![]() ![]() You can use O scale equipment outdoors these days since there are now manufacturers like Atlas and others that have produced O scale track that is relatively weatherproof. Some folks like to use a pet door and put track through it so that when it’s time to come in for the evening, the train can be run inside through the pet door! Some people cover them to keep the rain and wind off, but the best thing is to bring them inside where the humidity can’t get to them. Locomotives containing batteries and electrical motors will not do well if left outside. Some tracks that come with starter sets are best replaced by better track more suited for outdoor use. Make sure you use a high quality of track that will be durable outside in harsh weather. Your trains should be kept indoors except when you are using them. ![]() Your favorite garden center should be able to help you pick out the right ones. Try to select ones that will be relatively low maintenance. Make sure that when they grow, the roots or plants won’t interfere with the track or the garden trains. ![]() You should mostly select small low growing plants. Now it’s time to select whatever plants you want to use and figure out where to put them. Then cover them over with a thick 3-4 inch layer of high quality mulch, being careful to keep the mulch from getting on the tracks or on the gravel roadbed. ![]() Put these weed guards down on the ground wherever you don’t have the tracks and roadbed. This will work just as well to prevent weeds, but they will have to be replaced more often. An inexpensive way to do this is to just lay newspaper down. These can be purchased in rolls from your home or building store. You may want to use a ground covering tarp that will keep weeds from poking through. I would use the latter method if there’s a good chance you may want to change your track plan later. The other option would be to use a so-called free-floating roadbed using crushed gravel on top of flat ground on which you can lay your track and then use finer gravel to fill in between the ties to hold your track in place. For rigid roadbeds like these, make sure to consider expansion joints to allow for expansion in the heat of the summer and contraction in the winter. You can pour a 3-4 inch pad of cement as a roadbed or use salt-treated wood. If you want a more complicated plan with switches and sidings, draw those into your plan as well. Also include which plants you want to put in and where. You may want to include where you want to put structures like train stations or freight houses and where you might like to put bridges or tunnels. The important thing is that you don’t want to have standing water or mud on your tracks if you can help it.įor a simple oval or figure 8, draw your garden train track plan on a sheet of paper first. You may want to use a combination of any or all of the above. Other options would be to elevate your railroad using salt-treated wood or to build up the gravel roadbed fairly high to keep your tracks from flooding when it rains.Īnother consideration might be to make a small water pond in the middle of your railroad or nearby so that water will naturally gravitate to and accumulate in the pond away from your track. If there is a lot of pooling in the middle of where you want to put your layout, you may need to put in some drainage tile or pipe to carry the water away from the area to a lower level. Before installing the railroad, inspect the area during or after a rainstorm and see where the water goes. Next you will want to be sure the drainage is adequate in the location you have chosen. Also, a garden railroad would be a great addition to a greenhouse. You could have track going around the pool or lining the front of your flowerbeds. It can greatly enhance your rock garden or your terrace as well. Or it could be located in a central courtyard that is present in many homes these days. One of the best places is near your back patio where the railroad is easily visible and can be a topic of conversation. The first thing to do is to determine the best location on your property to build your garden train layout. Everyone can help with the cleaning and maintenance and more importantly, everyone can enjoy it together. Others will like placing and nurturing the plants. Some members will like doing the construction. One of the main advantages of running garden trains in your back yard is that it brings your railroad into full view for all of your family and guests to see without it being hidden away in an attic or basement.Īnother advantage is that your whole family can be involved in helping you build and operate it. Garden trains are a wonderful way to enjoy the hobby of model railroading. ![]()
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