Garden railway advice please?

[TobiWallis]

We would like to build a garden railway and I'd be most grateful for any advice or experience anyone can offer. The scale of the rolling stock is O gauge, 8mm to the foot, so quite small, and we'd like to create a backdrop of small plants that won't dwarf the trains. Most of it will be raised track, so we'll need a hedge to grow below the line to hide the construction. Any ideas or inspiration most welcome!

 

[Esther Knapicius]

Why do you want to do that? Have you seen pictures with this in a garden? This is outside, I gather. Not sure your zone. try the small hosta, like baby buntings, and look up plants for rock gardens---those are small type plants. Come to think about it,---yep, find a site that discusses rock gardens, they will list plants/flowers for that, and then add the mini hostas to fill in. And some pretty rocks. As far as a hedge, try sages instead, or short grasses.

 

[Fernsdaddy]

We would like to build a garden railway and I'd be most grateful for any advice or experience anyone can offer. The scale of the rolling stock is O gauge, 8mm to the foot, so quite small, and we'd like to create a backdrop of small plants that won't dwarf the trains. Most of it will be raised track, so we'll need a hedge to grow below the line to hide the construction. Any ideas or inspiration most welcome!

I've seen railway gardens before but none as small as you want, You might to check out you tube and see what other are building, I think it would be fun to have a train in the garden.

 

[zigs]

If you get the chance have a visit to Pecorama

http://www.pecorama.info/

Good day out and not too far from you

 

[Esther Knapicius]

never seen a railway garden either. guess it has to be seasonal. Aren't the tracks electric? what happens when it rains?

 

[zigs]

never seen a railway garden either. guess it has to be seasonal. Aren't the tracks electric? what happens when it rains?

Some are electric, guess they don't work in the rain. Main ones at Pecorama are Steam powered

 

[Esther Knapicius]

my dad used to have trains, he had them set up in the basement. He later sold them. But, this garden train, I guess it has to be non- electric, whatever that is. A lot of work, well, I have too much anyway to fuss with something like that.

 

[TobiWallis]

If you get the chance have a visit to Pecorama

http://www.pecorama.info/

Good day out and not too far from you

Thanks for the suggestion Zigs. I haven't been there for years. My first ever railway (not in the garden I hasten to add) was using Peco track and rolling stock in N gauge (roughly 2mm to the foot) but I can't see stuff that small nowadays. O gauge is fine and works well in the garden.

 

[TobiWallis]

my dad used to have trains, he had them set up in the basement. He later sold them. But, this garden train, I guess it has to be non- electric, whatever that is. A lot of work, well, I have too much anyway to fuss with something like that.

The station and controllers are all under cover Esther and the track is fine outdoors. We wouldn't run it in the rain, largely because the fun lies in sitting outside watching the trains go by at eye level and that's no fun if it's wet!!

 

[mgmine]

When I think of O gauge I think a Linoel train like I had in the 50's that ran around the Christmas tree. Is this what you are talking about?

 

[TobiWallis]

It may well be mgmine. They are big enough to see and work on and just big enough to have in the garden, especially at eye level, but not so big as to be prohibitively expensive. IN the main they run either on DC or DCC (which is, in my view, more fun because you can have two or event three trains on the same track at the same time) which is digital and the engines each have a chip in them.

 

[mgmine]

Lots of pictures here. I think I would use sedum because you can get it in small growing varieties that would look right for the scale. I would also build a trestle bridge to keep it off the ground.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ved=0CCcQ9QEwAGoVChMIk6C61JDHyAIVTB4eCh3MNQsr


https://www.google.com/search?q=mod...=o+scale+model+railroad&imgrc=V5ySbp1jeXwg7M:

 

[TobiWallis]

Lots of pictures here. I think I would use sedum because you can get it in small growing varieties that would look right for the scale. I would also build a trestle bridge to keep it off the ground.
http://www.google.com/imgres?imgurl...ved=0CCcQ9QEwAGoVChMIk6C61JDHyAIVTB4eCh3MNQsr


https://www.google.com/search?q=model+railroad&biw=1467&bih=696&source=lnms&tbm=isch&sa=X&ved=0CAkQ_AUoBGoVChMI6rvGr4_HyAIVwpIeCh2wVwp_#tbm=isch&q=o+scale+model+railroad&imgrc=V5ySbp1jeXwg7M:

Thank you for some really useful advice here mgmine. The sedum family has so many varieties we should be able to find a selection to make it look good.

My goodness there are some complex layouts shown in the link you've shared and the trestles are a work of art!. I'm afraid ours will be much less grand but the trackbed will be three to four feet above ground level. The railway will form a double circuit coming out of the shed, which is where the station and loco shed are housed. That will give us something to play with in both good weather and bad!

 

[Pat]

I am not sure I understand what a railway garden is, but if you are looking to put a garden around your railway tracks for decoration the above link does give you some good ideas. Sedum is a good choice as it will take the abuse of being walked on.