann Trains, which produces many kinds of trains:
* Set up your train in a section of the yard that’s at least 72 square feet, relatively flat, with little foot traffic and close to an electrical source.
* Any large-scale starter set that includes enough brass or stainless steel track to make a simple 12-foot circle is ideal for beginners.
* It’s important to dig a trench 2 to 3 inches deep for the roadbed and fill it with crushed rock to ensure that your track remains even and steady.
* If you decide to add a tunnel to your track, Blaine suggests building the tunnel no longer than your arm, so that you can easily remove obstructions inside the tunnel, if necessary.
* Once a garden railroad is established, it can run throughout the year by adding a snow plow to the locomotive — to plow the tracks in the winter months, Blaine said.
* Good plants for garden railroading include: Irish or Scotch moss to simulate lawns; miniature elms help create scale; and dwarf alberta spruce, which can be planted in groves to create a miniature forest.
* It’s traditional to celebrate the completion of your garden railroad with a golden spike party. More information on garden railroading at www.gardentrains.org.
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