HOW TO BUILD A WATER FEATURE p. 28 FEBRUARY 2015
Adventures in outdoor model railroading
Details make the difference Scratchbuilt structures and realistic rockwork create an exciting railroad p. 38
HOW TO
Paint and detail a diesel locomotive p. 46 Make a simple ground-throw switch controller p. 82 Use a variety of plants as groundcovers p. 61
www.GardenRailways.com
BONUS ONLINE CONTENT CODE p. 5
Vol. 32 • Issue 1
Add a tunnel to your railroad p. 13
Details like weathered locomotives, native rock, and scale plants bring the HarJac Mining Railroad to life.
USA TRAINS • 662 Cross Street • Malden, MA 02148 • 781-322-6084 • Dealer Inquiries Invited • www.usatrains.com
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STEEL BOXCAR
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PIKO PENNSYLVANIA WOOD PASSENGER CARS
ORE CAR
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BEER AUNT BEA’S SALE SALE GARDEN CAFE FARMHOUSE SALE $391.99 $83.99 $34.99 SALE SALE $122.99 PIKO WHITE PASS & YUKON EA. 38613 COACH $114.99 38614 COMBINE 38627 BAGGAGE ORE CAR PIKO #62209 GRIZZLY FLATS PIKO #62032 RAILWAY PIKO SANTA FE STATION FOOTBRIDGE SALE WOOD PASSENGER CARS SALE PIKO #38212 SANTA FE 2-6-0 SALE $34.9938838 WHITE PASS & YUKON SALE MOGUL & $83.99 EA. 38839 WHITE PASS & YUKON TENDER W/SOUND SALE $391.99 $159.99 $71.99 EA. 38611 COACH 38612 COMBINE 38626 BAGGAGE
PIKO NEW TANK CARS WITH STAKES
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SALE $122.99 SALE $139.99
IF YOU DON’T SEE IT ADVERTISED HERE — CALL US WITH THE STOCK NUMBER OR ORDER ON-LINE. NOW TAKING BACKORDERS ON NEW RELEASES. THE PRODUCTS WE SELL ARE NOT TOYS AND ARE NOT INTENDED FOR USE BY CHILDREN UNDER THE AGE OF 14. THESE PRODUCTS ARE MODEL RAILROAD EQUIPMENT & ACCESSORIES AND ARE INTENDED FOR USE BY ADULTS.
TRAINWORLD® TRAINLAND®
TOLL FREE 1-800-541-7010 INFO 1-718-436-7072 MON-SAT 10-6 751 McDonald Ave. Brooklyn, NY 11218 E-MAIL:
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Operate Kadee Remote Couplers Using DCC or Other Decoders ®
Kadee Remote Couplers ®
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Adds servo control to DCC, AirWire, Bluetooth, or other locomotive control decoders with auxiliary/function output. Allows control of Kadee RC Remote Couplers (factory programmed), turnouts, crossing gates, semaphores, windmills, water wheels, gondolas, trams, roundabouts, cranes, & drawbridges...
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DALLEE ELECTRONICS INC www.remoteuncoupling.com 02/01/2015 • BW 1/6826-3883 H • Fax: (541) 826-4013 • www.kadee.com Kadee Quality Products Co. • 673 Avenue C GRW • White • City, OR 97503-1078 U.S.A. • Tel:•(541)
Patent Number 7,810,660 B1 & Patent pending
Made in the U.S.A.
For many more buildings browse
©2014 Kadee Quality Products Co. ®
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NARROW GAUGE PARADISE-LGBTOURS GRW • 02/01/2015 • 4C • 1/2 H
705-435-7024
2015
Travel with LGBTOURS... ...and make your dreams come true. USA - Colorado “Best of the West” July 11- 17, 2015
Gold Rush, beautiful national parks, and Indian culture are famous for Colorado, the highest-altitude state of America. Colorado‘s unique scenery offers prairie grasslands, majestic mountains and shining rivers. You will feel the flair of the Wild West in the mining towns of Durango and Silverton. The days will be filled with breath taking rides on board the Royal Gorge Route Railroad, the Cumbres & Toltec Scenic Railroad - America’s longest and highest narrow gauge steam railway -, the famous Durango & Silverton Railroad and the Rio Grande Scenic Railroad. A visit to the Great Sand Dunes National Park is also included. Option: National Garden Railway Convention in Denver – a must for all train fans! (July 5 - 11, 2015)
Swiss Alps Classic Express & Bernina Nostalgic Express Tour August 9 - 16, 2015
This tour will take you to the charming city of Zurich, the world’s famous holiday resort St. Moritz, and to the renowned town Zermatt, at the foot of the Matterhorn. Two very exciting train journeys make this tour unique. The special “Bernina Nostalgic Express” train is traveling from St. Moritz to Tirano, Italy. The train consists of two nostalgic yellow Bernina railcars, two nostalgic passenger cars, an open panoramic car, and the Pullman salon car. The other spectacular chartered train excursion will be on board the “Swiss Alps Classic Express” train, taking you from St. Moritz over the Albula line, across the Oberalp pass at 6669 ft and over the Furka line to Zermatt. The train consists of the historical E-Loc of the Matterhorn Gotthard Bahn, a dining car and, on part of the route, of an open panoramic car. After 30 years, this unique train is now offering a direct journey from St. Moritz to Zermatt, as it once was offered until 1981 from the Glacier Express.
8.5“
French Riviera and Spain September 11 - 22, 2015
Nice, located on the beautiful French Riviera will be the start of the tour. You will then travel 151 km along the Cote d’Azur on board the “Train des Pignes” (pine cone train) from Nice to Digne-les-Bains. Part of the line will be by the steam-powered train “Puget Théniers Annot”! You will visit Monaco, bounded by the French and Italian Riviera, and Avignon, also known as the “city of popes”. Two other exciting steam excursions with the “Train De L’Ardeche” through the Ardeche Mountains are next in the tour program. The “Le Mastrou” is a steam train operating since more than 120 years and the “Train des Gorges” is a charming ride to the Mediterranean section of this route. The famous railway line of the “Yellow Train” (Le train Jaune) is the pride, joy, and symbol of the Catalan Pyrenees. The route of 63 km climbs 1200 m in height to Bolquére, the highest station in France. Next, you will travel by train to Barcelona, Spain, famous for the many Romanesque, Gothic and Renaissance buildings. Narrow
LGB souvenir wagon included on each tour for every family
Gauge Paradise - LGBTOURS P.O. Box 130807 - Tampa - Florida 33681-0807 Tel: (813) 831-0357 - E-mail:
[email protected] www.LGBTours.com
Fully escorted tours!
4
Garden Railways | February 2015
11“
Photos by courtesy of bahnurlaub.de and Train des Pignes.
ONLINE CONTENT CODE: GRW1502 Enter this code at: www.gardenrailways.com/code to gain access to web-exclusive content
FEBRUARY 2015 | Volume 32, Number 1
CONTENTS HOW TO BUILD A WATER FEATURE p. 28 FEBRUARY 2015
COVER PHOTO: ALAN OLSON
Adventures in outdoor model railroading
Details make the difference Scratchbuilt structures and realistic rockwork create an exciting railroad p. 38
• How to build a water feature 28 • Details make the difference 38 • Paint and detail a diesel 46 • Add a tunnel to your railroad 13 • Make a ground-throw switch controller 82
HOW TO
Paint and detail a diesel locomotive p. 46 Add a tunnel to your railroad p. 13 Make a simple ground-throw switch controller p. 82 Use a variety of plants as groundcovers p. 61
• Use a variety of plants as groundcovers 61
FEATURES 24 Build a depressed-center flatcar
An unusual piece of rolling stock adds interest to your railway by Todd Haskins
28 Create a water feature for your garden railroad A simple method using basic tools by Chuck Hurst
32 Build a generator car
Provide electric power for tools and lights while your maintenance-of-way crew is on the road by Roger Baker
46
34 Readers’ gallery
Garden-railway scenes from around the world
36 Staff corner: Nancy Norris
Do-over! Turning a tunnel into a canyon by Nancy Norris
COVER STORY
38 The HarJac Mining Railroad
Scratchbuilt structures and realistic rockwork are important parts of this line by Harvey Young
46 Basic diesel detailing in 1:29 scale
Small changes bring your diesel locomotives to life: Part 2 by Gavin Smart
50 The Wickham Park Garden Railroad
A railway for all ages and abilities by Chuck Oakes
54 Fun with junk
A whimsical engine made from acrylic and plumbing parts by Chip Rosenblum
56 Building carts for trains
61
A creative solution provides convenient storage and easy transport by Noel and Jane Wilson
IN EVERY ISSUE 6 From the Editor
Guest editorial
8 Notes & news
What’s new for the garden railroader
Online extras
18 Greening your railway 68 Events
Hardscape using cement products: Part 2
22 Plant portraits
Mini Kenilworth ivy
Upcoming shows and exhibits
69 Online station
A large-scale guide to the Internet
10 Letters
61 Miniscaping
72 Product reviews
13 Garden railway basics
66 Raising steam Trains for live-steam locomotives
82 One-page project
Views from our readers
Tunnel construction
Variety in groundcovers: Part 1
Kadee remote servo control, Proxxon bandsaw, and more Simple ground throws for switches
• “Mortar mountain“ and “Concrete roadbed” how-to articles • Updates to DCC series
www.GardenRailways.com
GARDEN RAILWAYS (ISSN 0747-0622, USPS 713-710) is published bimonthly by Kalmbach Publishing Co., 21027 Crossroads Circle. P.O. Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612. Periodicals postage paid at Waukesha WI, and additional offices. POSTMASTER: Send address changes to GARDEN RAILWAYS, PO Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612. Canada Publication Mail Agreement # 40010760
FROM THE EDITOR
Making connections
Editor Marc Horovitz Rene Schweitzer Production Editor Horticultural Editor Nancy Norris Vance Bass Technical Editor Contributing Editors Don Parker, Kevin Strong, Jeff Young LuAnn Williams Belter Art Director Senior Graphic Designer Chuck Braasch Michael Barbee Senior Group Circulation Manager Circulation Coordinator Carly Witkowski Production Manager Helene Tsigistras Production Coordinator Jodi Jeranek
Guest editorial by Nancy Norris, Horticultural editor
O
6
Garden Railways | February 2015
Advertising 888-558-1544 Fax: 262-796-0126 Group Ad Sales Manager Scott Redmond PHOTO BY RON GIES
n Labor Day weekend, our club towed its Roving Garden Railroad to Ardenwood Historic Farm, an hour south of San Francisco, California, for its old-time celebration of railroads. Two full-size 0-4-0 locomotives had been trucked in to pull train loads of guests on the rails that meander through the woods and agricultural fields. Normally Belgian draft horses pull the short trains. Ardenwood Farm hides any visible signs of modern amenities, like electricity. Of course, we also hid our electricity (batteries) in rolling stock behind the engines. The live steamers flaunted their little coal shovels and warned kids, “It’s hot!” Nearby, men in overalls tended to livestock, while ladies in period costumes swished floor-length layers of skirts as they carried out dignified duties in the 90° heat. Modern families with children flocked around the many model-railroad displays, exclaiming and questioning. Wearing a BAGRS (Bay Area Garden Railway Society) T-shirt and cap, my job of explaining to guests what a garden railroad entails means that I am in a position to take an informal survey. Railroad events draw those already interested in trains as well as parents who just want to please the kids. Parents often tell me about their child’s fascination with trains, or their own when they were young. I particularly enjoy watching parents and grandparents make the connection that they can run trains in their own gardens, where more family members can get involved in a mutual hobby, as opposed to just checking messages on their smart phones. It’s so much fun to watch the varied reactions of kids to the railway. The little ones, hands flailing, just want to climb onto it and touch everything, making our stanchion ropes a godsend. Some kids first watch the trains, then they go around and around, drinking in every detail quietly. Budding modelers ask, “What’s that doing, why is that there, how does that work?”—not stopping long enough for answers. Some kids expect direction, so I give them games of finding or counting certain items. Hangers-on get the full tour, as I show them the story within the railroad. A few tell me the story! (To read about that story of The Boxcar Children, see GR, December 2013, “Building and maintaining our club’s outreach trailer.”) Adults share too. One mom confided, “My eight-year-old daughter absolutely loves trains,” then paused, adding, “to the dismay of my mother-in-law and me—we wish she’d play with dolls.” I’m not worried about the girl because her mom does take her to see trains, which means she secretly loves that about her little girl. Later, my faith in parents was completely restored by a dad who invites his daughter to work on cars with him, giving her mechanical skills. My mom was the handyman in my family. She was fortunate to have played alongside her carpenter dad as he worked and taught her how to use tools that she still wields at 89. One dad, examining our railway garden, sadly declined as I offered him our club’s brochure, saying, “My son is too young.” When I told him that my garden railway was the place my then three-year-old grandson learned how to build things that were part of a bigger project, he brightened and stuffed a brochure in his pocket.
Advertising Sales Representative Steve Dake E-mail:
[email protected] Advertising Service Representative Jan Zalesky E-mail:
[email protected] Selling Garden Railways magazine or products in your store 800-558-1544, Press 3 Outside U.S. and Canada: 262-796-8776, ext. 818 Fax: 262-798-6592 E-mail:
[email protected] Website: www.Retailers.Kalmbach.com Customer service inquiries 800-533-6644 Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time Outside U.S. and Canada: 262-796-8776, ext. 421 Fax: 262-796-1615 E-mail:
[email protected] Please include your name, mailing address, and telephone number with any correspondence Subscriptions and product orders 800-533-6644 Weekdays, 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Central time Editorial inquiries Marc Horovitz, Editor Phone: 303-377-7785 E-mail:
[email protected] PO Box 460222 Denver CO 80246 or Rene Schweitzer 262-796-8776 Fax: 262-796-1142 E-mail:
[email protected] PO Box 1612 21027 Crossroads Circle Waukesha WI 53187-1612 Kalmbach Publishing Co. President Charles R. Croft Neil Besougloff Associate Publisher Kevin P. Keefe Vice President, Editorial Senior Vice President, Sales & Marketing Daniel R. Lance Nicole McGuire Vice President, Consumer Marketing Corporate Advertising Director Scott Bong Maureen M. Schimmel Corporate Art Director Managing Art Director Michael Soliday SUBSCRIPTION RATE: 1 year (6 issues) $32.95; 2 years (12 issues) $59.95; 3 years (18 issues) $79.95. Canadian: Add $8.00 postage per year. All other international subscriptions: Add $10.00 postage per year. Payable in U.S. funds, drawn on a U.S. bank (Canadian price includes GST) BN 12271 3209 RT. Expedited delivery service surcharges: Domestic first class $15/yr; Canadian air $15/yr; International air $35/yr. Copyright © 2015 Kalmbach Publishing Co.; all rights reserved. Material in this publication may not be reproduced in any form without permission. Not responsible for unsolicited materials. Title registered as trademark. Printed in U.S.A.
NOTES & NEWS PRODUCTS
Engines & rolling stock
MBV Schug, Neustrasse 18, 54340 Detzem, Germany, the Accucraft distributor in Germany, has announced the release of a new Baureihe 45 (DB Class 2-10-2) live-steam locomotive in 1:32 scale. The engine features a dual flue, gasfired boiler, three cylinders, 100 psi working pressure, and more. For complete information, visit the website: www.mbvschug.de
painted with the LGB logo and a picture of the bear. The car has doors that can be opened and solid metal wheelsets. Price: $229.98. LGB is distributed by Walthers. Website: www.walthers.com
Piko Spielwaren GmbH, Lutherstr. 30, 96515 Sonneberg, Germany, has released a new large-scale diesel locomotive for gauge-1 track, the German V36 DB III (#37530). Contact your local supplier for prices and availability. Website: www. piko.de
Accessories & details Dave Frediani, 20656 Lora Lane, Sonora CA 95370, has introduced a new, freelance 7/8"-scale passenger car for gauge-one track. The car is based on a 2' gauge, two-axle coach from around the 1890s. The car is built of 1/8" and 1/16" lasercut styrene, with simulated planking, wood grain, and link-and-pin couplers. The body is built on a short, commercial 1:20.3-scale flatcar with metal wheels and complete under carriage. Price $159. E-mail:
[email protected] LGB (Märklin), PO Box 510559, New Berlin WI 53151, is offering a new, limited edition, large scale, gondola car with a Steiff Teddy Bear load (#426-41229). The brown Steiff Teddy is made of soft plush and has LGB’s logo embroidered on the bottom of one foot. The gondola car is
8
Garden Railways | February 2015
Stoneworks, PO Box 190, Shell Knob MO 65747, has added four more products to their series of Depot Details in 1:24 scale, from turn-of-the-century stations. These include a 2/2 pane, double hung, curved masonry window kit (#4256), $4 (Frisco); a 9/2-pane depot window kit (#4249), $4; a 4/4 pane, extra tall, doublehung masonry window kit (#4242), $4 (P&R RR); and a double-flue chimney kit with engraved brick that snaps together (#4257), $18 (Frisco). Parts are laser cut from .060" white styrene and .060" clear acrylic. Website: www.RRStoneworks.com
J. S. Woodcrafts, Lomita CA, has a motorized Drag Saw Sawmill. The carriage car moves automatically left and right. As the log on the carriage car meets the saw blade, a sound module of a log being cut is activated. As the end of the log leaves the blade, the sound is turned off. Smoke is also available. The scale is approximately 1:24. Website: www. jswoodcrafts.net
3000Toys is bringing out a variety of new vehicles in different scales from several manufacturers. These include a Massey-Ferguson tractor (#4859, pictured, $58) in 1:32 scale and a Ferguson TO35 tractor (#4862, $95) in 1:16 scale from Universal Hobbies; an Oliver 1850 widefront tractor (# SCT-486, $65.99), an IH Farmall 350 narrow-front tractor (#ZJD1756, $61.99), and an IH Farmall 340 narrow-front tractor (#ZJD-1763, $61.99), all in 1:16 scale from SpecCast; and a Caterpillar 308E2 CR SB mini hydraulic excavator (#55239, $91.95) and a Caterpillar TH407C Telehandler (#55278, $91.95) in 1:32 scale from Norscot. Website: www.3000toys.com
Electronics & software G-Scale Graphics, 4118 Clayton Ct., Fort Collins CO 80525, has expanded its RailBoss 4 battery-powered R/C product line to include optional 10-amp motor drivers, which will allow multi-unit diesel consists to be powered from one control
GRW • 08/01/2013 • 2C • 1/12
your existing power pack or power supply to provide radio control on track powered railways. No modifications to locomotives are required. Website: www.GScale Graphics.net
Tools
VISIT US AT WWW.RGSRRHOBBIES.COM SUPPLY LINE
GRW • 12/01/2011 • BW • 1/12
PHONE 970-245-5100 • 1102 Dyer Rd. • Whitewater, CO 81527
IN MEMORIAM
Dale Edwards passed away in September of 2014. Dale, along with his twin brother Keith, founded Kadee in the early 1940s. Their patented Magne-Matic couplers, developed in the mid 1950s, quickly became the standard for HO-scale trains. These were followed by a variety of track products and N-scale rolling stock. In 1990 the brothers divided the company. Dale continued to produce innovative coupler designs, not only in the smaller scales, but for large-scale trains as well. He also came out with a line of highly detailed HO freight cars. We extend our condolences to his family and friends. MISCELLANEOUS
Dremel, 4915 21st Street, Racine WI 53406, has introduced its first 3D printer, the Dremel 3D Idea Builder. The unit includes the following: Intuitive print software for simple customization of 3D models; pre-installed extruder for fast out-of-the-box use; print-ready model portfolio provided by Dremel and Autodesk to kick-start the building process; product support and mentorship via the Dremel Experts; a full-color touch screen and onboard print software for stand-alone operation when needed; fully enclosed work area for reduced noise and
SPECIALIZING IN NARROW GAUGE FN3 AND STANDARD GAUGE 1 CUSTOM SOUND, BATTERY, AND RC INSTALLATIONS ARE AVAILABLE.
Free 2014 Garden Railways index. Copies of the 2014 GR index are now available. For a PDF version, visit our website at www.GardenRailways.com and click on “Annual index” under “Our magazine.” For a paper version, send a large SASE to Garden Railways index, PO Box 1612, Waukesha WI 53187-1612. Mark and Vince Buccini’s series titled “Build your own wireless DCC system” (April, June, and August 2014 issues) is the most-talked about project we’ve done in years, but it’s also had the most questions. We’re providing the complete set of articles, along with a correction and additions free to our readers (in PDF format). Don’t forget to download the code in the included text files. Visit www. GardenRailways.com and type “Build your own wireless DCC system” in the search box.
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board. Both the RailBoss 4 Basic and the RailBoss 4 Plus models are now available with either 5-amp or 10-amp motor drivers (above). Also available is a 10-amp Trackside R/C unit (below), which uses
protected object building; active cooling fan to prevent warping of objects being built; best-in-class print resolution (100 micron) for fine printing detail; and a large, removable build platform for larger prints and projects. The printer will be available at Home Depot stores. Price: $999. Website: www.dremel.com
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9
LETTERS Lack of selection in large scale
I have recently restarted my model-railroading adventure after a long absence. A serious hand injury and two long-distance moves made model building impossible. Now that we are settled in Texas, I’m back to my trains, with one major change: I’m going from HO to large scale to make the fine-detail work easier. I sold my extensive LVRR HO and N scale collections and started buying large-scale trains. I am somewhat disappointed in the selection of available large-scale products, after the availability of a wide selection of products in HO. Also, Texas does not support the model-railroading hobby that well. I have resigned myself to doing my purchases via the Internet and magazine ads. I am looking for a 250-ton wreck crane and a good supply of knuckle couplers for my coming railroad, so far with no luck. The sources recommended for the couplers appear to be out of stock or just do not make the products I want. How do we get the manufacturers to produce good, cost-effective rolling stock? Some of the items I would like to see include the 250-ton wreck crane, a realistic Jordan spreader, and some trackside structures like the ones produced by Woodland Scenics in HO and N scale. I have tried my hand at scratchbuilding but, with the hand injury, it did not work out. I would be interested to hear comments from other large-scale modelers. —Chuck Pettit, Killeen, Texas, chuck.
[email protected]
Curved trestle
Just a note about the very nice article by Michael Herhusky on building the curved trestle in the December 2014 issue. Michael obviously brushed up on his geometry but I would propose that he did not have to, to get the job done. Somewhere in my younger years, when I was in HO, I was introduce to an 8' piece of oak spline, about 1" tall and 1/8" wide. For HO, that was more than ample. I now use a piece of steel about 20' long and 1/8" wide and 1" tall. I think this method came from John Allen, the man who build the Gorre and Daphetid in HO, but am not sure. In any case, one only has to clamp one end on the straightaway, then maneuver the
10
Garden Railways | February 2015
other to the other straightaway and adjust by eye: voilá— a perfect curve with transitions, no less. —Harald Becker, haraldrb@ sbcglobal.net
Why conventioneers should stay at the convention hotel
Most conventioneers do not realize that the convention depends on the hotelroom nights to help pay for the convention facilities. If few people stayed at the hotel, convention prices would have to be a lot higher. I think it is important to get the word out that conventioneers should stay at the hotel to support the convention, in addition to the other benefits of being at the hotel, such as being where the action is; notices of changes are right there; meeting with other people you know and getting to know more people; your room is close by and you can get there easily; and coming and going to the trade hall and other functions is easy. —Byron Fenton, 2015 National Garden Railway Convention Committee ViceChairman,
[email protected]
Plug failures
After seeing problems fellow large-scalers in our club had with breaking electrical plugs on locomotive connections, I wondered about an easy preventative measure. On a lot of locomotives, the place where the wires connect to the plug is a weak point. I came up with the idea of using hot glue to help solve this problem. Applying a bit of hot glue where the wires meet the plug provides a firm support but still allows some flexible movement. It is an easily reversible modification, too, if desired. —Iain Collingwood, New Zealand,
[email protected]
Garden railways for older hobbyists
Jerry Paladino (“A garden railroad for my golden years,” GR, December, 2014) is
onto something important: how can we adapt our garden-railway designs to aging bodies? My husband Bill and I are currently planning a garden railway in the backyard of our new home. We’re both in our 60s, with varying knee, back, and leg problems that limit our range of movement. Our goal is to make the design “OGF” (Old Guy Friendly). Even Jerry’s three-foot-high platform would be a problem for me. Can you please run more articles like Jerry’s and share ideas about how to enhance the enjoyment of our wonderful hobby as our bodies age? It’s a great way to keep our brains engaged too! — Larry Tayler, Belleville, Ontario, Canada
Hartland kitbash
I just finished kitbashing a Mack pick-up from Hartland. Here is a picture of my finished project. I used wood planks, along with spare parts from Ozark miniatures, Trackside Details, Bachmann, LGB, and others. The canvas cover is made from an old handkerchief painted with two shades of gray. —Alain Gavard, Montbard, France
Get more bang for your buck
Recently I found a Bachmann Lumberjack train set online for $180 + shipping, and thought I’d like the little Davenport switcher for my collection. If I purchased that engine separately, it would cost at least $100. This set came with log cars, a bobber, track, and a transformer to boot! This small purchase has provided me with much more bang for my buck than I had initially expected.
RAILWAYS?
Browse through more than 20 years of back issues archives to find the issue you need!
Each back issue of Garden Railways includes:
JUMBO ISSUE—14 extra pages of stories! FEBRUARY • 2006
gardenrailways.com
Small-space railroading
Reviewed: USA Trains GG-1
Two railroads make efficient use of limited real estate
Two LGB Moguls cross paths on DA Bertram’s Virginia and DACS Railroad in Colorado. See page 70.
EXPANDED!
I first decided that I would prefer my Davenport to be weathered Caterpillar gold, rather than the nice green it came in. I enjoyed painting and weathering it. I printed out Yellow Pine Lumber Co. decals on my printer to make the engine match my 2-8-0. Then I took the bobber caboose apart and mounted the body on a Bachmann flatcar to build a MOW caboose. After that I took the two skeleton log cars and weathered them, painting the logs to resemble actual logs. I gave the indoor track and transformer to a friend to get him in to the hobby. Not a piece was wasted. I thought this was a prime example that one does not need to be millionaire to have a lot of fun with large-scale trains. Numerous companies make entrylevel train sets at affordable prices and, with some weathering and detailing, they can be turned into some pretty goodlooking trains. —Scott Williams, Arden, North Carolina,
[email protected]
MISSING AN ISSUE OF GARDEN
11REVIEWED
new products
Visit a great railroad garden Vol. 23 Issue 1
HOW-TO PROJECTS
Weather How an ore car a cabin for under $10 stone walls to• Build make miniature Make a tank car from metal • Build a simple signal
Driveway crossing
• Do - it - yourself projects • Information - packed reviews • Expert tips and techniques • And more!
APRIL 2009 www.GardenRailways.com
Adventu res i n outdoor model rai l road i ng
An indoor modeler moves outdoors
— SPECIA
L— The bes t adhesiv for outd es use oor WITH HANDY CHART
Bob Brown discovers the joys of garden railroading
7 PRODUCT REVIEWS PLUS!
Easy-to-build stairs for your structures Understanding engine wheel arrangements
An Accucraft live-steam model of a Nevada County Narrow Gauge 2-6-0 eases a cut of lumber out of the sawmill on Bob Brown’s Tuolumne County Narrow Gauge Garden Railroad.
The best miniature plants for warmer climates Build a yard office from Plexiglas and Magic Sculpt
REALISTIC SIGNS AND DECALS p. 30 AUGUST 2014
REVIEWED: Bachmann’s streetcar p. 66
Adventures in outdoor model railroading
How to use flex track Tips on choosing, bending, and connecting p. 13
I’d like to offer a correction to readers in my “Greening your railway” article of December 2014, on cement products. I gave the impression that Bob Ferguson’s railroad, which crossed his driveway, was rails only, but David Mease shows in the attached photo that fully assembled track with ties was buried in concrete after using pieces of redwood to raise the track to the correct grade so that only the rails showed. —Nancy Norris, Pleasant Hill, California
OF NEW PRODUCTS p. 66
Use flex track for smooth, flowing curves and learn how flex track is different from sectional track.
Build a DCC locomotive decoder for $20 p. 48 Operate crossing signals with a microcontroller p. 44 Choose in-scale miniature trees p. 55
Complete your collection TODAY! www.GardenRailways.com/BackIssues P17862
If you have something to say, send your comments to “Letters,” c/o Garden Railways, PO Box 460222, Denver CO 80246 USA; or e-mail them to mhorovitz@garden railways.com
HOW TO
9
REVIEWS
www.GardenRailways.com
11
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KEVIN STRONG
GARDEN RAILWAY BASICS
Tunnels
Part 2: Construction begins About the series Part 1: Tunnel planning & design Part 3: Portals & landscaping
M
y son Andy convinced me that we needed a tunnel on the railroad (although I didn’t need much convincing). The task was to design and build it with the least interruption possible to the existing garden. That required me to look at various tunnel-construction techniques I’d seen or used over the years, to figure out which might work best for my installation. If you’re doing a straight tunnel, there is a larger range of options available to you. I’ve seen folks use chimney-flue tiles (about 12" square). That’s a great way to get a sturdy support around the track with little effort. They don’t lend themselves to curves, though, since they’re not wide enough to allow the track to curve through them and allow for clearances. I’ve also seen people use corrugated drain pipe of a similar diameter. That has the advantage of being flexible for curved tunnels. Both of these options, however, involve laying the tunnel first, then threading the track through, once the tunnel is in place. That’s great if you’re just starting to build the railroad but, in my case, the track has been down for nine years and is firmly in place. That firm foundation is precisely what I wanted to preserve during this construction, so the track doesn’t move inside the tunnel. My options came down to ways of building a three-sided enclosure over the track. Wood was one option, but better suited to straight tunnels. Having to curve it would have meant a lot of cutting. Foam is easier to bend around curves but not terribly strong, and it’s subject to warping as the ground presses in around it. On the plus side, there’s not much damage to locomotives when they break off little bits of the tunnel if they get too close.
This big, blue blob may not look too attractive now but, with some dirt, rocks, and a few plants (to say nothing of a train on the track), it will soon become a focal point on the author’s Tuscarora Railroad. PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
1a. Stacking the cinder blocks in two courses led to the tunnel being too tall (about 14" from the railhead to the ceiling).
1b. Instead of a second course of cinder blocks, the author used two courses of paver bricks (2" high each), resulting in a ceiling about 10” from the railhead. The wood tunnel portal gives an idea of how things would look once completed. Patio blocks used for the top of the tunnel are also stacked in place, as is the irrigation control box, used for access to the inside of the tunnel. www.GardenRailways.com
13
GARDEN RAILWAY BASICS
2. The outer wall of the tunnel was put in place first to get a feel for how things would ultimately look. Cinder blocks were just dry-stacked at this stage of construction.
However, I knew I’d be walking on top of this tunnel, so strength was paramount.
the tunnel far enough from the track. I opted for 4" x 8" x 16" cinder blocks. The idea was to stack them two courses high, giving plenty of vertical clearance, even after digging them into the ground a little when setting them in place. I had measured the proposed length of the tunnel (about nine feet) and calculated the number of blocks needed. To cap the tunnel, I decided on 2" x 7" x 16" concrete blocks, since the 16" dimension was wide enough to cover the tunnel from outside edge to outside edge, leaving 8" of clearance between the walls. I would have liked 10" but, again, the proximity of the fence was limiting.
Blocks
Access
3. The inside wall of the tunnel was laid next, being careful to make sure the tunnel was level from side to side as each block was placed.
What could be stronger than concrete blocks? They’re stackable, and blocks can be tailored to gently follow the curve. A stroll down the landscaping aisle at the local home-improvement store turned up a variety of blocks that would work well for this project. I admit that I would love to have used some of the concrete blocks with rough “stone” faces for the tunnel interior, as that would give the tunnel more of a “blasted,” natural look. Unfortunately, I was (literally) up against a wall, or a fence in this case. I only had 4" of space to work with to keep the walls of
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Garden Railways | February 2015
Because the tunnel is so long, and on a curve, access to the middle was imperative. I’d love to give credit to the individual from whom I appropriated the idea of using an irrigation-control access box but I’ve forgotten who it was. These boxes come in a variety of sizes and depths, allowing you to tailor your access hatch to fit the terrain into which you’re placing it. Get one that’s large enough to allow you to easily reach in and remove stuck equipment. You can cut the bottom at an angle so that the hatch is on a slope if you’re building a steep mountain (I didn’t).
4. The author used Liquid Nails outdoor construction adhesive to glue the blocks together. Cement or mortar could also be used, if desired.
Construction
With the supplies in hand, it was time to get down to business. In an ideal world, I’d dig a 4" trench on either side of the track into which to stick the blocks. The dirt between the bottoms of the blocks on either side of the tunnel offsets the force of the dirt on the outside of the blocks, keeping the blocks from moving closer together. Unfortunately, breaking up the hardpacked clay under my railroad would have loosened the roadbed under the track, and I didn’t want to do that, lest the track shift inside the tunnel. I could go down about 11/2", which isn’t ideal but, given the nature of this particular tunnel, there’s not a lot of dirt that would be pressing down on it, so I’m not worried. The upshot, though, is that since the blocks didn’t go down as far as I had originally planned, stacking them two rows high resulted in a tunnel that was too tall for the space, giving about 14" of head room (photo 1a). Instead, I opted for one row of concrete blocks, then two rows of 2" x 4" x 8" bricks, which gave me about 10" clearance above the track (photo 1b). I laid the outer wall of the curve first (photo 2), making sure the blocks were level and plumb (photo 3). The inside wall could then be set, making sure things
5. As in any brick wall, the joints should be staggered so that each successive layer, or course, of bricks reinforces the one below it. Here, the ceiling blocks are being glued in place along the top of the tunnel.
7. All the blocks have been glued into place. Because the tunnel is on a curve, there are gaps in the roof blocks that need to be filled in.
8. Expanding-foam insulation spray is squirted into the openings between the blocks to fill the gaps.
6. The access hatch, ready to be glued in the middle of the tunnel, will allow easy access to the middle of the tunnel in the event of a derailment.
stayed level from outside to inside along the way. As luck would have it, the curve of the tunnel made it so I needed seven blocks on the outside and only six on the inside walls. This still gave me square tunnel ends. It would not have been a big deal had the ends not been square—rocks and landscaping would have made up for any resulting unevenness. After dry-stacking everything to make sure it worked (and running my largest locomotive through to test clearances), I disassembled the tunnel and glued the blocks and bricks together using Liquid Nails outdoor construction adhesive (photos 4-6). Many people have had success just dry-stacking the blocks and letting it go at that but I figured some kind of adhesive would help keep things
strong. Some people even use mortar. The more dirt you’ve got around your tunnel, the stronger the walls will need to be. The only “trouble” with a curved tunnel is that, if you’re using concrete blocks for the roof, there will be wedge-shaped openings between the blocks (photo 7). These need to be filled if the dirt is to be effectively kept out of the tunnel. I’ve seen people use wood or thick styrofoam, cut to fit these openings. I opted to use spray foam (Great Stuff is the brand name I used). This expandable foam comes in a can, and is used for insulating around openings where pipes and things run through walls. Since the gaps between my blocks were less than 2" at their widest points, the expanding foam filled those gaps without trouble (photos 8 and 9). Note: Wear disposable gloves when using this stuff—it comes out sticky and gets everywhere. To further keep dirt and moisture away from the joints, I covered the tunnel
9. The “finished” tunnel—or at least the finished block-portion of it—awaits the landscaping that will complete the scene.
with an old tarp. This is not a mandatory step but if you can keep moisture out of the tunnel materials—especially if you live in a cold climate where freeze/thaw cycles affect your garden—it’s definitely a “can’t hurt” kind of thing. At this point, the tunnel looked like a big, blue, boxy tube, as can be seen in the lead photo. Technically it was a tunnel but it sure didn’t look like much. That’s where the landscaping comes in. Next time, I’ll talk about how I landscaped around the tunnel and, particularly, the portals, which are arguably the most important part of any tunnel. I’ll also share some examples of others’ tunnels and portals to further inspire you. www.GardenRailways.com
15
GRW • 02/01/2014 • 2C • 1/6 H
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Garden Railways | February 2015
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17
NANCY NORRIS
GREENING YOUR RAILWAY
Hardscape using cement products Part 2: Mixing and molding mortar and concrete
1. Gary Broeder’s almost-finished Roman arch bridge has evolved through several phases, yet the bridge has been operational for well over a year. Juniper trees (Juniperus sp.) and sedum groundcover, mulched with sharp gravel and pebbles, create an easy-care landscape and hardscape. The pier faces, arch stones, and cap stand out for a more three-dimensional face. PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR EXCEPT AS NOTED
O
utdoor modeling with durable cement products can create realistic structures and functional scenery. If you learn a few rules and tips , your project will outlast you! In part 1 (December 2014 Garden Railways) we looked at uses for preformed concrete blocks and recycled concrete, as from old sidewalks: they were stacked, leaned, or mortared together. In this issue, I’ll discuss how to use granular mixes in the garden railway. Here, we’ll look at one big project, one medium-size project, and two small ones that will give you a place to start, or a more advanced way to show your art.
18
Garden Railways | February 2015
Read the bag
The binder in these mysterious products is Portland cement, a ground and heated limestone that is caustic to skin and bad to breathe, so wear rubber gloves and a particle mask. Mortar (masonry mix) is cement premixed with sand: just add water to “glue” stones and blocks. Grout is a finer mortar. Stucco is rougher. The strongest for stand-alone poured projects (as in photo 1) is concrete mix, which combines cement with gravel; keep the thickness 3" or greater. Thinset mortar sticks tile to surfaces. Quikrete Vinyl Concrete Patcher pours into forms for model-structure walls that are less than 1" thick—see various
2. Any advanced project starts by breaking it down into logical steps. First Gary Broeder formed piers from concrete mix. Here they support a girder bridge. From the same mold, this style of pier also supports the arches seen in photo 1, which rest on the recessed gap. The piers might rest on a footing of gravel or a concrete slab.
applications and a video at http://www. rrstoneworks.com/cementgallery.html
Tips for toughness
The chemical process is still not completely understood. When water is added to cement products, the particles begin to gel and finally harden. Each product has a predetermined time to set up and then cure, hastened by heat and slowed by cool air or moisture. A slow cure is strongest, so I stay away from quick-setting cement. On hot days, keep your setting-up project out of the sun, maybe with moistened cardboard. Or, once it’s set up (a few hours), allow it to cure for several days, helping by hosing it down regularly. You can take advantage of the “green” stage between set up and curing, during which you can carve details or clean up edges with a knife, but remember this is a fragile stage, too, and the cement can be easily cracked.
3. Last year, Gary Broeder could run trains over his concrete bridge while waiting until he had time to glue on the facing tiles with thinset mortar. Without the tiles, it’s easier to see how the arch fits into the H-shaped top of the pier, resting on a handy shelf. He left room at the top for a cap that evens out the roadbed.
A bridge for the ages
The bottom is usually a good place to start when building something, but the top parameters will determine the size of your forms. In photo 1, Gary Broeder’s Roman arch bridge was first sketched out after measuring the distance from the ground to a section of track held in place by stakes. The linear length of the bridge and the radius of the arc can also be sketched on paper. I use a section of track to outline the inside and outside radius of the bridge’s curve. Only two forms were built—one for piers and one for arches. Although photo 2 shows a pier supporting a girder bridge, it’s from the same mold as the arch bridge’s piers. Now you can see where the arch fits, especially if you look at the unclad bridge in last year’s photo 3. The fit needn’t be perfect, as a layer of mortar smeared in the joints makes a smooth finish (or base, if you mortar on tile or stone). Carved styrofoam makes a good base for the arch form, around which bendable plastic or craft plywood can be clamped and duct-taped. Before pouring, spray the inside of the form with WD-40 or other mold release. Carefully remove forms in the green stage and wash them for reuse. (See GR, August 2000, “Stone viaducts,” as well as October 2000, “Concrete arch bridges and operator pits.”)
4. Given a small and steep yard for trains, the author had to tunnel into the hill. Bending the 12"-diameter drain pipes to 5'-radius curves for two loops allowed one line to cross over the other inside the hill. To prevent litter from accumulating in the 10' lower tunnel, a floor of quick-setting concrete also keeps the track on a level grade on Jim and Jackie Ditmer’s J&J Railway.
5. The lower tunnel on the Ditmer’s line, much longer than the upper one, needed a clean-out access area. A bottomless irrigation-valve box and steppable cover permit access to the lower track.
6. The lower track on the Ditmer’s line stays centered inside the middle of a 10' tunnel. Trains occasionally get stuck in here and need air-lifting. www.GardenRailways.com
19
GREENING YOUR RAILWAY easier to blow out leaves or drag out trains if they’re not mired in gravel. A tunnel longer than 6' needs an additional access point (photo 5). Inside the access box, you can push some nails or screws into the setting-up concrete. Wires can be attached to these to center the track (photo 6).
Cobblestone road
7. Formula One frozen fish food is packaged as pellets, probably poured directly into a blisterpack plastic container. Dan Hill saw this container and imagined miniature pavers.
Cast tunnel floor
It’s tough reaching into a long tunnel, but if you don’t have a choice, then create a smooth tunnel floor with concrete. If you need a level grade inside the tunnel, then
self-leveling cement works best (photo 4), but it’s expensive. A soupier mix of regular concrete mix works fine if you use a long tool to help smooth it, or clamp on a vibrating electric tool. When set, it’s
A creative modeler recognized an opportunity when he removed some fish-food pellets from a handy plastic container (photo 7). Dan Hill poured mortar mix into the plastic tray, which had depressions the right size for tiny pavers (photo 8). A realistic cobblestone lane, laid out on a compacted base between benderboard edges, and grouted with sand, invites fun signage and teeny flowers.
Easy does it
Some of my first projects with mortar and concrete mix involved pouring building foundations into boxes or plant-pot saucers.
REGIONAL GARDENING REPORTS Zones listed are USDA Hardiness Zones How have you used “concrete mix” or “mortar mix” for hardscape? David Drake Ferndale, Washington, Zones 8-9 Weatherproof Due to our damp climate, those of us living on the wet side of Washington State are faced with challenges regarding our choice of materials to use in our structures. Projects made of wood require frequent attention in order to maintain their appearance. We do get enough sunshine during the summer to slowly deteriorate even good-quality plastic buildings. I have found concrete to be an excellent alternative. It holds up extremely well in our area. The buildings in the photograph were built using concrete walls. The fuel-storage tanks are resting on concrete saddles, which are attached to a concrete slab. All the bridge abutments are made of concrete. Some of these structures have been out
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Garden Railways | February 2015
The Pattersons’ Ever Green & Palm Tree Railroad’s central mountain towers over the railway and visitors. ROBIN PATTERSON Working in the concrete business, David knows how well concrete holds up so he’s used it extensively on his Chickadee Western Railroad. The native rock blends well with the concrete as if the miniature stones were quarried on site. DAVID DRAKE
on the railway for close to 20 years. The only maintenance they have needed has been to their non-concrete components.
Robin Patterson New Port Richie, Florida, Zones 9-10 Mortar mountain Before you build is the time to plan.
How big a mountain? Style? Will the train run through the mountain and/ or around the outside of the mountain? Even if you are not an artist, scribble some sort of general outline of your mountain on a piece of paper. Keep it simple. Don’t overthink the task. I think the simplest way to look at this project, is by thinking it out in four steps: framing, lath, covering, and finishing. For more detailed instructions, go to GardenRailways.com and click on “Construction & Landscaping” under “Howto,” then search for “Mortar mountain.” Enjoy, and remember—anything goes.
8. On their Mackay Mills Railroad, Dan and Katy Hill model an era when people lived a simpler life. Using the fish-food container in photo 7, Dan Hill cast many little pavers to form a cobblestone road. Katy planted tiny yellow flowers of miniature moneywort (Lysimachia japonica ‘Minutissima’, Zones 4-8), joined by native moss creeping between the “stones.”
I made a cliff wall for an archaeological dig, using a store-bought resin dinosaur skeleton. I don’t know how Richard and Evelyn Wolf cast their silo (photo 9). What I noticed is that the silo fits the scene in
Robin missed the snow but made it permanent on his mountaintop by sprinkling on crushed glass just after painting the summit. ROBIN PATTERSON
Ray Turner San Jose, California, Zone 9 Rock and mole I employ a lot of concrete mix on my Mystic Mountain Railroad. First, I use it to cast rockwork, which is so strong that I can stand on it. It’s permanent and requires no maintenance, save for a little paint every 12 years or so. I learned the technique from Bob Treat’s August 2001 article in GR, “Make natural-looking rocks from concrete.” Second, I use it
countless ways. Like David Drake’s concrete buildings in the Regional gardening reports, this silo appears to have been built by farmers who gathered sand from the embankments of their farm’s stream to
Ray allows thyme to creep over cliffs cast from white concrete mix and painted with acrylics. If there is any alkalinity in the soil, it doesn’t bother the thyme or dwarf Alberta spruce at all. RAY TURNER
under my track (1-1.5") to provide a stable roadbed that is gopher and mole proof. And third, I have used concrete to create a few structures.
Bobby Waal Alamo, California, Zone 9 Concrete roadbed When using concrete forms to pour
9. Richard and Evelyn Wolf’s D&E Garden Railroad models several aspects of farming, including a scale grain-storage facility—a silo cast in concrete.
mix with cement. It’s plausible. When the wooden roof finally bites the dust, I’d like to see the next incarnation, although I’m pretty sure the silo will look just the same, maybe mossier. Cement products last.
After years of dealing with rodents, like gophers and moles, burrowing into his gravel-ballasted trackbed, Bobby Waal embarked on a project to convert all roadbed to concrete, seen here under the middle track on his Alps Railway. NANCY NORRIS
roadbed for track, I’ve developed a civilengineering approach that works great for straight, curved, or sloping track. For the whole procedure, go to Garden Railways.com and click on “Construction & Landscaping” under “How-to,” then search for “Concrete roadbed.”
www.GardenRailways.com
21
PLANT PORTRAITS
NANCY NORRIS
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BEGINNER PROJECT
Build a
depressed-center flatcar A depressed-center flatcar makes an interesting and unusual addition to your rolling-stock roster.
The flat-car body started with a piece of oak that I found at my local Home Depot
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Garden Railways | February 2015
1-½"
¾"
5"
2" 8"
Simple depressed-center flatcar body
2"
MARC HOROVITZ
The body
in the “Molding” section. The oak, which measured exactly 1⁄2" x 31⁄2" x 4' long, was a perfect size, since I did not want to have to make too many cuts. The body of the car consists of five pieces of wood (photo 1). The following measurements will net you a flatcar that is 17" long, with upper decks that are 5" long and a lower deck that is 51⁄2" . If you would like a longer deck for your particular load,
½"
A
while back, I found that my garden railroad was missing a piece of rolling stock from its roster. A need had arisen for a depressed-center flatcar to haul an overheight load. A call went out to the shop steward to build one. Here are the results and how it was done. A depressed-center flatcar is easily built using common tools and parts available from most lumber stores. I did not base the project on any particular scale but did take measurements from an LGB freight car. The finished car should fit in with most other large-scale manufacturers’ offerings.
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
½"
by Todd Haskins | Brewster, Massachusetts |
simply add to the lower deck piece when cutting it from the 4' length. To start, cut two pieces, each 5" long, from the board length. Then cut the lower deck piece 8" long. The two pieces that connect the upper and lower decks measure 1" across the upper flats and the cuts are made at a 45° angle. So, make a cut at a 45° angle, measure 1" from the cut edge, then mark and make another 45° cut. To assemble the pieces, I used a goodquality wood glue and a brad nailer. Nailing by hand is just as easy, since not many nails are needed to hold the car together. The glue will do the work. First, glue and nail an angled piece to one end of each of the 5" upper-deck
¼"
An unusual piece of rolling stock adds interest to your railway
1. All of the wood pieces, cut and ready to go.
2. The angled pieces have been glued to the end (upper) decks.
3. The bottom deck has been glued and nailed on. Note the straightedge.
4. The spacer blocks for the trucks are carefully positioned.
parts, as shown in photo 2. Use a straightedge to ensure the parts are in line. When the glue is dry, carefully line up the lower deck so that it aligns properly with the edge of the angled pieces. Again, use your straightedge to ensure everything is properly aligned, then glue and nail (photo 3).
Trucks
For trucks, I used archbar trucks with hook-and-loop couplers available from USA Trains. Choose whatever trucks and couplers you prefer for your particular flatcar, but you may need to alter the next steps accordingly. The trucks need to be positioned a proper distance from the bottom of the flatcar so the wheels won’t rub on the bottom of the car. The simplest way to do this is to cut small spacer blocks out of wood. Mine measure 1⁄4" tall x 3⁄4" wide x 1" long. I used scrap wood for these two pieces but you can cut them from the oak, if you prefer. Take one of the trucks and put it in place to get an idea of where the coupler will be. Make sure there is enough space for the truck to turn freely on tight turns
without hitting the lower deck. The center point for a USA Trains archbar truck should be 2" in from the front edge of the flatcar and 2" from the angled piece to the lower deck. From the sides, it will be at 13⁄4". Mark this point on the underside of the upper decks. Center the small spacer block over the marked center point for the truck mounting. Glue and nail the block to the underside of the car (photo 4) but make sure not to put a nail exactly in the center, since you need to predrill a hole through it there to mount the truck. Find the truck-mounting-hole centers again and predrill your holes. To mount the trucks, I used 1" wood screws, 3⁄16" in diameter, and 1"-wide fender washers (photo 5) to give the truck a secure, wiggle-free mount. Put a fender washer in place and screw the truck onto the flat-car body. The shank on the wood screw will allow the truck to turn freely and it is wide enough to allow it the slightest side-to-side movement. Do not over-tighten this screw or the truck will get hung up when negotiating curves on your railway.
Finishing
By now your flatcar should be looking good and it is almost ready for service, but not quite yet. The next steps involve detailing and each modeler’s ideas will vary on this topic. Before starting, remove the trucks. I planked my flatcar using wooden craft sticks (coffee stirrers). They are cheap and look pretty good. Start at one end and work your way toward the middle. Apply a thin coat of wood glue to the deck of your flatcar and start laying the sticks in line. My sticks didn’t quite make it all the way to the end, so I went back before the glue dried and spaced them to take up the shortfall. As shown in photo 6, I planked one side of the deck and clamped it to dry. I also lined up the ends of the sticks with one edge of the car so I would only need to trim one side. For the angled sides at the edge of the lower deck, you could use popsicle sticks (like I did) or more craft sticks. Once the glue is dry, trim the planks to size. Now you are ready to paint or stain your flatcar as you please. On my car, I www.GardenRailways.com
25
5. Trucks are ready to be attached to the predrilled spacer blocks.
painted the base brown, then mixed in some grays and lighter tones of brown to achieve a slightly weathered look on the deck. In real life, these depressed-center flatcars were not used everyday, but instead left on sidings. When they were used, they were quite often beaten up pretty badly, so the level of weathering
6. The planking process. One section at a time is glued, planked, and clamped.
and abuse is up to you. For stirrup steps and hand grabs, you could use electrical-conduit staples, like I did. Be sure to predrill the holes, since oak is a hardwood and may split if you just hammer them in. Miniature eye hooks and chains can be found at craft or hobby stores. The brake wheel is an extra
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I found in my parts bin, attached to a piece of wire. In the prototypical world, the depressed-center flatcar is an odd piece of equipment that you don’t see everyday. With this easy build, you can add an interesting piece of rolling stock to your roster. Why not build two?
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Garden Railways | February 2015
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27
INTERMEDIATE PROJECT
Create a
WATER FEATURE
for your garden railroad A simple method using basic tools by Chuck Hurst | Palm Desert, California |
B
eing unable to find any articles on how to create a creek for a garden railroad compelled me to write this article after building one of my own. I will describe my process, step by step, including the layout and prep of the desired area, the tools, and the materials used. Starting this project required a handUnusual methods were used to create this attractive stream through the author’s desert landscape.
drawn layout of the area, with all of the yard measurements included. I sketched multiple designs of the creek until I settled on the one that best fit my vision for the area available.
Tools
The basic tools for this job (photo 1) are a shovel, rake, a four-foot level, a trowel, a mallet, tinsnips, gloves, and a tape measure (not shown).
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
Research
I spoke with a pool builder about liners, reinforcement materials, and the use of stucco. The liner was a concern because of the desert climate where I live. The sun is so intense here that it will eat up a vinyl liner in a short period if exposed to the sun. It was recommended that I double up the 6-mil vinyl to get 12 mils, and use this as a safety catch for the water. On top of the vinyl, I planned to lay 3⁄8" wire mesh as
1. Simple tools were used in this project.
a reinforcement material. This is structurally stronger than chicken wire and is the same material that is used to hold rock work on houses. To create the creek bed, it was recommended that I use colored stucco. This would be applied into the wire mesh, which would be over the top of the 12-mil vinyl, thus protecting the vinyl from the sun. I found all of the recommended materials at hardware suppliers.
2. The trench that will form the future waterway has been dug.
Preparation
Before breaking ground, I performed a few critical steps to ensure that the water flowed properly. A friend brought over a transit to measure the slope of my yard, to make sure the flow was from the intended high ground to the low. We marked the levels on my fence posts in many locations. These marks were 6" above the sand so they could be seen when repositioning the sand to fit. I used heavy twine, pulled tight, between two level locations, then measured the distance down to the sand.
Construction
3. Wire mesh has been formed over the trench in sections.
4. Each section of mesh overlaps the next.
5. The stucco work was also done in sections. Beneath the screen is vinyl sheet.
I dug a ditch along the creek’s path (photo 2). I used a four-foot level, moving from the higher end to the lower, digging my way and making sure the reading was half a bubble off level. I made the ditch width the same as the shovel width to start, and about 6" to 8" deep. When complete, the ditch was watered down many times to compact the sand.
www.GardenRailways.com
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6. This small tank forms the head of the stream.
I purchased a seven-gallon plastic tank for the upper end of the creek and a 100-gallon plastic tank for the lower end, along with some 3⁄8"-mesh wire and 6-mil PVC plastic liner material. Then I dug the holes for the plastic tanks at each end of the creek.
7. A larger tank at the lower end houses the pump.
Formed wire
Next came the cutting and molding of the wire screen. Using heavy gloves, I created the wire framework for the ditch, working from the bottom end toward the top (photo 3). Each 4' x 8' piece of wire mesh was cut into three sections, each approximately 21/2' x 4'. This allowed easy molding of the wire. I allowed 3" overlap of each section of screen over the previous one (photo 4). I used the contour of the trough as a tool to help form the mesh by placing the wire across the trough, then standing on it. Then I used my gloved hands to form the slope on each side, continuing to form the curved portion over the top and into a small trough about 3" deep on each side of the main ditch. The rounded portion on the sides adds some strength to the edges so they will not crack when you walk on them. I used a plastic mallet to form some of the areas at the bridge locations for the abutments.
Stucco
I was now ready to add the stucco, using the old-fashion method of applying it by hand. Starting from the low ground, I removed each section of wire, then installed plastic liner in the ditch. I overlapped the liner (high side over the lower side) by 6", then I replaced the wire. I worked six to eight feet at a time. Using a cement mixer, I mixed two sacks at a time, along with the color dye.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
8. Water flows through the successful project.
Average time for this was about two hours per section with help, and three if I was alone. I used a garden trowel to hand trowel the stucco. I just shoveled on the material where I needed it and moved it around with the trowel. Because of the trowel’s round edges and semi-round nose, it got into the tight places, yet smoothed out the stucco nicely (photo 5). I tried to keep an average thickness of 3⁄4" so it could be walked on. As I laid down the stucco, I pulled the mesh wire up a little by hand, so the stucco was imbedded in the mesh. At each section’s end, I made sure that the stucco did not have a smooth, straight-edge finish. I made undercuts and grooves so that when the next section was laid, it would interlock with the previous one and not crack and break at the junctions. I used bricks and rocks to hold down the wire, as it wanted to move as I worked
with the stucco. I let the stucco dry for a couple of days before walking on it. It took 20 bags of stucco and 20 boxes of dye to finish this task. Over a two week period, eight sections were completed.
Plumbing
Next came the plumbing. More investigation was required. I found that each 10' section of 3⁄4" PVC pipe is equal to one foot of pump head pressure. Therefore, 50 feet of straight pipe equaled five feet of head pressure. Each 90° elbow is equivalent to one foot of pressure, so I elected to use all 45° bends at zero head pressure. In the lower tank, I measured the distance from the bottom to the top rim. In this case this added another three feet of head pressure. From the surface of the upper tank to the surface of the lower tank is 12" difference. That meant the total head pressure was going to be nine
9. The ends and core of the dismantled paper filter.
10. New filter material—netting from the fabric store.
11. The netting, wrapped around the old core.
12. The new filter being installed in the old housing.
feet. This is calculated many different ways, depending on with whom you talk. I did not want to buy a pump that was on the borderline of the calculated pressure I needed. I ended up with the Garden Treasures Waterfall Pump (#PP2000). It has a maximum pump head of 20', which may be a little overkill but it’s not going to burn up any time soon. Doing plumbing with PVC pipe is a simple job. I dug a 6"-deep trench from the lower to the upper end of the creek in as straight a path as possible along the edge of the walkway. The piping was placed in the trench so that the 45° angle went directly to the upper tank (photo 6). I added a plastic union at the edge of the big (lower) tank that would allow me to service the pump later. I used a ball valve to control the water flow from our water supply into the tank, and two 45° elbows to get from the pump to the supply line (photo 7). Success! Water flowed in the creek (photo 8). Also in photo 7 you can see the float that maintains the water level. I added this feature after filling the tank up every
day and realizing this was too much work to keep up during the summer.
Filtering
I bought a house water filter that had a paper filter cartridge to solve the filtering issue. However, the paper filter was too fine a mesh and it plugged up with debris two or three times a day, which was not satisfactory. I looked into other filters but nothing on the market filled this particular need, so I engineered my own. I decided to use mesh netting with the house-water-filter case that I already had. I carefully cut the paper out of the top and bottom edges of the paper filter, right at the rubber. Then I cut off the paper and kept the plastic center core (photo 9). I purchased two yards of mesh netting (or tulle) at my local fabric store. This I folded into thirds to make it the width of the plastic core (photo 10). Then I rolled the mesh onto the core and pinned it with a safety pin (photo 11). I retained the two ends of the paper filter, which are the rubber seals. I placed one in the bottom of the case (rubber side down), then added the
core with the mesh on it, then the other rubber cap (rubber side up—photo 12). I replaced the filter lid, plugged it in, and the problem was solved. To clean the filter, I simply disassemble it, exposing the mesh, and rinse it with water. I reassemble it and it’s ready to go again. And, with that, the basic project was complete!
Lessons learned
In the primary grading of my backyard, I should have created the same grade across the entire yard that I wanted for the creek. This would have created a consistent depth in the creek bed. What I actually have is about 5" depth at the beginning of the creek and about 8" toward the end. However this did not take away from the overall success of this first-time construction. The flow is what I expected and it gives the effect of a real creek. Overall, I am very happy and have had no problems other than the normal pump replacement over a seven-year period. I have run the water an average of eight to ten hours every day since the water feature was finished. www.GardenRailways.com
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INTERMEDIATE PROJECT
Build a
GENERATOR CAR Provide electric power for tools and lights while your maintenance-of-way crew is on the road by Roger Baker | Miramar Beach, Florida |
R
ailroads make money with their revenue cars—those that carry freight and passengers. Often overlooked are those that do not directly provide income but are necessary for the safe and continuous operation of a railroad. These non-revenue cars come in many different sizes and provide a variety of services and functions, from the mighty wrecking cranes capable of lifting a locomotive to others as small as this generator car. The model I made for my Tidewater & Western Railroad is based on a car I photographed at the Georgia State Railroad Museum (photo 1). I have taken certain liberties, such as putting my generator on a four-wheel, wooden flatcar rather than the metal carriage in the photo. With a few minor exceptions, I followed the prototype and it turned out to be quite an easy project. The generator was manufactured by International Fermont Inc. and was bought for use by the railroad to This generator car will provide your line with portable power. It can be built in a few evenings out of styrene.
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
provide portable, auxiliary electric power. Since I took no measurements, I guessed the dimensions of the generator hood to be 6' long x 3' wide x 3'6" high, and used those as a starting point for my 1:22.5scale model. The unit is made from styrene sheets, strips, tubes, and some stiff wire. I’ve listed all dimensions in scale feet and inches, so they can be applied to any scale you’re working in.
Construction
The generator hood is a simple rectangular box made of .040" sheet styrene, with details added. The sides are mirror images of each other, with the vents toward the front. Make the side access doors from a .040" sheet. Cut six, 2' wide x 1'5" high doors There is one for each front door, since they have a vent in the top half, and two for the rear doors. To fabricate the vents, make three rectangular frames 2' wide x 1'5" high, and six louvers from .040" x .125" styrene strips. Set the bottom edge of the
first louver on the inside edge of the bottom of the frame and each successive louver on the edge of the one before it, so that they slant to give the illusion of being open (photo 2). This is not hard to do if you keep everything square. Attach one vent above the bottom half of each front door and one in the top of the hood, aligned with the ones on the side. The remaining details on each side are .040" x .040", .040 x .188", and .040" x .156" strips, cut to appropriate lengths. The door latches are 1/16" rods glued to .010" x .125" strips.
The front
Moving to the front, make a frame 2'6" high x 2'10" wide from .040" x .125" strip, then attach seven evenly spaced 1/16" rods vertically to make the grill. Cut a piece of fine screen the same size as the frame to go behind the grill. The back of the hood has two doors made from .040" sheet, cut 1' wide and 1'6" inches high, with latches the same as those on the side doors.
2. “Louvers” are simply constructed from styrene strips.
1. The prototype generator car is at the Georgia State Railroad Museum.
For the control panel, cut an opening above the doors 2' high x 2'10" wide, and attach a piece of .040" sheet inside. Photo 3 shows the control panel, which is made of thin pieces of tubes for gauges and HO track spikes and brads to represent toggle switches, lights, and buttons. Finally, take two 6' long, .010" x .125" strips and emboss nine evenly spaced rivets in each. Attach one on each side, flush with the top and sand them to a slight curve where they join. To replicate the rather interesting exhaust system, start with the rectangular base 6" high x 1'4" wide x 8" deep, made from .040" sheet. The two vertical pipes are 3/8" and 5/16" tubes, cut 3'8" and 4'4" long, respectively. The piping from the generator to the exhaust system is two pieces of 1/4" tube, connected by telescoping them into each end of a 2'6" piece of 5/16" tube, with the end of one 1/4" tube curving into a 1/4" hole in the top of the hood. A thin piece
of 5/16" tube represents a flange where the pipe enters the top of the hood. Photo 4 shows the generator at this point. The headlight is an automobile headlight mounted on wire supports. The two data plaques are paper, painted silver, with lettering so small that it is actually just patterns made with a fine pen. The four tie-downs that stabilize the generator on the carriage are thin, stiff wire with short .040" x.156" strips as connectors and small pieces of 1/16" tube as nuts on top.
4. The generator with the exhaust system in place.
5. The grill-end of the finished car. Note the headlight and the tie-downs to the car floor.
Paint
The generator hood is painted grimy black, with yellow chevron stripes under the grill. The grill and screen are painted yellow and then attached to the hood. Exhaust pipes are also grimy black, weathered with dry-brushed dark and light rust and silver paint. Colored chalk finishes the overall weathering. The final step is the carriage. Mine is a
3. The control panel. HO track spikes and brads represent switches and lights.
simple, scratchbuilt four-wheel, wooden flatcar but you might prefer the metal carriage used on the prototype or something different. The only requirements are that the carriage is substantial enough to hold the weight of the generator, that it can travel on the rails, and that it can be coupled to some means of locomotion. The finished car is shown in photos 5 and 6. This is not a difficult project and it provides a point of interest on your railroad, whether by the mainline, sitting on a siding, trailing behind a railtruck or a handcar, or tagging along behind a work train. Thanks to Terry Koller, Director of Railroad Operations at the Georgia State Railroad Museum for providing information about the prototype car.
6. The opposite side of the car. Both the generator and the four-wheel car are painted in industrial colors and weathered. www.GardenRailways.com
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READERS’ GALLERY — Garden-railway scenes from around the world —
ABOVE: Michael Searle’s UP Challenger is hard at work on his mountain railway in northwest Ohio. The rockwork was done using Bob Treat’s concrete method (GR, August 2001). The railroad is 10 years old and features two independent 175" mainlines. The spectacular smoke effects are from a 4th-of-July smoke bomb, judiciously placed behind the smokestack. Michael sees no reason why some enterprising modeler couldn’t open the smokebox and install the smoke bomb inside. The bombs work for several minutes and provide incredibly realistic operation. MICHAEL SEARLE LEFT: An Aristo-Craft BNSF Dash 9 runs at maximum speed over the custom built, 10'-long mainline bridge spanning the river between Chipton and Daleburg on Mark and Jan Schreier’s Chipton & Daleburg Railroad in Minnetonka, Minnesota. The photo was taken on the railroad’s 10th anniversary. MARK SCHREIER Send your photos to Readers’ gallery: Garden Railways, PO Box 460222, Denver CO 80246, USA or email them to:
[email protected]
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Garden Railways | February 2015
LEFT: Unfortunately, the designer of the fire car on John D’Aloia’s railroad in St. Marys, Kansas, missed a dimension. The nozzle assembly had to be unshipped each time before going through Underthe-Deck Tunnel—it’s about two scale inches too tall. The shop foreman refused to lower the nozzle assembly, while the MOW superintendent refused to relieve the tunnel’s overhead one smidgen, muttering something about keeping the deck from collapsing. The fire crew, disgusted with the Brass refusing to provide the clearance, made a midnight change of their own. Two holes were drilled in the elevating mechanism so that the nozzle could be locked in the horizontal position with a clevis pin found in a junk box. All’s well that ends well. JOHN D’ALOIA
ABOVE: Since he started reading Garden Railways in the 1980s, Jack DiSarro has drawn inspiration from certain photos and articles in GR’s pages. One example was a photo from Herb Chaudiere’s Cranis Garden Railway in Edmonds, Washington (January/February 1988 GR—see inset). Jack always wanted to recreate a scene like Herb’s shot of a train going away on a trestle, which he did on this corner of his yet-tobe-completed railroad in Hillsborough, New Jersey. Jack’s equipment is all scratchbuilt in 7/8n2 scale, which uses gauge-1 track to represent two-foot gauge. The picture was taken with a Canon EOS Digital Rebel T2i DSLR camera. JACK DISARRO www.GardenRailways.com
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STAFF CORNER: NANCY NORRIS
A member of GR’s staff discusses recent projects
Do-over! Turning a tunnel into a canyon
2. The peak of Tinker’s Knob is on the opposite side of the canyon but appears to lean over the little mining town of Truckee. Boxwood trees (Buxus sp.) line the main drag.
1. A problem tunnel on Don and Sue Watters’ Lake Tahoe & Truckee Railroad metamorphosed into this canyon to facilitate train passage. Tall, 1:1 redwoods sift natural spotlights downward to create the illusion of a deep canyon floor. Massive cliffs support Tinker’s Knob in the Sierras. Shade-loving baby tears (Soleirolia soleirolii, Zones 9-11) drapes over the canyon topped by a tree-like foxtail fern (Asparagus densiflorus ‘Meyers’, Zones 9-11). PHOTOS AND ILLUSTRATION BY THE AUTHOR
E
ver maintained a tunnel? Over time, the weighty mountain of dirt and rocks can lower a tunnel (unless the foundation is equally as hefty); then the trains speed down into the sunken tunnel and have to climb out. Sunless, moist conditions can corrode the rails in the middle of the tunnel, where blown-in leaves stick to cobwebs. And then there’s the critter issue. Solution: get rid of the roof—a canyon allows better passage for trains and us. By curving the
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Garden Railways | February 2015
canyon, the train disappears, as in a tunnel, without the hassle (photo 1).
Reason for reconstruction
Recently, I took on the challenge of fixing Don and Sue Watters’ 19 year-old tunnel, which had poor clearance for larger rolling stock. Also, the grade was too high in the surrounding area and needed leveling for live-steam trains. Long, tight tunnels and live steam don’t mix. This particular mountain doubled as a view block for a
fence, and as a backdrop to the mountain town, Truckee (photo 2). Add to the mix three dogs who like to climb the mountain over the tunnel to watch the street action over the fence. Three years before, I had reconstructed the inside curve approaching the tunnel by removing boulders under Truckee’s church (photo 3) and refilling cavities with dark-colored concrete mix. This project widened the approach and the portal a bit but didn’t expand the radius. Unfortunately, trains continued to scrape the outside curve in the tunnel, so it all had to come out—the tunnel, the track, and the mountain.
Letting in light
Cathedral-like redwoods seem to shrink the guests in the Watters’ woodsy yard. We feel small enough to climb into their half-inch-scale Lake Tahoe & Truckee Railroad, a railway that depicts the old mining towns, including Donner Lake. Don recently made travertine-stone portals for five tunnels, so this new canyon would have to be equally eye-catching. Rather than opening up the canyon wide with V-shaped slopes, I decided to
cantilever the outside wall so it would lean over the canyon (photo 1). This style would hide more of the fence and let in a lot more light than a tunnel, but not too much. Wedged between several nearby redwoods, the mainline occasionally welcomes light shafts filtered from redwood windows, but this adds to the mystery and realism of railroads cut into the mountains.
Apprehension
Gulp. My plan hinged on finding the right rocks. They had to match the existing moss-rock boulders that are pocked and crusted with lichen and moss. More critically, they had to do the job of retaining the slope safely. Three beautiful dogs, our toes, and expensive trains would be depending on this structure. Seven years earlier I had installed several large, cantilevered flagstones over track and, ever since, I have confidently walked on the mountain above them with no hint of collapse. (See GR June 2008, “Cascading trees and the rocks that support them.”) Using similar techniques, I solved this problem.
The cantilevered cliff below Tinker’s Knob
8. Stress-test—weight to prove safe positioning 7. Supporting profile boulders
1. Primary flagstone with rebar against front and back, deeply embedded 2. Cliff-face flagstones supported by rebar behind fulcrum rocks
6. Weight boulder behind primary flag
5. Erosion-control boulders stepped for planting 3. Fulcrum flagstones deeply buried
4. Pebbles to indicate fallen rock
Physics test
The illustration of the Watters’ cantilevered cliff explains the elements of construction; it’s an example of the physics principle using a lever and fulcrum. We started with the largest flagstone, modeling Tinker’s Knob (too heavy to lift). Don and I had to “walk” (inch by inch) that first huge stone into a little trench. Remember the telephone pole that needs a deep footing? To extend the stone’s footing, I drove 4'-long, 1/2" rebars (reinforcing steel bars) over 2' down on both sides of that primary leaning rock and in front of the other flagstones. Loctite’s PL Premium Polyurethane Construction Adhesive keeps the bars in contact with the supporting fulcrum rocks, then stone chips hide the glue. Heavy, unseen boulders also weigh down both sides of the bottom of the flagstone, deep inside the mountain. The difference between the vertical telephone pole and the cantilevered stones is gravity—the more the top leans (the load) beyond the fulcrum point, the heavier the required base. When done, the stress test (weight on top) decides if the cliff gets an A or an F.
3. BEFORE: Years ago, the author rebuilt the inside-left curve of the tunnel approach, pushing it farther from the track, but the outside curve remained a problem in the old tunnel. A trident maple (Acer buergianum, Zones 5-10) shades the church.
While Nancy Norris is often called the “plant lady,” she also takes on civil engineering assignments, including grading railroads and forming landmasses—large scale, naturally.
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1. Castle Rock and Denver Nº 7 (ex Acoma Central Nº 7), pulls a passenger train past HarJac Nº 3, which is headed up to the high line with a load of construction equipment. In the background is the towering HarJac Mine structure. Wooden walls and ledgerock terrace the slope.
The HarJac Mining Railroad Scratchbuilt structures and realistic rockwork are important parts of this line by Harvey Young | Castle Rock, Colorado | 38
Garden Railways | February 2015
PHOTOS BY ALAN OLSON
2. A short supply train slowly passes the cribbing, which was built in place to fit the terrain. Telegraph poles were placed along the lower line to add more interest to the railway. Trackto-wall groundcover includes creeping thyme on the left and Scotch moss on the right.
The early stages
M
y first memory of a model-train layout was as a young boy on a Christmas Eve in the mid-tolate 1930s, when my father built a magnificent Lionel layout in our front room. About 50 years later, when I saw my first large-scale model railway in the late 1990s, I was reminded of this beautiful childhood railroad and decided that I was going to build my own. Prior to moving to a home in Castle Rock, Colorado, in 2006, we lived in south Denver, where we ran a rudimentary large-scale train on a single, point-topoint track. When we moved to Castle Rock, the property provided me an opportunity to take advantage of its size and build a garden railroad. The theme behind this line was to be mining in the 1930s. My wife Jacke and I appropriately named it the HarJac Mining Railroad.
I felt that I had neither the ability nor the knowledge to build a garden railroad by myself, so I asked several of my gardenrailroad friends who they would suggest to take on the project. Alan Olson’s name kept coming up. With his knowledge and ability, I finally felt like I could make this dream of mine happen. After we surveyed the steeply sloping backyard, we started talking about what I wanted to incorporate and what the style of the railway should be. Alan drew up a modified folded-dog-bone design. I added trackage for industrial sidings as well as the big HarJac mill. We decided on a two tier, two-track system, with the ability to run two separate trains at once on different levels. Flex track was used for the railroad, except inside the storage building and for the sidings along the front of the large mine building. Alan’s plan gave us a starting point. A curving retaining wall was built to match the basic layout of the trackplan. On the low end we designed the wall to be at waist height, which would be great for both working on the railway and watching it in operation. Our original upper patio worked out to be great for viewing the whole railway. The new lower patio, with its curved wall and large waterfall and pond, is surrounded by the railway.
A wide path was put in that wound around the front of the house and down the side, which allowed me to drive my golf cart down to the construction site. My mobility has unfortunately diminished with age, however, so I needed a way to get all of my other equipment down to our garden-railroad platform to work. I hitched a steel trailer to the back of my golf cart, screwed a square plank of wood on top of it, bolted down a saw and sander, and was thus able to take my work station wherever I went. Everything was built on site and each component was measured and tailored specifically to fit the space for which it was designed.
Geology
Geologists like rocks and, since I am a geologist, rocks are naturally one of the most important aspects of our railroad. We tried to find those that were native to the area and that one would actually find along the route of a Colorado mining railroad. We were able to acquire a couple of large rocks that act as focal points on either end of the loop, each weighing well over 1,000 pounds. Our idea was to place each rock as realistically as possible, in a natural position. Often that meant burying rocks halfway or three-quarters below ground in order to have a firm base on which to build surrounding rock walls. www.GardenRailways.com
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Upper patio
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3
Steps down to lower patio
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11
3 12
11
12
3 2
7
2
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The HarJac Mining Garden Railroad
5
1. 2. 3. 4.
10 4 9 1
2 8
7 MARC HOROVITZ
9
Block wall 4 Truss bridge Through truss bridge Engine servicing facilities & handcar shed 5. Retaining wall 6 6. Curved trestle 7. Warehouse 8. Line office 9. Small houses 10. Mill building Lower patio 11. Deck bridge 12. Waterfall
House
1.
5
6
Path to road
The railway at a glance Name: HarJac Mining Railroad Size of Railroad: 35' x 50' Scale: 1:22.5-1:24 Gauge: Nº 1—45mm Era: 1930s Theme: Mining Age: 4 years Motive power: Battery and track power Length of mainline: Two lines totalling 250' Maximum gradient: 4.5% Type of track: LGB and Aristo-Craft Minimum radius: 3' Structures: Mostly scratchbuilt, with some modified kits Control system: Radio control
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Garden Railways | February 2015
There are often times when you can’t get a rock to fit right, so we occasionally brought out a sledge hammer and chisel to force them into the places we thought they needed to be. Mosses and other plants, like thyme, were helpful in masking some of the unavoidable artificiality of the rock placements. As they grow and run over the edges of the stone, they will help blend everything together.
Structures
I enjoy building structures. The large mine building started as a custom-built structure made with 3/4" exterior-grade MDF, with cutouts for a large number of Grandt Line window and door moldings. It was designed to fit snugly over a well
used, 16' long, two track, train-storage building that I bought at a Denver Garden Railway Society swap meet. My son Doug covered the roof areas with #320 wet/dry sandpaper, weathered with chalks. I scratchbuilt or kit-built a plethora of houses, outhouses, storage buildings, barns, telegraph buildings, cribbing, retaining walls, bridges, trestles, freight depots, and a shed with a Hartford Products crane that I built from a kit. A total of six bridges were needed. These include two large truss bridges from BridgeMasters that span the waterfall. The rest of the bridges, including the large curved trestle, two medium-size bridges, and two smaller platform bridges, were built in place by me. All of the wood
3. The northwest end of the HarJac line. The afternoon Castle Rock and Denver passenger train is about to cross a scratchbuilt curved trestle while HarJac Climax Nº 3 approaches the bridge that will take it over the twin falls. A short train of side-dump cars is moving along the busy HarJac Mine complex. An assortment of perennial groundcover displays seasonal color in foliage and flowers.
construction around the railway—including (but not limited to) rock-fitting cribbing, trestle bents, and bridges—was built using 1/2" x 1/2" wood pieces.
Waterfall
When we decided to put in a waterfall, we wanted it to be more than just a “waterfall;” we wanted a water feature that would be a primary focal point of the railroad. We designed it to have a canyon effect, where the water would flow through a gorge-like area created by rock walls on either side, then drop behind the bridges and down into the reservoir. After a false start with a contractor, a friend, Brad Grant, decided that we should rebuild the waterfall to our liking. He tried twice more but it was still not quite right. The third time was the charm, though; instead of having one waterfall, we were able to split the river into two waterfalls—one that fell into the pool from the east and one from the west. It is a beautiful anchor point for the railway.
Plants
It is the plants, flowers, and miscellaneous green landscaping that make the railway a garden railway. My wife, Jacke, and I are not botanists, though often during the construction of the garden we wished we
4. HarJac’s Nº 9, one of the railway’s two Shays, climbs to the mine on a 31/2% grade. The large rock was set in place with a backhoe and helps define the west-side curve of the folded-dogbone track plan. The distant views expand the railway.
were. There is such a wide variety of plants with drastically different features that, at first, it was difficult to decide what we wanted to include. Jacke eventually decided to purchase whatever small plant was on sale or looking pretty. Both perennials and annuals were used, and though Jacke and I don’t recall the names of every plant, their
beauty and grace have certainly added to the garden. The majority of our vegetation was procured from the benches of Lowes, providing us with a relatively inexpensive way to use a variety of different plants. Rarely did we know precisely what we were buying, but things like color, texture, and height were important, as we attempted to cover or emphasize portions www.GardenRailways.com
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5. Jacke’s hard work with the garden has paid off with lots of blooms and healthy groundcovers. The mine building in the background has two through tracks for operation that can also be used for storage. The structure also acts as a view block to hide the wall.
6. Above the engine servicing area and hand-car shed (partially hidden by the vegetation) is some of the rockwork for the waterfall, which was designed and built by Brad Grant. By planting thyme in the cribbing, a confined area with lots of action also gets some landscaping.
of the track or surrounding stone. Thyme is a chief component in our garden and it has thrived because the base we built the railway on was porous. Water did not pool, but drained, so many plants that would not normally have been able to grow in the direct sunlight of our Colorado Zone 3 weather actually thrived. Included among the various types of thyme (woolly, creeping, etc.) were stonecrop, veronicas, artemisia, and mosses (both Irish and Scotch). Ice plants in three different colors, creeping gold buttons, blue star creeper, and white candytuft helped to enhance the greenery of the boxwoods, dwarf Alberta spruces, and miniature cedars, the majority of which have been heavily pruned so as to not look like small bushes. We are fortunate they survive the winters—the mosses and woolly thyme are especially full in springtime and spread beautifully across the rocks and underneath the track.
Trains
7. Nº 7 drops down the 4% grade from the upper-falls crossing. Locomotive Nº 3 has just cleared the high point of the railroad and will now make the long trip back to the mine. Once again, thyme and sedum rescue slopes from erosion.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
Our engines are all from Bachmann and include two Shays, a Climax, a 2-8-0, and an 0-4-0. All but the 0-4-0 are battery powered with AirWire control. The 0-4-0 is track powered and operates with an Aristo-Craft shuttle control, pulling/ pushing a train of four-wheel cars. Phoenix Sound cards are used in each engine. All rolling stock and locomotives have been weathered by Alan Olson to resemble well-used but well-kept equipment.
8. A work train is passed by a train on the lower level, which is carrying ore from the mine. Draped over rocks, the woolly thyme suggests the railway has been in place for a very a long time. Some of the hand picked, moss-covered rocks used to make the rock wall that supports the upper roadbed can be seen.
Plants on the HarJac Mining Railroad Castle Rock, Colorado | Zone 5 ANNUALS Plume cockscomb
Celosia sp.
Miniature chrysanthemums
Chrysanthemum sp. Creeping gold buttons
CONIFERS Dwarf Alberta spruce
Picea glauca ‘Conica’
Cotula ‘Tiffindell Gold’ Dianthus, pinks
Dianthus sp.
Sea Foam green carpet GROUNDCOVER Greek yarrow
Herniaria glabra ‘Sea Foam’
Dusseldorf Pride sea pink
Golden Hop Vine (on waterfall rocks)
Achillea ageratifolia Armeria maritima ‘Dusseldorf Pride’ Silver mound, wormwood
Artemisia schmidtiana ‘Silver Mound’ Miniature daisies
Bellium minutum Snow-in-summer
Cerastium tomentosum
Humulus lupulus ‘Aureus’
Plumbago
Plumbago auriculata Bloodwort
Rumex sanguineus Irish moss
Sagina subulata Scotch moss
Sagina subulata ‘Aurea’ Soapwort
Saponaria officinalis Sedum sp.
Angelina sedum
Ibiris sempervirens var.
Sedum rupestre ‘Angelina’
Ice plant
Creeping thyme
Blue star creeper
Pink creeping thyme
Silver edged horehound
Pink Chintz creeping thyme
Laurentia fluviatilis Marrubium rotundifolium
Thymus pseudolanuginosus Elfin thyme
Thymus serpyllum ‘Elfin’ Veronica, speedwell
Veronica sp. Periwinkle
Vinca minor Low growing cactus
Stonecrop
White candytuft
Lampranthus sp.
Woolly thyme
Thymus sp.
Thymus praecox
TREES AND SHRUBS Boxwood
Buxus sp.
WATER PLANT Corkscrew rush
Juncus effusus ‘Spiralis’
Thymus praecox ‘Pink Chintz’
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9. The dry-stacked rock wall lines a cut that allows the lower line to continue to the mine. The custom-fit cribbing that is used for the bridge abutments fits snugly against the rocks. Far left, a cluster of orange plume cockscomb brightens the scene.
Equipment was lettered for HarJac Mining, complete with HarJac heralds. Alan also heavily modified the rolling stock by adding loads, lots of extra details, figures, Kadee couplers, and metal wheels. Gondolas and hopper cars have loads of coal, ore, or rock. Flatcars carry such loads as an oil truck, a bulldozer, a backhoe, lumber, steel trusses, and other items needed for mining. Also included in the roster is a five-car work train, a boxcar carrying dynamite, and a cattle car. There is a three-car passenger train that has usage rights on the HarJac. Since we are situated between Castle Rock and Denver, they are lettered for the Castle Rock and Denver Railroad. All of the custom decals came from Stan Cedarleaf.
A project that never ends
While a good garden railway starts with a budget, a great garden railway almost always starts with a budget that eventually fails. I have found that next to nothing works out as you thought it would the first time you try it, and only through trial and error are you able to finally build it the way you originally saw it in your head. There is always something to add, polish, build, rebuild, plant, replant, paint, or repaint in your garden railroad that you are certain will make it better. As you look at other people’s railways, you realize that not one is any better than another. The ingenuity of garden railroaders is astounding, and the hundreds of hours of labor that go into their construction is even more impressive.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
10. The east peninsula, with the stairway down from the upper deck on the right. On the left is the lower patio.
About the author My wife Jacke and I were born and raised in Kentucky. We met in high school and, immediately after our college graduation in the 50s, we married and I went to Europe as a 2nd Lieutenant in the Army. Although many in Jacke’s family were employed by the L&N Railroad, railroading was not even close to Jacke, Harvey, and Karen my degree in geology. After my Army service, we began life in the oil-and-gas business. I started a small consulting company and we moved to many places. We were blessed with seven wonderful children. With the children gradually leaving the nest, I needed a hobby. Remembering how I loved the train around the Christmas tree when I was young, I decided to have a garden railroad. Little did I know that railroading was a continual adding, building, improving, and changing affair.
Thanks to . . .
During the entirety of the HarJac Mining railway operation, my family has been instrumental in supporting the effort. My wife Jacke was invaluable, both on the gardening side and in her indefatigable moral support. Our daughters, Karen Sims and Cynthia Lantz, also help by preparing for open house events. They spend hours carefully and artfully placing the huge number of human and animal figures and structures around the railway. Garden railroading has not just been a hobby of mine, but it has also been a way in which our family has grown closer. Much to the dismay of many of them I am sure, I often need assistance in some manner or another on the garden railroad. In addition to family members, Sean Weidman was most helpful in building bridges, structures, cribbing, etc. during
his summer breaks while in high school and college. Several members of the Denver Garden Railway Society help maintain and prepare the railway for tour groups. They also help operate the railway during these sessions, while Jacke and I answer questions from visitors. These include Rae Ann and Bransford Banks, Kelvin Harr, Sean Arnett, Charles McMillian, Alan Olson, and others. Without the many people helping out during HarJac’s construction, nothing would ever be finished. In many ways my backyard railway is not even my backyard railway. It belongs equally to everyone involved. We really enjoy having the railway open for the annual DGRS tours and for our family, friends and neighbors to come and see it in operation.
AL R AYS I EC FO ILW P S ER A RS R E F OF DEN RIB R SC A G UB S
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ADVANCED PROJECT
Using a variety of techniques, including old, tried-and-true methods and new, high-tech processes, the author has created an excellent model of an EMD GP18 by adding and changing details.
Basic diesel detailing in 1:29 scale Part 2: Small changes bring your diesel locomotives to life
by Gavin Smart | Kilmore, Scotland |
H
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
aving completed adding detail to the trucks and pilots, which I discussed in the December issue of GR, the next stage is to begin work on the locomotive body. The amount of detail required can vary widely, depending on the type of prototype that you are following. I often begin with some of the larger and more time-consuming duties that involve cutting, filling, or sanding so that I don’t damage any smaller details I may add as I progress. It might be a good idea at this point to completely strip the locomotive before you begin, if you intend to repaint the whole model. This can be done by soaking the body overnight in isopropyl
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Garden Railways | February 2015
alcohol (around 99%). For my N&W prototype, I intended to redo all the lettering and graphics later on, so I began with a gentle application of T-Cut vehicle wax and polish (an automotive rubbing compound), using a cotton bud, which allowed me to carefully remove the factory-applied lettering without damaging the color beneath. On my particular prototype, the carbody louvers were correct for a GP7 but would need quite a bit of work to match a later EMD GP prototype, such as the GP18. I very gently cut off the existing louvers on the side of the body and on the battery boxes beneath the cab that I didn’t need, using a fine-toothed razor saw. I
7. Old louvers were carefully removed from the car body and new ones installed.
filed and sanded these areas smooth until I achieved a nice, even finish. I then marked out the locations for all of the new louvers, spaced at 1mm intervals. I drew a rough grid on the locomotive body to clearly outline where they would need to
8. The process of making and adding louvers was tedious and time consuming. Only a few were done at a time.
go and to help me visualize the end result. I then cut the appropriate pieces out of 1mm (1/32") quarter-round styrene: 12mm (1/2") lengths for the main louvers on the body, and 6mm (1/4") pieces for the smaller louvers beneath the cab. I gently rounded the edges of each piece with a needle file and began gluing these in place with CA, applied with a cocktail stick. I must stress that this is a very time-consuming process so please feel free to take your time here! I often did just a few at a time whenever I had a spare moment, so that the job didn’t feel too overwhelming. This also had the added benefit of allowing my existing work to dry before I moved on, avoiding any accidental damage due to handling while the glue was setting. Once the glue had properly dried, the ends of each group of louvers were filed to ensure they all had a uniform size and profile. Again, patience is the key here, and taking a little extra time will pay off in the end (photos 7 and 8). The other main modification to the body of the GP18 was the addition of a pair of 48" cap-top cooling fans. The existing GP7 model has four 33" fans, which are correct, but EMD changed over to a pair of larger fans beginning with late-model GP9s and beyond. I used two 48" fans that come as part of the GP9 dynamic-brake-blister section, which I was able to source as spare parts from the kind and helpful folks at Charles Ro. Using an Olfa compass cutter, I cut out four pieces of thick styrene to fill in the holes left by the existing 33" fans, securing them with a two-part epoxy. I wanted a strong bond, as I was concerned that these would come loose when I came to drill the holes for the new larger fans.
9. Old fans were removed and new ones installed. Lost rivet detail was replaced, seen in this photo as small orange dots.
10. A “firecracker” antenna was installed atop the cab roof.
11. The air horn was replaced by a rear-facing horn, more prototypically positioned.
12. The large, oscillating headlight was 3D-printed from the author’s drawing.
Once the glue had fully cured, I carefully measured the position for the new fans and cut out the holes using a largediameter drill bit. The new fans were installed with epoxy; any uneven surfaces were filled with putty and sanded until smooth. I sprayed a little primer over the area to highlight any imperfections. These were filled and sanded again until the
13. Additional pipes, like these added to the underside of the engine, were made from brass wire.
Shapeways parts All of the detail parts that the author produced for this project from 3D drawings will be available through his page on the Shapeways website: www.shapeways.com/shops/ largescaledetails
www.GardenRailways.com
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14. New piping was held in place with tiny wire clips. The author added only what would be normally visible.
15. Brass wire and styrene strips were used to make side intake grills.
17. When finished, the locomotive was relettered and weathered.
joints became invisible. During the sanding, I lost some of the existing rivet detail, so those rivets were replaced with 0.03" Titchy Train rivets, drilled with a 0.5mm bit and glued in place with CA (photo 9).
The roof and cab
Other key places that can often benefit from detailing work are the roof and cab areas of the engine. New aftermarket details, such as air horns and radio antennas, can make a real difference to look of the locomotive. For this particular engine I was able to source a firecracker antenna as another spare part from Charles Ro (photo 10), with a small collar of styrene tubing added where it meets the cab roof. The rear-facing air horn was relocated closer to the exhaust stacks, as per the prototype (photo 11). Spark arrestors were designed using SketchUp to generate a 3D rendering, which was again printed by Shapeways to produce a ready-to-use detail part. The tops of Titchy Train rivets were added to these to complete the detail. Many prototype US railroads added a variety of different oscillating lights, such as Mars and Gyralights, to their engines to increase visibility and help improve safety for locomotive crews. I was able to find some old Pyle National blueprints on the internet and generate an accurate
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Garden Railways | February 2015
rendering of a Pyle National #20585 Gyralight, which I then scaled down to 1:29 to have 3D printed (figure 1). The N&W used a similar style of light from the Mars Signal Light Co., but the parts are close enough to use. I had fabricated these types of parts myself in the past but 3D printing has allowed me to achieve a far finer level of detail, with the ability to recreate the hinges and catches around the body of the light unit (photo 12). The main headlights were sourced from Ozark Miniatures—their “Two Bulb Vertical Mars Light”—and were trimmed to better represent the more square profile of the prototype. I used 5mm warm-white LEDs inside all the lights, and was able to utilise the Gyralight function of the NCE808 DCC chip, which I had already installed in the locomotive, to recreate the appropriate lighting effect.
Fuel tanks and air reservoirs
Other areas on this particular locomotive that were improved include the fuel tanks and air reservoirs, where I added a little more piping with brass wire, trying to focus on what could only realistically be visible. This can be seen in photos 13 and 14, where 2mm wire was used as the main pieces of piping; small retaining clamps were made using 0.5mm wire to hold these in place.
16. Extraneous vents were removed and the areas they occupied filled and smoothed. Rivets were then replaced.
Figure 1. SketchUp was used to create drawings for 3D printing. This is the Gyralight.
Side intake grills were also upgraded with some styrene strip and lengths of 0.5mm wire, to recreate the ones EMD used on the GP18 (photo 15). The extra vents on top of the short hood were also removed and filled, as per the prototype, and, as mentioned previously, I replaced the rivet detail with new 0.03" Titchy Train rivets, which were drilled and glued into their old positions (photo 16). To finish this locomotive off, I had excellent Norfolk & Western decals custom made by Stan Cedarleaf. Once the varnish had dried, the locomotive was weathered as per the prototype using Bragdon Weathering System chalks and rubbing alcohol (70%) (photo 17). I must note here that I had some issues in the past when using alcohol washes alongside Testor’s Dullcote lacquer, so this time I decided to use both gloss and matte varnish from Revell, which were available at my local hobby shop. Both of these worked well, with no ill effects, and I would strongly recommend these in the future for this type of project. I hope these techniques can provide inspiration for your projects, and I wish you all the best in your future endeavours! If you have any questions, feel free to contact me at
[email protected], or look up our railroad on Facebook at: www. facebook.com/somervillerailway
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The Wickham Park Garden Railroad A railway for all ages and abilities by Chuck Oakes | South Windsor, Connecticut |
L
ike many other children, I grew up in a household with miniature trains. In our case, they were in the basement and, of course, around the Christmas tree. We started with HO and evolved into American Flyer. This was the story for the first 16 years of my life. Once we moved to Connecticut, things changed—we had more space. Again, we starting with an HO layout in the basement, but we soon got into large-scale outdoors.
West Hartford, Connecticut, and the Acorn Short Line Our West Hartford home was an ideal place to grow up. It was on a lake and there was plenty of skating, boating,
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Garden Railways | February 2015
PHOTOS BY SHERRY PETERS
swimming, and, soon, garden railroading. Next to a goldfish pond was a brick patio where my family enjoyed many good conversations while listening to the soothing waterfall and fountains. This was a calming sanctuary for reflection and peace. After returning home from a trip to the southwest, where I was taking pictures of ghost towns of the West, I suggested to my Dad that we build a miniature wooden replica of a particularly interesting building circa 1880. We had a complete woodshop in the basement, so we eagerly began a journey, designing and subsequently constructing a 1/2"-scale model of a saloon, fondly known as Oakes Tavern. This structure began as a simple birdhouse design for the garden but, as Dad and I
embellished it to include curtains blowing from the windows, Mom said “no way” to birds using it! Friends of ours then suggested large-scale railroading as a way to get the “people” to this garden saloon. The concept of the Acorn Short Line Railroad was born. Many backyard railroads begin by clearing the land and starting with a blank canvas. This was not the case for us. We began with an existing bed of pachysandra, with spruce trees interspersed. The only requirement was that the railroad be discreet, so that it could not be viewed from a distance of more than 10 feet. We wanted a garden with a railroad, not a railroad in a garden. The garden setting was a priority.
The author’s original Acorn Short Line. The railway was designed to be almost invisible until you were very close to it.
The railway at a glance
A mixed train makes its way through the wooded mountain pass on the Wickham Park Garden Railroad. Dwarf Alberta spruce trees make up the woods.
Raised railroad bed
For us to capture the desired effect, we elevated the track when it went through the dense pachysandra but kept it 3" below the canopy of the foliage to create the subtleness of the railroad. Hence, the railroad was only visible when trains were on the track; otherwise, it could not be seen. To protect the trains and track from the invasive and aggressive plants, the “spine” of the track support included a collar of garden mesh (normally used to keep out weeds from a garden) on some kind of framework. We experimented with different types of mesh but the weedbarrier type worked well overall. To maintain a natural look to this railroad, we chose to minimize pruning and
Name: Wickham Park Garden Railroad (WPGRR) Size of railroad: 15' x 20' Scale: 1:29 Gauge: Nº 1 Era: 1950s for the most part Theme: Steam engines, countryside Age: 4 years Motive power: Track power Rolling stock & engines: AristoCraft, LGB, and USA Trains
cutting of the plants, but elected to “redirect” the foliage over and away from track and trains when possible. We fondly refer to this approach as a garden application of tai chi. To facilitate this commitment, we built barriers and “ivy arbors.” These wooden structures fit nicely into the overall design of the railroad and garden and they did the intended job. Ivy arbors are similar in construction to a covered bridge, in that they are not entirely closed, allowing rain and air to circulate. Again, our intent was to preserve and protect both the trains and the foliage. Many of us are familiar with the railroads at Disney World and Disneyland. Having lived in California as a child for three years, I was well-acquainted with
Length of mainline: 84' Maximum gradient: 4% (approx.) Type of track: LGB and Aristo-Craft Minimum radius: 4' Structures: Water tower, station, out building, arbor, trestle, and other occasional buildings brought out on weekends Control system: Aristo-Craft Revolution
Disneyland’s trains. One of the many techniques used at these theme parks is to condense and concentrate many visual effects within a small space. For instance, our railroad was small but we made it interesting by separating the tracks with visual barriers—shrubs, trees, etc. A lot can be put into a small space if one uses visual “interruptions.”
Dad’s passing and Wickham Park
During my role as primary caregiver for our folks for about eight years, I tried to enhance the property and home to be safe, secure, and positive for their benefit. They enjoyed the goldfish-pond area as long as they lived. Since Mom’s eyesight www.GardenRailways.com
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Youthful visitors enjoy the railroad in front of the One Track Mine on the WPGRR. Daylilies (right front) edge the railway.
The sound tower. Pressing the button allows visitors to hear mine and train sounds in front of the One Track Mine. Various stonecrop plants cover the ground.
Plants on the Wickham Park Garden Railroad South Windsor, Connecticut | USDA Hardiness Zone 6 CONIFERS Dwarf Alberta spruce
Picea glauca ‘Conica’
SHRUBS Knock Out Rose
Rosa ‘Radrazz’ Hydrangea
Viburnum
Viburnum sp. Variegated weigela
Weigela florida ‘Variegata’ Heptacodium miconioides
Beautyberry
Callicarpa sp. was diminishing, special care was taken to support her with visual enjoyment as much as possible. For example, the few buildings on the railroad (whose roofs peeked out above the foliage) were painted silver or bright yellow. The coaches on the train were also yellow with silver roofs for visibility. As Mom declined, she could still see the colors of the trains from her bedroom window. When Dad unexpectedly passed away, Mom mentioned that she wanted to share the railroad with other people. So, when she passed away in 2009, we moved the railroad, rolling stock, track and buildings to Wickham Park in Manchester, Connecticut, into their newly constructed Sensory Garden. A sensory garden is the cutting edge of landscaping, in that it emphasizes the senses through various Garden Railways | February 2015
Cercis canadensis Crabapple
Malus sp.
Seven-son flower
Hydrangea sp.
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TREES Eastern redbud
GROUNDCOVER Stonecrop
Sedum sp.
And a variety of perennials and annuals
plants, etc., usually in modules or sections of the garden. This privately-owned public park was a former estate of the Wickham family around the turn of the last century. The park has fabulous gardens, pergolas, and related structures that create a wonderful place for corporate and family outings and, in the case of the Sensory Garden, solitude and solace (with a railroad!).
Ways to create a railroad for all ages and abilities
In our efforts to create a sensory-soothing and supportive railroad at home for the enjoyment of my folks, we focused on their abilities and preferences and created structures accordingly. Colors and sounds were the obvious elements to integrate into the railway.
Wickham Park was receptive and supportive of the addition of our railroad in the center of their new Sensory Garden, in that the trains touched on many of our senses, as I explained to them with video clips and issues of Garden Railways. This transition provided a perfect opportunity to embellish and enhance the purpose and concept of a multi-sensory railroad for all abilities that we began with our family railroad. Key elements of this new garden railroad include: • Wheelchair accessibility throughout the gated garden, with a special viewing area for the railroad • The viewing area is at wheelchair height, or kids’ level, depending upon perspective • The railroad is larger than our family railroad, enabling the creation of a more effective audible picture of the train traveling around the line • The Ivy Arbor from our house is now used at the park for the same intended purpose—to protect and preserve trains and foliage while minimizing cutting and pruning • A four-foot tunnel adds intrigue and another audio interruption—it sounds different than other structures on the line • Similar to the Ivy Arbor, a snow tunnel not only protects and preserves, but also sounds different than the other tunnel or arbor because of its unique construction (it’s not entirely closed in, like a tunnel, but not as open as the arbor) I explained to the park supervisor that we needed a water feature in the railroad to entertain and stimulate visitors, especially since the trains only run on weekends during the operating season. Be– cause of the “ability sensitive” nature of our railroad, the water feature needed to
be near the visitors without being vulnerable to “inquiring” little hands. The park team surprised me one day and said they built a feature but I would not like it. I said that I was receptive and would consider any reasonable attempt. Upon inspection, though, they were right. “We can do better,” was my reaction. After several discussions and designs, we settled on a “washed-out mine,” with water gushing from the mine shaft and plummeting down a series of flumes. This was inspired by a trip to the logging railroads in California, where flumes were often used when railroads were impractical. The mine would be within three feet of the wheel-chair-height visitor’s vantage. From past experience, we learned to place the railroad outside the reach of little hands. To further enhance the effect, we added digital sound at the push of a button on a sound tower so that visitors can hear mine sounds, squealing train brakes, and a mine explosion complete with “fire in the hole.”
A passenger train emerges from the Ivy Arbor. The structure, similar in appearance to a covered bridge, is designed to help integrate the railroad with the garden.
A railroad for all ages and abilities
We are delighted that the railroad is running after four seasons, with a small volunteer team. We are especially proud that bus loads of students with special needs have come to visit the railroad at the park because of its unique features and design. We have had visitors with visual and hearing impairments, as well as cognitive challenges. There is something for everyone in this special railroad. As I see children sitting patiently near the train station, as they await the train (which they can hear in the distance), I can imagine my Mom smiling down at the enjoyment her yellow coaches and rest of the railroad brings to visitors of all ages and abilities. My family remains grateful for this opportunity to bring joy to many visitors of all ages and abilities. We are especially proud of the volunteers and park personnel, who continue to support and maintain this legacy for the enjoyment of all.
The flume at the One Track Mine adds the sound of water to the visitors’ experience. The feature is easily viewed from wheelchairs.
Watch a video See the Wickham Park Garden Railroad on YouTube: https://www.you tube.com/watch?v=EKexFKRwdCg
A snow tunnel on the WPGRR. When a train passes through, this structure produces a different sound than the Ivy Arbor. www.GardenRailways.com
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BEGINNER PROJECT
The author’s indefinable locomotive was concocted from a thrift-store find, PVC pipe, and acrylic sheet.
Fun with I
junk
found a Lionel large-scale North Pole train set at a local thrift shop. I hadn’t realized that Lionel even made an engine and cars in large scale, so I bought the set. This was originally made in the USA in 1989. Fifteen years of hard use later, my purchase did show some issues. There were 11 sections of curved, tubular brass track (I needed 12), three sections of straight track (needed four), the flatcar was missing one truck and the other was broken, the caboose had lost many pieces, and the engine wouldn’t run. Examination of the engine showed that, somehow, the slightly protruding
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Garden Railways | February 2015
A whimsical engine made from acrylic and plumbing parts by Chip Rosenblum | Columbus, Ohio PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
bushes on the motor block that held the carbon brushes against the insides of the wheels for power pickup were pressing so hard that the wheels wouldn’t turn. If I wanted to use track power, I would have trimmed down the protrusions and reinstalled the brushes and springs. Since I do not use track power, I removed the engine block, set the superstructure pieces aside, removed the brushes, springs, and wiring from the pickup brushes to the motor, and trimmed down the bushes. This left the two wires to the motor, which, when tested with a power supply, ran fine on six volts.
I re-greased the plastic worm and spur gears, reassembled the motor block, and it ran very well on a 7.2 volt (six cell) NiMH battery pack with a Tamiya connector. This is the same pack used in R/C cars and the female connector (to attach to the motor wiring) can be purchased, along with the batteries, online or at your local hobby shop. To my eye, the original superstructure was too small, so I decided to pursue building a larger engine with parts and pieces from my workshop. I decided to use both PVC and CPVC plumbing parts, coupled with acrylic-plastic sections. The
The cab was made primarily from acrylic, while the rest of the superstructure was built out of various PVC shapes. The two switches on the side of the boiler control on/off and direction.
issue here is that the classic plastic glues for acrylic will not bond to PVC/CPVC, and the PVC glues will not bond to acrylic, except what is called a “general purpose” PVC glue. Read the contents: along with a landfill-worth of odd, nonbreathable chemicals, it will also contain MEK (methyl ethyl ketone), which will bond to acrylics. So I used plastic glue (Plastruct in this case) to bond the acrylics, and the general-purpose PVC glue for acrylic-to-PVC/CPVC attachments. The only parts from the original locomotive’s superstructure used were the headlight and the smokebox door. I had an odd aluminum shape I used on the backhead as a suggestion of a firebox. I used CA cement to attach this to the acrylic. I found that a 3" pipe cap will slip into a 4" pipe. I cut a section of 4" pipe for the boiler, making it long enough to hold a six-cell battery pack plus the portion of the 3" cap that slipped into it. I cut a 11/2" longitudinal slot in the 4" pipe to fit over the lead weight on top of the motor block, and drilled holes in the side of the pipe for a DPDT switch for reversing and a SPST switch for on/off. After wiring the switches and Tamiya connector to the motor wires, I glued the 4" pipe to the top of the motor block. Before gluing it in place, I tested it on rollers to ensure that it did indeed run on battery power and that my wiring was functional. Then came the “decorating!” The 3" cap was marked with a pencil to indicate where it protruded from the 4" pipe. The cap was not glued in place, allowing a slip fit for battery installations and changes. The mark allowed me to position the reclaimed headlight. Touching the back of
The left side of the engine. Only the headlight and smokebox door were salvaged from the original engine’s superstructure.
The entire smokebox slips off, allowing access to the 7.2V battery pack that powers this manually controlled locomotive.
The rear of the engine. The aluminum piece implies a firebox. Note the coupler—a hardware-store hook.
The finished engine, posing with an LGB Porter to give an idea of scale.
the smokebox door to the end of a belt sander created a curve to sort of fit the door to the cap well enough for gluing. Then it was a matter of cutting and fitting parts and pieces until it looked like I
was done. Yeah, that’s the ticket! And it has a scale (too big!) that is totally pleasing to me. A coat of brown primer, followed by dusting coats of six other flat and texture colors, and it’s ready for the track. www.GardenRailways.com
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ADVANCED PROJECT
To facilitate the transport of their trains from their garage, where they were stored, to the track, the authors devised this system of carts. Trains, vehicles, people, and accessories are both stored and transported in the carts.
Building
carts for trains A creative solution provides convenient storage and easy transport by Noel and Jane Wilson | Rio Linda, California |
O
ur collection of trains grew over the years and we started running out of space to store them. We didn’t want to leave the trains outside and really had no place in the house to put most of them. Looking into our single-car garage (which we couldn’t get a car into anyway), we thought perhaps we could do some shifting around to make room for a train cart that we would build and could bring out when we wanted to run some trains.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
PHOTOS BY NOEL WILSON
We wanted a cart that would not break the trains by shaking them around, so we found a pneumatic-tire steel wagon at Harbor Freight to use as the basis. I think the size was 3' x 5'. It gave a nice, soft ride to our trains and it could go over sidewalks and borders around our yard without bouncing things. We found that one cart was not enough, however, so we built a two-wheel trailer to go behind it (photo 1). They are easy to both pull and back up, due to the wheel setup on the main
cart, and both can be quickly loaded into our pickup truck when we want to take our trains to a friend’s house or to a show.
The main cart
Photo 2 shows the main cart and what is stored in it. It can house 47 freight cars and one caboose. The end cabinet stores miscellaneous show set-up stuff, while the top box holds people and vehicles. To build the first cart, we had to extend the frame of the wagon and
lengthen the axles so the cart would not tip over when we pulled out a couple of the rolling-stock trays. Photo 3 shows the extended frame and the widened-out axle. We made a hitch for the opposite end, to which the trailer attaches. To lengthen the rear axle, we used 1"-square tubing. After cutting the axle in two, we inserted the ends into the square extension and welded them in place. We ended up with a 21"-long axle. We also extended the frame to be around 58" long x 26" wide. The steering mechanism was also modified. It was cut, extended, and reinforced by the addition of a plate between the curved, angled tubes, which has the kingpins for the front axles to turn. The main cart’s box is 58" long x 32" wide x 34" high. There are two slide-out trays. The cart has storage in the bottom, below the trays, and a lift-off top box that locates into the end panels. This keeps the box in place but makes it easy to pull off, if needed. The top box has handles so that two people can carry it. The fixed storage space and the trays that carry the rolling stock and locomotives have wood strips attached to their floors (photo 4). The sideframes of the engines and rolling stock ride on these strips so that the wheels just touch the tray. This keeps the trains from moving around inside the carts.
1. The author’s cart and its trailer, ready to go. Both units can be easily loaded into the back of a pickup truck with ramps.
The trailer
The trailer (photo 5) is 40" long x 32" wide x 34" high. It was built from scratch. It has two slide-out trays as well as bottom and top storage areas (photo 6). This unit can hold six cabooses, 10 freight cars, three
2. The main cart has fixed storage top and bottom, as well as removable trays and additional storage in an end cabinet.
3. The Harbor Freight wagon frame after it was lengthened and widened. Pneumatic tires give the carts a smooth ride.
4 . Wooden strips inside the carts and removable trays support the trains in transit. www.GardenRailways.com
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5. The trailer, ready for transport. The white panel slides off for access to the trains.
6. Two trays slide out of the trailer, with additional storage above and below.
8. A tongue for the trailer was made from square steel tube. This can be retracted for storage.
7. The trailer can hold a surprising amount of rolling stock.
9. An adjustable swivel wheel supports the trailer and allows it to be moved independently of the main cart.
10. The authors’ granddaughter Shelby can easily pull the carts, despite their combined weight of over 400 pounds.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
maintenance-of-way cars, eight diesels, six steam locomotives, and two trolleys (photo 7). A tongue, used to attach the trailer to the main cart (photo 8), was made from 15/8" square tubing that slides in and out of a 2"-square tube welded to the frame—out for attaching to the main cart, in so that the overall length can be reduced for storage. The trailer also has a 4" swivel wheel at one end, welded to a foot-long square tube. This slides in another square tube welded vertically to the frame. We drilled several holes in the sides of the square tubing. This allows us to slide the wheel up, out of the way, then pin it in place with a small bolt. When the trailer is disconnected from the main cart, the wheel is lowered and it supports that end of the trailer (photo 9). When connected, the carts together are around 9'4" long. The two carts, fully loaded, weigh over 400 pounds but are still easy to pull (photo 10). It is easy to return them to the garage, too. After they are backed in, a pin dropped in a hole in the sliding tongue (which holds it in the “out” position) is pulled, the tongue is retracted, then the main cart is pushed against the trailer to shorten it for storage.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
DON PARKER
MINISCAPING
Variety in groundcovers: Part 1
1. The hillside around the Skunk Holler Mine on the author’s Hoot ’n’ Holler Railroad is covered with Turkish veronica, which bursts into bloom every spring. PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
T
he most versatile and widely used plants in garden railroads are groundcovers. This may be because there are many creeping plants that are in scale for our railroads, with low growing, fine foliage. I also think part of the appeal of these plants is their unobtrusive contribution to the scene—they do not hide track, trains, and structures, as trees and taller shrubs might. They are easy to deal with: they can be cut back or dug out to make room for new hardscape or an additional plant, while trees require much more effort to move. Groundcovers grow fairly quickly to fill newly-planted areas or to take the place of plants that have succumbed to the vicissitudes of nature or the whims of the gardener. Nature, for the most part, does not produce landscapes of all the same plant. A variety of species seems to be a given pattern in uncultivated areas of the world around us. The realism of our garden
2. The lighter-blue flowers in the foreground are produced by miniature speedwell (Veronica oltensis), growing shorter than Turkish veronica.
railroads is enhanced, I believe, by replicating this random growth of a variety of groundcovers. That said, there are the exceptional broad fields of wildflowers of the same species that captivate our eye
and fill our nature calendars. The impact of this sameness is part of its appeal, and capturing a little of the effect would add to the charm of a part of the railroad garden. Photo 1 gives the viewer this www.GardenRailways.com
61
MINISCAPING
3. Three different groundcovers flank this bunkhouse on the Hoot ’n’ Holler Railroad: (clockwise from right) wild wood-sorrel (Oxalis sp.) on both sides of the road, germander (Teucrium chamaedrys) with pink flowers, and ice plant (Delosperma nubigeneum ‘Basutoland’ ). Up on the hill, under the tree, are two other groundcovers: moss phlox and rock cress.
4. This woodsy area along the trolley line on Jack and Kathie Griffin’s garden railroad in Cincinnati, Ohio, is covered with dwarf Solomon’s seal.
5. Another patch of dwarf Solomon’s seal occupies this shady site on Allen and Liz Pantle’s garden railroad in Oxford, Ohio.
6. Yellow-flowered corydalis is getting a start on the author’s previous garden railroad.
impression, with a swath of Turkish veronica (Veronica liwanensis, Zones 3-9) in bloom. However, nearby is another variety of veronica, a.k.a speedwell (V. oltensis ‘Tiny Blue’, Zones 4-9), showing the tendency for related plants to intermix (photo 2). If you are replicating farming or commercial plant production in your miniature garden, then monoculture (all the same plants in a given area) would appear appropriate. But in uncultivated, wild areas of your railroad, a variety of groundcovers would be the way to go, as illustrated in photo 3. My theme in this column is based on the saying, “Variety is
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Garden Railways | February 2015
the spice of life.” In this and the next issue I’ll show you a selection of lesser-used groundcovers to enlarge your repertoire of plants from which to choose.
Shade lovers
An unusual and beautiful groundcover for the shade is dwarf Solomon’s seal (Polygonatum humile, Zones 4-9). It grows 6" tall in light-to-full shade and moist, humusy soil. White flowers are produced along the arching stem in mid-spring. Photos 4 and 5 show it in two different garden railroads, growing in the shade. It is not fussy about soil as long as it is not allowed to dry out. Solomon’s seal goes
dormant during the hottest part of the summer unless it is in the shade and kept moist. It spreads fairly quickly and will grow under trees where other groundcovers are loathe to go. Another groundcover that prefers shade is corydalis (Corydalis lutea, Zones 5-7). This ferny-leafed, clump-forming plant grows 1' tall and produces lively yellow flowers from May to September (photo 6). It is a short-lived perennial that will steadily fill in shady spots by selfseeding, making it a good plant to cover areas that may not grow other groundcovers well. Average, well-drained soil suffices in full shade but constant moisture is
needed in partial shade. Still another groundcover suitable for shade is little-leafed winter creeper (Euonymus fortunei ‘Kewensis’, Zones 4-9, photo 7). It grows 3" high and spreads by vines or runners in sun or shade. It will fill open areas rather quickly and, like all winter creepers, can become invasive. In areas where it can be contained, it could provide a green mat of durable foliage, and will tolerate a variety of soil and moisture conditions.
Sun lovers
Creeping baby’s breath (Gypsophila muralis) is an annual plant that would make a colorful groundcover (photo 8). It grows 6-7" tall and produces rose-pink flowers all summer in full sun. Seeds can be started indoors in early spring or can be planted directly outside in the desired location after the last frost date. It requires no significant maintenance and will return the following year by self-seeding. A most unusual plant to carpet the ground is small cranberry, or bog cranberry (Vaccinium oxycoccos, Zones 2-7, photo 9). It prefers a sunny location in the garden with wet to moist, acidic (peaty) soil. It grows as a small, prostrate shrub with vine-like stems, reaching up to 4" tall and trailing up to 3'. The leaves are leathery, about 1/3" long. White or pink flowers appear in early to mid-summer, becoming red berries about 1/2" in diameter in the fall. In good conditions it will spread quickly. I grew this groundcover in my previous garden railroad with moderate success. I placed it in a low spot that was almost constantly moist and amended the soil with sphagnum peat moss. For more ideas to help in your choices of groundcover plants, see the April 2008 GR, “A gallery of useful groundcover plants,” and the June 2012 issue, “Problems with groundcover.”
7. Here is a single planting of little-leafed winter creeper on Pat and Chuck Elsworth’s garden railroad in Cincinnati, Ohio.
8. Creeping baby’s breath is an annual groundcover (the pen leaning on the sign is for scale). PHOTO TAKEN BY THE AUTHOR IN THE CHICAGO BOTANICAL GARDEN
Online extras Subscribers: Find the articles mentioned here in our “Railroad gardening library.” Visit www. GardenRailways.com and click on “Subscriber extras.”
9. This small, or bog, cranberry grows in a sunny, moist spot on Cecile Allynn’s WilloWood Railroad in Cincinnati. www.GardenRailways.com
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Garden Railways | February 2015
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JEFF YOUNG
RAISING STEAM
Trains for live-steam locomotives
A variety of scratchbuilt, kit built, and kitbashed rolling stock make up the train behind the author’s Shawe coal-fired Fowler. PHOTO BY THE AUTHOR
G
etting a small-scale live steamer to move down the track under its own power is a major accomplishment, particularly if you are new to the world of steam. “Engineering experimentation” was the way one model-railway book from a century ago characterized the activity of running model live-steam locomotives. However, a steam locomotive running on the mainline by itself is a fairly rare occurrence in full-size railroading. (One of the few times it would have occurred is when a helper or pusher locomotive had helped to move a train to the top of a grade and was returning to the bottom to wait for another assignment.) One fellow in our local live-steam group is adamant that, when we run our live steamers, they should be hauling a train. He gives anyone who doesn’t have a few cars behind the locomotive a goodnatured ribbing. I agree with his philosophy; after all, isn’t that what they were meant to do? To me, there is a sense of “completeness” when I see a small locomotive hauling an appropriate train. Besides, small-scale live steamers sound better when they have loads behind them,
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Garden Railways | February 2015
producing a more audible “chuff.” It is interesting to note that a number of early tinplate live-steam locomotives did not come equipped with throttle valves. The only way to regulate their speed was to attach a train. The more cars, the slower the locomotive moved. It was the only way to ensure that the locomotive did not run away uncontrollably! In the past, particularly in the world of 1:32 scale, models of passenger locomotives were offered without rolling stock to match. This was unfortunate, as it was rare to see a well-known passenger locomotive without its famous train behind it, be it Southern Pacific’s “Daylight” or London & North Eastern’s “Flying Scotsman.” Fortunately, things are changing as manufacturers realize there is a strong market for rolling stock to accompany 1:32-scale live steamers, especially passenger cars to match specific locomotives. Thirty-odd years ago in the world of 16mm-scale narrow gauge, there was a tendency to purchase our live steamers and scratchbuild rolling stock to go behind. This was done mostly to keep the hobby affordable (as a live-steam locomotive was the single most costly item for a
garden railway). Also, there was little ready-to-run rolling stock to be had. Many modelers realized that they did not possess the skills to scratchbuild a live steamer but could cobble together decent rolling stock quite easily. It was a matter of putting our available hobby budget to the most effective use. One example that sticks in my mind is a small industrial live steamer hauling a credible quarry train made from margarine tubs, effectively painted and weathered. With wheels from the parts bin and homemade couplings, the rolling-stock costs were minimal. The same strategy holds true today if you want a steam locomotive but cannot afford both the engine and the cars to go with it. One thing to keep in mind when scratchbuilding rolling stock for live steam is weight. Very small engines have limited pulling capability. This is particularly true if it is operating on a garden railway with significant grades. I hope this will inspire you to assemble a train for your live steamer to haul. You will derive satisfaction from the sense of the completeness, or at least less ribbing from fellow steamers.
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EVENTS 11-18 January 2015: International Small Scale Steamup, Diamondhead, Mississippi •
[email protected] • www.diamondhead.org 14-15 March, 2015: The Midlands Garden Rail Show, Warwickshire Exhibition Centre, Fosse Way, Nr. Leamington Spa, CV31 1XN, UK • 10 a.m.-4 p.m. • www.largescalemodelrail.co.uk 27-28 March, 2015: East Coast Large Scale Train Show, York Expo Center, York PA • Fri., 9 a.m.-6 p.m.; Sat., 9 a.m.-4 p.m. • www.eclsts.com 23-27 June, 2015: “Cruisin’ to North Conway” Big Train Operator Club convention/2015. North Conway, NH. White Mountain Hotel & Resort. Info: Bob Somogyi • 630-562-5420 •
[email protected] • www.bigtrain operator.com 6-11 July, 2015: National Garden Railway Convention, sponsored by the Devver Garden Railway Society • Crowne Plaza Hotel, Denver CO • Doug Mayes •
[email protected] • www.ngrc2015.com 15-19 July, 2015: National Summer Steamup, Lions Gate Hotel, McClellan (Sacramento), CA • steamup@summer steamup.com • www.summersteamup.com Future Garden Railway Conventions 2016: Bay Area, CA 2017: Tulsa, OK 2018: Atlanta, GA Event notices are published at no charge. Due to space limitations, we will accept, at our discretion, listings that pertain to predominantly garden-railway or small-scale-live-steam events. Listings that reach us before our deadline and fit the space available will be published. Send your listings to Garden Railways, PO Box 460222, Denver CO 80246, or e-mail to mhorovitz@garden railways.com
Model-train events Find model-train events in all scales in our Events database at trains. com. Click on “Coming events” under “Resources.”
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Garden Railways | February 2015
ONLINE STATION
L
VANCE BASS
et’s head out to the backyard and look at some Good Stuff that will advance our railroad-building skills. First, Instructables has a concrete contest every year, and the winners don’t just pour sidewalks or deck footings. They cast some amazing things and each one comes with complete instructions. You can make concrete molds out of Styrofoam, cardboard, sand, or plastic—you’ll be amazed at the variety of techniques. Head over to instructables.com/ contest/concrete2014/ and check out the winners. (Change the “4” to a “3” and you can see last year’s winners, too.) I ran across an article recently that reminded me of a technique Jack Verducci wrote about several years ago (GR, Feb. 1998). Jack used optical illusions—different scales and artificial perspective—to give a yard the appearance of having more space than it really does. This article (tinyurl.com/Shakkei) is about a similar technique, from Japanese gardens called “shakkei,” or borrowed landscape. It involves looking past your property line into the surrounding landscape, natural or created, and deciding where to block a view—say, a neighbor’s shed—with a hedge, and where to incorporate a view of the hills in the distance by making a “window” in your own landscape. It’s an interesting idea and one with some real potential in the railway. On the subject of our non-railroad infrastructure, here’s an article with some great general ideas for making your backyard more interesting. The article doesn’t have detailed instructions but, in most cases, just seeing the results will suggest the methods of achieving them. There’s bound to be at least one that will inspire you (see Nº 20, speaking of space-expanding optical illusions): buzzfeed.com/peggy/ brilliant-outdoor-ideas Now, since you may be up to your elbows in snow when you get this magazine, let me suggest a couple of things you could use to pass the time until the spring thaw. How about building ships in bottles? (youtu.be/sk1IRhmcVR4) Or, better, tiny railroad scenes? (tinyurl.com/ TrainDioramas) Keep a stiff upper lip—spring’s right around the corner! www.GardenRailways.com
69
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Control a servo remotely
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ot long ago, Kadee introduced their remote uncoupling system. This was a self-contained system with a handheld transmitter and an on-board receiver that could control a servo-operated coupler, enabling remote uncoupling. When I wrote that review (see the April 2013 issue), I thought the coolest part of that whole set-up was the servooperated coupler, and I thought it would be great if Kadee could figure out an interface that would allow it to be used with any manufacturer’s control system, not just Kadee’s transmitter. Now they have done that. The Kadee RC Servo Controller is a circuit board designed specifically to allow you to control a single servo motor via a third-party controller, which could be DCC, any manufacturer’s battery/ track-powered R/C (Airwire, Revolution, RCS, etc.), or even something as simple
VITAL STATISTICS Remote servo control Kadee Quality Products 673 Avenue C White City OR 97503 Price: $49.99 Website: www.kadee.com Circuit board providing electronic control for servo motor; for use with Kadee remote uncouplers, signals, or other automated accessories
72
Garden Railways | February 2015
as an external pushbutton. Any control system that has a function output that could be used to trigger lights, sounds, or smoke can also be used to trigger a servo motor via this control board. The board itself is small—about 3/4" x 2". There’s a seven-wire harness on one side for connecting to power, control, and lights, and a three-pin connector onto which the servo motor on the opposite side is connected. There are also two small pushbuttons used for programming the controller. The board also contains two small relays (250mA maximum current) to drive indicator lights. Under the board’s default “power save” mode, which cuts power to the servo once it’s finished traveling, the lights will only come on momentarily (to conserve battery power for R/C battery users). If you want the lights to remain on full time—such as for signals or other indicators—you have to turn off the power-save mode. The board has two modes: “standard” and “motor.” The “standard” mode is for controlling traditional servo motors that move back and forth, such as those found on Kadee’s remote uncoupler or perhaps a servo motor moving a semaphore signal,
PROS and CONS PROS: Simple installation, easy to program CONS: 12V maximum voltage is below that of many R/C or DCC systems, which may require additional voltage-regulation circuitry for proper operation
switch throw, or some other servo-controlled device. The travel of the servo can be programmed via the two pushbuttons, so you can set the “start” and “end” positions. With the “standard” control, the servo stays in one position unless the trigger is activated. The servo will then move to the other position. If the trigger is held, the servo stays in the other position; it returns to the original position upon release of the trigger. In “motor” mode, the servo controller will drive a “continuous rotation” servo motor. This is a servo that, as its name implies, rotates continuously in one direction or the other. In this mode, the trigger changes the direction of rotation of the motor. Power to the motor must be controlled via a separate switch. (This could be a separate function output of a control board; for instance, the “F3” key would turn the motor on and off, while the “F4” key would reverse the direction.) The speed of the motor is programmable, but it will always run at that programmed constant speed. There is no means of remotely adjusting the speed of the motor on the fly. All of the modes of operation, as well as wiring diagrams, are included on the instruction sheet. They are fairly easy to follow—the hardest thing is remembering which of the two buttons is “clockwise” versus “counter-clockwise.” The board will operate on a range of 6-12V. Unfortunately, most DCC and R/C installations use battery or track voltages in excess of 12V so, if you’re going to power the board directly from the track or battery voltage, you’ll need to use a 12V voltage regulator to feed power to the board. Also, the power inputs are polarity sensitive; if you’re using track power or DCC, you’ll need a bridge rectifier to protect the inputs from reverse polarity. I was able to successfully test the board hooked directly to my 14.8V Li-Ion batteries, so it can at least tolerate slightly higher voltages. If I were to do a permanent installation, I would include a voltage regulator. I first tested the board using a 9V battery as a power supply and Kadee’s uncoupling servo as the output device. When wired as per the instructions, the board worked well. When I connected the two
wires for the coupler trigger, the servo moved the coupler into the “open” position until I disconnected the trigger. Then the servo returned the coupler to the “closed” position. If the trigger is pressed momentarily, the coupler will open all the way, then return to the closed position. Next, I installed the board into two of my existing locomotives, one operated by an Airwire receiver, the other by Crest’s “Revolution” receiver. The instructions suggest three different ways of connecting the Kadee control board to these other controllers; what works best will depend on the particular controller you’re using. I tried “option 1,” which was the direct-wire method. It didn’t work with either of my two systems. Option 3 looked promising because, while it did require some additional electronics, these consisted of a transistor and resistor—both small components. Unfortunately, for this method to work properly, you’ve got to know how (electronically) the function outputs on your particular board are wired and how they work. This is not something the average modeler is likely to know. I ended up at Option 2, which uses a simple (external) relay to close the trigger. The output of the controller energizes the coil of a relay, as it would a light or smoke unit. The two trigger wires get connected to the “normally open” output of the relay, so when the coil is energized, it closes the relay and moves the servo. This worked well. I used the smoke-unit connection on the Airwire board, though one of the lighting-effect connections would work just as well. On the Revolution, I used the smoke/light accessory board that comes with each receiver as the interface between the controller and servo-control board. The installations on both systems worked smoothly and as advertised. Overall, I found this control board to be straightforward and easy to use. While I do wish the voltage range was a little higher so that users wouldn’t need to use a voltage regulator in conjunction with this board, you’re likely going to have to wire in some additional electronics (relays or transistors and resistors) anyway, so adding one more component into the mix is hardly going to cause any gray hairs. —K. Strong
Versatile wordworking tool
P
roxxon, whose tools have been reviewed in these pages before (Feb. 2014, Oct. 2013, Oct. 2003, and Oct. 2002), offers a miniature bandsaw that could be of great value to modelers. For the uninitiated, a bandsaw has a long, thin blade that rides on (in this case) a pair of large wheels spinning on a rigid frame. The blade is arranged so that it cuts vertically, moving from top to bottom through the work. Most of the blade is concealed within the body of the saw for safety—only a small part of the blade is exposed. The maximum length of the exposed blade is the limiting factor in the
VITAL STATISTICS Miniature bandsaw Proxxon Prox-Tech Inc. 2555 Tate Blvd. SE PO Box 1909 Hickory NC 28603 Price: $450 Website: www.proxxon.com Miniature bandsaw (#MBS/E); includes bandsaw, one blade, work table, vacuum attachment, miter gauge, push stick, Allen wrenches, and manual; cast-aluminum frame; plastic cover; variable-speed motor; on-off switch; various types of blades available (not included). Dimensions: height, 181/2"; width, 151/2"; depth (including motor), 81/2"
thickness of the work that may be sawn. In the case of the Proxxon saw, this dimension is around 31/4" from the top of the table to the bottom of the blade guide. The “size” of a bandsaw is usually determined by the throat distance, or the distance from the blade to the frame to its left, which determines how wide a piece may be put through the saw. The Proxxon machine is approximately a 6" saw. A small amount of assembly is required, mostly that of mounting the table (which is packed separately) to the saw. (Note that, with the table in place, the saw cannot be returned to its box.) This is simply screwed on with a knob. There is a tilt gauge in the back of the saw, which is a little difficult to see, that will give a rough idea of the angle of the table to the blade. However, for a more accurate setting, it would probably be best to measure the angle from the top of the table with a protractor or other tool. A machinist’s square would be also handy for
PROS and CONS PROS: Compact design; heavy construction; precision engineered; easy to use; will cut a wide variety of different materials (depending on blade); variable-speed motor; tilting work table; has the same functions as larger bandsaws CONS: Work-table angle gauge somewhat obscured by adjusting knob; miter gauge runs stiffly in slot
www.GardenRailways.com
73
PRODUCT REVIEWS setting the saw up squarely. The work table itself is an aluminum casting with a T-slot in it for the miter gauge. On our review sample, the gauge slid stiffly in the slot (see below). The bandsaw comes with one blade, which is a multi-purpose blade, 13/16" wide by 1/64" thick, that has 14 teeth per inch. A variety of different blades are available for separate purchase. These include a narrow blade for tight curves, blades for cutting steel and non-ferrous metals, and even a diamond blade for cutting glass, steel, and ceramics. To change the blade, the front, plastic panel must be removed. This is simply done by unscrewing four Allen-head screws in the panel with the provided wrench. The screws are captive in the front panel, so they will not fall out and get lost. The blade is then loosened via the tensioning knobs on top and back of the unit. The old blade is removed and the new one installed in its place, then the knobs are used to tension and lock the new blade. The owner’s manual includes notes on proper tensioning, which is different for each of the different blades. The blade guide is adjustable up and down using a knob on the back of the saw, and should always be lowered to a point just above the work being cut so the blade is properly supported. The saw is powered by a 1/8hp motor that drives the mechanism through a toothed belt. An electronic speed controller on the face of the machine provides blade speeds from 390 to 802 feet per minute. Also, on the face of the machine is a guide suggesting appropriate speeds for a variety of different materials. This bandsaw functions in the same way as any full-size saw. Its beauty is in the fact that it is small, making it ideal for use in small, indoor spaces. It weighs only around 14 pounds, so could be considered portable. However, it will perform better if mounted rigidly to a benchtop. Four screws are provided for this purpose. The machine itself makes some noise but is not overly loud. However, some of the sawing operations can generate a lot of noise, so a good set of ear protectors would be a good idea. There’s a fitting in the back for a vacuum hookup and a rub-
74
Garden Railways | February 2015
ber adaptor is also provided. If your vacuum still won’t fit, a little appropriately applied duct tape will usually solve that problem. The use of a vacuum is highly recommended; otherwise the body of the machine could fill with sawdust. The drive belt and toothed wheel inside are not protected, so a vacuum will remove much of that hazard. I tested the machine in a variety of different ways, first using the blade provided, then with others. It cut through sheet metal (brass, steel, and aluminum) up to 1/16" thick with no problem. It cut soft and hard woods up to an inch thick quite easily, too, although the thicker hardwoods did tend to lug down the motor. The blade was narrow enough to cut surprisingly tight-radius curves in whatever material I tried. On softer wood and plastics, the blade left burrs on the back side that had to be sanded off. The company’s fine blade (#28 174, 24 tpi, $27.50) does better, even though its suggested use is for steel and brass. When using the miter gauge, I found that it slid easily in its T-slot when it was not tightened. However, when it was tightened, the plastic gauge body was squeezed a little against the table, making the action much less smooth. I found that disassembling the gauge and sanding the bottom of the plastic part just a little solved the problem. Once that was done, the miter gauge worked fine. Clamping a stop to the table made identical repetitive cuts easy. One thing I wondered was whether this tool could be used for resawing—that is, sawing a board into multiple thinner boards of the same width. I found that it is not only possible, but is relatively easy. On my large table saw I cut a board around 3" wide and an inch or so thick. I then clamped a backstop onto the bandsaw’s table to the left of the blade to sup-
Online extras For subscribers: Read reviews of more Proxxon tools. Visit www. GardenRailways.com and click on “Product reviews“ under “News & products.”
port the board being cut. I positioned this around 3/32" away from the blade. Ensuring that both the blade and the backstop were perfectly square to the table, I gave it a go. I found that I had to feed the wood very slowly through the blade but, with care, excellent repeatable results are certainly possible. If you are already a miniature woodworker or are setting up a shop for this kind of work, Proxxon’s miniature bandsaw would be a valuable addition to your workshop. It is well thought out, beautifully made, a joy to use, and designed for the long run. —M. Horovitz
COMING IN THE
Next issue
Richard Nelson’s railway features lots of scratchbuilt structures Build a simple industrial water tank Train detection for signal control
ON SALE March 10
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Online extras How-to extras on using concrete
For registered users: Find two how-to articles to accompany the regional reports in “Greening your railway.” Search for “mortar mountain” and “concrete roadbed” in the search box. ROBIN PATTERSON
More on groundcovers
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FREE e-mail newsletters For subscribers: Find two more articles on using groundcovers, “A gallery of useful groundcover plants” and ”Problems with groundcover.” Click on “Railroad gardening library” under “Subscriber extras” and search by keyword.
Updates to DCC series Mark and Vince Buccini’s articles titled “Build your own wireless DCC system” (April, June, and August 2014 issues) is the most-talked about series we’ve done in years, but it’s also had the most questions. We’re providing the complete set of articles, along with a correction and additions free for our readers (in PDF format). Type “Build your own wireless DCC system” in the search box.
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Find a directory of gardenrailway societies on our website under “For beginners.” Those without Internet access may call our editorial office at 262-796-8776 for assistance.
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75
PRODUCT REVIEWS
Beautiful engines
T
he Art of the Locomotive is a different sort of train book than any I have seen before. As the title suggests, it approaches locomotives as art objects as well as mechanical marvels, historical pieces, and fine examples of industrial design. In addition to viewing the engines themselves in an artistic light, author Ken Boyd has brought his own art to the images. All of the photographs are digital images of full-size locomotives, from the tiny Tom Thumb in Baltimore’s B&O Railroad Museum to locomotives as large as UP’s Big Boy and multiple-unit diesel lash-ups. Once an initial photograph has been taken, the author then enhances the image in a variety of different ways. He will combine images from different photos, delete and/or replace backgrounds, change or modify colors of objects or backgrounds within the photos, remove distracting elements, sharpen the shots, selectively enhance the exposures, and more. These processes remove these images from the category of historical documentation and places them into the realm of fine art. The author discusses his philosophy and some of the technical details concerning his photography and digital processes at the front of the book.
This section will no doubt be of interest to other serious railroad photographers. However, lest you think that this is just a book of digitally modified pictures, let me be quick to say that the images are uniformly beautiful and that the locomotives depicted have not been altered as far as their forms, colors, or details are concerned. All of the digital manipulation that was done to the photographs was by way of enhancing the subjects of the photographs—the locomotives themselves. The book is divided up into five chapters, each covering a different era, from the beginning of railroad history in the US to the present day. In addition to the beautiful images of locomotives, there is text that offers historical insight into the engines and the railroads upon which they ran. Included are locomotives from across the country, both narrow and standard gauge. Steam, electric, and diesel locomotives are included, as are more unusual objects, such as handcars, streetcars, fireless locomotives, rack engines, and rolling stock from incline railways. While the book may be considered by some to be a hodge-podge of railroadiana, it is a fascinating hodge-podge. The photography is outstanding. The digital manipulation in many instances is
unobtrusive and virtually invisible, while in others it stands out in ways that I found a little distracting. For instance, the treatment of the moon on page 149 was a little surreal. That said, though, this is a fine book. The production of it is top notch, with photos reproduced on high-quality coated stock. The images within approach railroad photography in a new and creative way and the end result will enhance anyone’s railroad library. —M. Horovitz
BOOK REVIEW The Art of the Locomotive by Ken Boyd Voyageur Press Quarto Publishing Group USA 400 First Avenue North, Suite 400 Minneapolis MN 55401 11¼" x 9½", 192 pages, 143 color and 40 b&w photos, hardbound Price: $50 Website: http://voyageurpress.com
www.bridge-masters.com Track Cleaner Price: $59.00 + shipping Push or pull this behind your loco for the cleanest track. Scotchbrite pad is replaceable.
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Garden Railways | February 2015
A useful book for railway gardeners
G
ardening in Miniature is a new entry into the growing body of literature on miniature landscaping. This colorful, illustrated volume covers nearly every aspect of miniature gardening, indoors and out. While not directed at garden railroaders per se, most of the information contained therein is pertinent to what we do. The book begins with a discussion of miniature gardening—what it is, what it can be, ways of approaching it, and things to think about. Miniature gardens can be
BOOK REVIEW Garden in Miniature: Create Your Own Tiny Living World by Janit Calvo Timber Press The Haseltine Building 133 SW Second Avenue, Suite 450 Portland OR 97204 8" x 71/2", softbound, all color photos, 256 pages Price: $19.95 Website: www.timberpress.com
made outdoors in the ground, outdoors in pots or containers, or indoors in containers. Each approach incorporates its own methods, which are fully covered. Scale is addressed in its own chapter. The scales discussed are primarily the dollhouse scales of 1" and 1/2". This will be basic stuff for garden railroaders, but the explanations are clear, concise, and accurate. This is followed by an examination of traditional garden-design rules and how they apply to miniature gardening— good information that, when absorbed, understood, and applied, will improve any garden. A useful section for modelers is that on creating miniature walkways, paths, and patios. I was a little disappointed to see that this section didn’t have much how-to information, but found that this subject was well covered in a later chapter. There is an in-depth chapter on miniature plants (all perennials). This section includes descriptions of various types of plants, from trees to groundcovers, and includes a suggested list of miniature plants. These, of course, may or may not MYLOCOSOUND be suitable for all Hardiness Zones, and
GRW • 12/01/2014 • 4C • 1/3 H
the zones are not mentioned in the list. Care for the finished garden is covered, including soil, watering, water harvesting, and feeding and fertilizing. Miniature accessories are explored, as are materials from which they are made. Near the back of the book is a project chapter that includes step-by-step information on how to plant a tiny garden in a pot, make a miniature patio, construct a dry river bed, and more. The book wraps up with tips on general maintenance after the garden has been established. This book is well produced on heavy paper. Photo reproduction is excellent and the writing is both knowledgable and readable. The author is experienced and passionate and has compiled a volume that will provide an entry point for beginner miniature gardeners as well as offering lots of ideas and inspiration to those more experienced. —M. Horovitz
Next generation , steam or diesel soundcards only $79 For battery radio control or track power. Compatible with Crest Revolution, RCS, Train Engineer, RailBoss, LocoLinc, AirWire, Roundhouse, etc. Easy screwdriver installation. Only 2.2” x 1.3”. $10 remote control enables adjustments without dismantling the loco. For steam … synchronised load sensitive chuff, variable plain and chime whistles, bell, safety valve, conductor’s whistle and Westinghouse brake pump. For diesel … adjustable load sensitive engine, variable horn styles, bell, brake release, conductor’s whistle and switchable turbocharger.
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Get inspired anytime, anywhere with the convenient Garden Railways digital edition! Would you like instant access to inspiring garden railways, helpful tips and techniques, do-it-yourself projects, informative product reviews, online extras, and more? Order the DIGITAL edition of Garden Railways magazine and get it all today! ENJOY THESE DIGITAL FEATURES: • Link to online content and advertisers’ websites • Search by keyword, topic, and more • Magnify photos to see details • Bookmark pages
Get Garden Railways in digital format TODAY! www.GardenRailways.com/digitaleditions
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• Traditional & Rare Herbs • Decorative Perennials & Trees • Scented Geraniums & Natives
Quality and craftsmanship. Supplier of hand built structures & accessories since 1993. Helping you distinguish your garden railroad from all others! TRAINS AND TREES Pradera Road, Camarillo GRW12081 • 06/01/2014 • BWCA•93012 2” MKT
SWITCHCRAFTERS GRW • 02/01/2014 • 2C • 2 IN
Let Ralph & Eric build your dream garden railway!
508-962-0499 Building garden railways for over 25 years Check us out on Facebook
RCS OF NEW ENGLAND GRW • 02/01/2014 • 2C • 2IN
NOT ALL METAL WHEELS ARE CREATED EQUAL
Battery Power Your
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Send $5 for Handbook/Catalog to: Dept. GR15, 316 Surrett Cove Rd. Leicester, NC 28748-5517
Tired of the same old low-voltage lighting? Try SOMETHIN’ DIFFERENT!™ Authentic hurricane lanterns made for low voltage electric • Accented specialty lighting for that rustic look. • A must for the outdoor train garden just to add a touch more to that railroad atmosphere. • Colors available are railroad red, rust brown & black. www.somethindifferent.com
www.ralphwilliamslandscapedesign.com
RAYMOND GARY GRW • 08/01/13 • 2C • 2 IN MKT
www.sandymushherbs.com
For more information please write or call us! 3485 Vicki Ct, Simi Valley, CA 93063 CONSULTING REDEKER MANAGEMENT (805) 522-2979 email:
[email protected]
GRW • 08/01/2013 • 2C • 2 IN
LIVE STEAM CAB FORWARDS FLAT FACE AC-6 or AC-12
Clear the Tracks...Plow the Snow
RailLinx!
with Kadee uncoupling mode
133BS Finescale Wheels for AMS & MTH 1:32 Box Cars
Upgrade to higher quality wheels!
Easy Installation – Reliable on all large scale track Ask your local dealer, or call us direct PO Box 1722 • 1000 Oaks, CA 91358 • 805-492-5858 • M-F 9-5 P.S.T.
QUALITY ADJUSTMENTS INC www.trainwheels.com or
[email protected] GARY RAYMOND Quality Large Scale Metal GRW • 12/01/2014 • BW • 2Wheelsets IN
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American Made STEEL BRIDGES
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Sales ■ Installation ■ Service 603-321-1347 ■ www.remotecontrolthrottles.com email:
[email protected]
CAB FORWARDS by RMC LOCOMOTION WORKS GRW • 04/01/2013 • 2C • 2 IN
518-798-0080 or 518-791-0220 (cell)
[email protected] ALAN REDEKER Accucraft Cab Forward Conversions & Sales
Expert sales, service and installation for ALL brands! New online store NOW OPEN!
The De-burred SS bridge
SS $108 Deburred and Polished $133 (863) 207-2638 | F (863) 324-1276 274 Hernando Rd., Winter Haven, FL 33884 Email:
[email protected] www.americanmadesteelbridges.com
80
Garden Railways | February 2015
Specialize in remote control, battery and sound sales and installation.
NEW!
Prototypical ballast system
sold exclusively by LOCOmotion Works!
205 Mountainside Drive / I-26 • Columbus, NC 28722 828-712-3429 •
[email protected]
www.locomotionworks.com
Directory of large-scale train retailers Say you saw their Directory ad in Garden Railways Spaces are sold on a year’s basis (six issues) at $177 per year (payable in advance) or at $36 per month (billed to established account s for one year minimum). Ads will be set in standard listing typography. All insertions must be consecutive and may be invoiced if you have credit established with us. No mention of wholesale or mail order business permitted. Send your ads to: Garden Railways Directory, 21027 Crossroads Circle, PO Box 1612, Waukesha, WI 53187-1612. For additional information 1-888-558-1544 ext. 815. April closes Jan. 16, June closes Mar. 20, Aug. closes May 14, Oct. closes July 17, Dec. closes Sept. 18.
ARIZONA • Tucson
G, HO, N scales. Largest in stock selection of G scale in AZ. LGB, Aristocraft, USA, Hartland, Bachmann, Piko. Phoenix Sound Systems authorized sales & service. Diecast autos, wood, plastic model kits, model rockets.
HOBBY PLACE/ACE HARDWARE
6959 East 22nd St.
520-747-9473
CALIFORNIA • Concord
Largest selection of trains in the East Bay. Scratchbuilding supplies for all scales. Discount prices and friendly help. Open Tuesday - Sunday. Website: www.just-trains.com
JUST TRAINS
5650-H Imhoff Dr.
925-685-6566
CALIFORNIA • La Mirada
R HOBBIES
562-777-9492
CALIFORNIA • Roseville (Sacramento)
Exclusively model trains since 1989. Athearn, Kato, MDC, Lionel, Atlas, LGB, Märklin, Brass Imports, books, detail parts. Everyday low prices. Open 7 days. www.rrhobbies.com
RAILROAD HOBBIES
119 Vernon St.
916-782-6067
CALIFORNIA • Sacramento Specializing in 'G' scale LGB, Accucraft, USA Trains, Piko, Aristo-Craft. Working layout. Mon. thru Fri. 10:30-7:00; Sat. 10:00-5:00.
R/C COUNTRY HOBBIES
6011 Folsom Blvd.
916-731-5868
CALIFORNIA • San Diego (La Mesa)
Exclusively trains. Craft kits, detail parts, scratch supplies, books. Ride the trolley to Reed's. Open Mon through Sat 10:00-6:00; Sun 12-4. www.reeds-hobbies.com
REED’S HOBBY SHOP
8039 La Mesa Blvd.
LGB, USA, Accucraft, Live Steam Great Prices Huge book selection Mon 9:30am-3:30pm Tues - Sat 9:30am- 6:00pm, Closed Sun Dennis Cole E-mail:
[email protected]
THE TRAIN SHOP, LLC
1829 Pruneridge Ave.
408-296-1050
CALIFORNIA • Westminster (Orange Co.) Largest Selection of O/G in So. Cal! Discount Prices, Open 7 Days a Week! Authorized Lionel, MTH, LGB, PIKO Dealer! www.milepost38.com
MILEPOST 38 TOY TRAINS
6462 Industry Way
714-892-9471
COLORADO • Denver
We now carry Z, N, HO, S, O and G. Lionel, LGB, S-Helper and MTH. Mon-Sat 10-6. Closed Sun. 14269 Imperial Hwy.
CALIFORNIA • Santa Clara
619-464-1672
CABOOSE HOBBIES, INC.
303-777-6766
FLORIDA • Orlando
One of Florida's largest model train & hobby shops. All scales. Authorized Lionel & MTH service station. Mon-Thu 9-7:30, Fri 9-9, Sat 9-6. 20 min. from Disney.
COLONIAL PHOTO & HOBBY
634 North Mills
800-841-1485
GEORGIA • Alpharetta
ROLLING STOCK TRAINS
770-714-5545
GEORGIA • Atlanta
Lionel Train Top 10 Dealer MTH Train Mega Dealer 400 s.f. layout, HUGE selection, service, repair www.legacystation.com 800-964-8724 LEGACY STATION TRAINS TOYS HOBBIES 4153 Lawrenceville Hwy., #12 770-339-7780
ADVERTISER INDEX
MARYLAND • Annapolis
If we don't have it, we'll get it! LGB, Woodland Scenics, Walthers Dealer, Aristo, Accucraft, Delton, Pola, Lionel, Bachmann, Hartland, Spectrum, Proto 2000. Mon - Sat 10-6. Full line Kalmbach!
STAR HOBBY
1564 Whitehall Rd.
410-349-4290/4291
MICHIGAN • Bridgeport
Scales Z to G. All at discount prices. Am. Models, Aristo, Athearn, Atlas, Bachmann, Con-Cor, IHC, USA, Kadee, Kato, K-Line, Lionel, MTH, Walthers, LGB, HLW. www.jvrailroad.com JUNCTION VALLEY RR HOBBY SHOP 7065 Dixie Hwy. 989-777-3480
MICHIGAN • Troy
FORMERLY MERRI-SEVEN • NEW LOCATION All scales Z thru G, new and used Complete selection of RR equipment/supplies BUY • SELL • REPAIR • PARTS Tues - Fri 11-7, Sat. 11-6
EMPIRE TRAINS & HOBBIES
3278 Rochester Rd.
248-680-6500
G-Scale only featuring large selection of LGB, USA, Massoth, Piko, Pola & Preiser. Mon - Fri 9-5. 1-800-789-5738 www.onlytrains.com
ONLY TRAINS
308-B Brighton Ave.
763-684-4131
NEBRASKA • Omaha
Trains & supplies for all scales Z-G. We are DCC ready & installation service available. Service work, repairs, technical support. Family owned since 1938. Mon-Fri 8:00-5:30; and Sat 10:00-5:00 www.houseoftrains.com
HOUSE OF TRAINS
8106 Maple
402-934-RAIL (7245)
NEW JERSEY • Somerville
Large selection of G-scale trains and accessories: LGB, MTH, USA, AristoCraft, Bachmann, PIKO and Marklin www.rollingstocktrains.com 375 Winkler Dr., Suite D
Accucraft-Airwire-AML-Aristo-Bachmann Cordless Renov.-Digitrax-HLW-Kadee-JPF LGB-Massoth-Ozark-Phoenix PIKO-QSI Split Jaw-Sunset Valley-TrainLi USA Trains Min. from I-80/35 www.ReindeerPass.com REINDEER PASS AT KIDMAN TREE FARM 3665 NW 98th Avenue 515-984-6946
MINNESOTA • Buffalo (Twin Cities Area)
Since 1938! All scales & gauges. Open daily! See all this & more in our on-line catalog. http://www.caboosehobbies.com 500 S. Broadway
IOWA • Polk City (Des Moines)
THE BIG LITTLE RAILROAD SHOP
908-685-8892
NEW YORK • Horseheads
LOCOMOTION WORKS
205 Mountainside Drive/ I-26
828-712-3429
PENNSYLVANIA • Philadelphia (Feasterville) Lionel, American Flyer, LGB, MTH, Marklin, Bachmann, Williams. HO, N & Z. We buy, sell & repair. Mon-Fri 12-8; Sat 10-5 (Closed Sat. July & Aug.) Sun. in Dec.10-5 www.JoesTrainStation.com
JOE’S TRAIN STATION
21 East Street Rd.
215-322-5182
TEXAS • Dallas (Addison) Great discounts on thousands of G to Z scale items. NCE & Digitrax dealer. Monday - Saturday 10-6.
DISCOUNT MODEL TRAINS
4641 Ratliff Lane
972-931-8135
CANADA–AB • Nanton
Specializing in G gauge & Thomas wooden, Aristo-Craft, LGB, USATrains, Massoth, Phoenix Sound, Piko, Pola. Mail order welcome. Open all year. No. Amer.’s busiest garden RR. 5/1-10/1. www.ultimatetrains.com
ULTIMATE TRAINS, LTD.
2121 18th Street
403-646-1190
CANADA–ON • Alliston
HO, N , G, On30, Steam and Diesel. Limited Edition Art, Books and Videos. Live steam. 5 days a week (closed Mon & Tues). www.hvrr.ca
HOCKLEY VALLEY RAILROAD
4492 Adjala-Tecumseth Townline
705-435-7024
CANADA–ON • Castleton
Aristo-craft, U.S.A. Trains, Bachmann, Accucraft, Kadee, Phoenix Sound, Revolution System and more. www.kingshollowgardentrains.com Contact: Doug Kingsmill & Jean Jones
KINGS HOLLOW GARDEN TRAINS
111 Dingwall Road
905-344-8363
Large scale trains only. Accucraft, Bachmann, USA Trains, Phoenix Sound, and much more. R/C & battery conversions. See our web site for monthly sales. Open 6 days, closed Sun. www.wgrr.ca
WINONA GARDEN RAILWAY
7457 Boyce Drive
519-763-9477
CANADA–ON • Toronto (Markham)
N, HO, O, & G scales. Authorized Lionel dealer. www.wholesaletrains.com
LANTZ TRAIN SHOP
3312 S. Main St.
The Carolina’s newest G SCALE headquarters. Remote control, battery conversions & sound systems. Exclusive track ballast system. E-mail:
[email protected] www.locomotionworks.com
CANADA–ON • Guelph/Puslinch
Specializing in service. Tues to Fri 11 am - 7 pm, Sat 11 am - 5 pm, Sun 12 pm - 4 pm. www.biglittle.com Fax # 908-685-8894
63 W. Main St.
NORTH CAROLINA • Columbus
607-215-0019
Model Railroad Specialists since 1962 Lionel Authorized Distributor & Repair Center All Scales - Special Orders Closed Mondays www.georgestrains.com
GEORGE’S TRAINS LTD.
550 Alden Rd., Unit 101
905-470-6200
The Advertiser Index is provided as a service to Garden Railways magazine readers. The magazine is not responsible for omissions or for typographical errors in names or page numbers.
31st Nat’l. Garden Railway Conv............49
Garden Railways Magazine - Digital.......78
Model Decal Depot................................80
Shady Glen Models................................79
32nd Annual Garden Railway Conv.........65
Gardenlines.net.....................................80
Model Railroader Video Plus...................45
Shawmut Car Shops..............................80
Above All Railways.................................79
Gary Raymond Wheels...........................80
MTH Electric Trains, Inc..........................59
Accucraft Company...............................12
Graham Industries.................................64
MyLocoSound........................................77
Silver State Trains..................................79
American Made Steel Bridges................80
Grizzly Mountain Engineering.................64
Narrow Gauge Paradise- LGB Tours.........4
Amherst Railway Society.......................65
Hartland Locomotive Works...................70
NRRR, Inc..............................................60
SLM.........................................................9 Smith Pond Junction..............................49
Art Knapp Plantland Ltd.........................27
Hockley Valley Railroad............................9
Ozark Miniatures...................................64
Something Different...............................80
Bridgemasters.......................................76
Innovative Train Technology...................79
Pacific Coast Garden Railway.................80
Split Jaw Products.................................59
Bridgewerks....................................16, 60
Iron Horse Engraving.............................79
Phoenix Unlimited Ltd............................27
Steve’s Depot........................................49
Cab Forwards By RMC...........................80
Just Plain Folk.......................................59
PIKO America.........................................84
Stoneworks...........................................79
Caboose Hobbies...................................22
Kadee Quality Products Co.......................4
Plum Cove Studios.................................80
Cedarleaf Custom Decals.......................80
Sunset Valley Railroad............................22
Karmi Dalkranian...................................79
Polk’s Generationext LLC.........................7
Charles Ro Supply..................................83
Keithco, Inc............................................27
R & G Railroad Co..................................16
Creative Zest LLC..................................27
Larry G Scale.........................................64
R & S Enterprises...................................27
CVP Products.........................................69
LGB.......................................................67
Rainbow Ridge......................................79
Dallee Electronics, Inc..............................4
LGB Train Shop......................................16
Ralph Williams Landscape Design..........80
SwitchCrafters.......................................80 Train-li-USA...........................................71 TrainWorld...............................................3 Trainz.com.............................................60
DCC-Bitswitch.......................................79
Llagas Creek Railways...........................60
Ram Track.............................................27
Upland Trains.........................................27
Eaglewings Iron Craft...................4, 49, 64
Loco-Boose Hobbies..............................65
RCS of New England..............................80
USA Trains...............................................2
East Coast Large Scale Train Show........17
Locomotion Works.................................80
Reindeer Pass Railroad..........................68
Valley Train Station................................16
East Gary Car Co....................................49
Lynell Model Supply...............................80
RGSRR Hobbies.......................................4
EnterTrainment Inc.................................64
M & M Nursery......................................26
RLD Hobbies..........................................23
Vanco Log Dollhouses and Barns...........79
Fall Creek Railroad Structures................22
Massoth Elektronik Gmbh, Germany........9
Roundhouse Engineering.......................26
Flexxbed Roadbed.................................80
ME Taylor Engineering Inc......................79
RR Concepts..........................................79
G Scale Graphics...................................79
Micro Engineering..................................16
Charles Ro Supply Co. ...........................83
Walthers................................................67
G Scale Junction....................................17
Micro Fasteners.....................................65
Safe Train Case......................................79
Z-Stuff For Trains...................................16
Garden Railways Binder.........................59
Mini Forests By Sky...............................80
Sandy Mush Herb Nursery.....................80
Zionsville Train Depot LLC......................22
VES Enterprises.....................................79 Vilas County Lumber Company..............79
www.GardenRailways.com
81
BEGINNER PROJECT
ONE-PAGE PROJECT
Simple ground throws for switches by Paul Smith | Lincoln, Maine |
PHOTOS BY THE AUTHOR
M
y new garden railway is being built with a passing siding that has a stub siding at each end. That required a total of four turnouts to accommodate the operations that I am planning. I bought four USA Trains #6 turnouts but decided that I wanted to control them with manual ground throws to simplify installation and avoid future electrical or mechanical problems. I also plan to manually couple and uncouple cars on the sidings, so manual operation of the turnouts fit in nicely with my plans. I had trouble finding a commercially available ground throw that had the range necessary for the code-332 turnouts that I am using. A member of our Maine Garden Railway Society mentioned that he thought he saw something online about using a window bolt as a ground throw. I did a search but couldn’t find anything, so I decided to experiment with some things and I came up with the design described in this article. The total cost of building one of these ground throws is less than $8, plus the labor of drilling out the bolt if you don’t have the tools to do that. The components of the ground throw (photo 1) are a 2" window bolt, a 1/8" x 6-32 threaded rod, four 6-32 nuts, and a jumbo paper clip. The two nuts on each end of the threaded rod act as lock nuts to hold the rod in place while it rotates within the bolt. Lacking a drill press, I took my window bolts to a local machine shop and had the center of each bolt drilled out to 5/32". One handle of a bolt, which is just spot welded into the shaft, came apart when drilled, so I simply replaced it with a new one. Out of the total of four ground throws drilled, only one came apart and needed to be replaced. The 1/8" threaded rod simply “floats” freely within the bolt so that it operates the paper-clip connector flawlessly. It is important to make sure
82
Garden Railways | February 2015
This simple ground throw for manually controlling a switch was made from a window bolt.
1. Components are inexpensive and easily obtainable.
2. The bolt must be drilled longitudinally.
3. A paper clip is used as a spring tensioner.
that the hole in the drilled bolt is larger than the threaded rod. The paper clip is shaped appropriately and trapped between two nuts. The bend in the paper clip, as shown, provides proper tension, but any configuration that has a bend or “loop” within the clip would work. The assembled ground throw on a #6 USA Trains turnout is shown in photo 3. I extended the ties with built-up layers of .060" black styrene, glued together with Devcon plastic welder. I ground the ends of the tie extensions down to a smaller size so they fit snugly inside the turnout ties (photo 4). I attached them with stainless-steel screws. I ground the points off of the ends of the screws with a bench grinder. I think wooden tie extenders would work just fine too, but I was looking for a low-maintenance material.
4. Tie extensions were made to support the unit.
Have you done a garden-railwayrelated project that can be described in a single page? Your story should be 300-600 words with up to three photos and/or illustrations, and can be for any skill level. E-mail your onepagers to mhorovitz@gardenrailways. com. Please put “One-page project” in the subject line.
A NEW YEAR… AND G-SCALE NEW ITEMS ALREADY ARRIVING… A great-running German-made steam loco at a very attractive price! 38204 Santa Fe 0-6-0 Loco & Tender
on - the o S g n i m o C atalog. New 2015 CNow! Reser ve
© 2014 PIKO America. Items bearing the Union Pacific trademarks produced under license from Union Pacific Railroad Company
Catalog
2015
2015
Katalog/
38854 NYC Ore Car 38855 Union Pacific Ore Car
/Catalog
Katalog
Just In!
The Legendary Blue Comet See nearly 600 items in the 192-page full-color 2014 PIKO G-Scale Catalog! At your retailer or $9 post-paid direct. Or get the 344-page full-color 2014 PIKO HO-Scale Catalog. $9 post-paid direct or $15 for both HO & G.
PIKO America, Dept G • 4610 Alvarado Canyon Rd., Suite 5 • San Diego CA 92120 Phone 877-678-4449 or 619-280-2800 • www.piko-america.com
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