Garden Trains

Another hobby interest I have is Garden Trains. These model trains are large and can run outside in all weather. Most of the trains that I have are made by a company called Aristocraft and are 1/29th scale. A typical engine is about 29 inches long so you get some sense of the size. My layout, which was started in 2004 while I was between jobs, is and may always be a work in progress. Many of the pictures seen here show parts of my layout that have undergone changes and due to the lack of time to work on these project are still incomplete.

Although this hobby can be expense, you can find bargains on eBay and Craigslist. Sometimes local train stores (of which there are less of lately) have used equipment. I found one nearly new engine for less than half the normal price. You may find some equipment that need simple repairs. These are some ways to get stuff for your layout cheaper. Even brand new starter sets can be purchased for a few hundred dollars. Start out small and add more track and accessories later. As for buildings, you can make them out of wood or plastic. Some materials won't hold up for a long time if left outside, but you could put them out only when you run trains.. With some glue and paint you could have a building for as little as a few dollars.

It's relaxing to spend a Saturday afternoon puttering around making slow progress on my layout. I have enjoyed making buildings, bridges and other scenery elements to make it look like a miniature version of real life. My layout has made slow progress and changes since some of these 2004 pictures. My 2500 gallon Koi pond has a few gold fish and over 40 Koi, with some as big as 8-10 inches long.

I have converted my trains to work with internal rechargeable Lithium-Ion batteries and are controlled through a wireless control system known as Train Engineer Revolution. This eliminates the need to clean tracks or worry about shorting out power in turn around loops.

I also like designing and creating buildings and other structures from scratch. This is time consuming, so some others are purchased kits or assembled buildings.

Below are some pictures of my layout - past and present. There is also a link to my design of a Video Camera car that looks ahead of the turn as the train is turning. This was the subject of an article that I wrote for Garden Railways magazine.

I retired in August 2018 and I hope to make many changes and improvements to this layout in the spring of 2019. I'll post an update then.

Gold & Silver Mine