Garden Trains, the What, Where, When and How
I'm working on this page so please be patient....I'm trying to get 20 years of the hobby downloaded to this website.
Garden trains as we know them today started in the mid 1960s with a company called Lehmann in Nurnburg Germany.
Actually, they were one of the world's oldest toy manufacturers dating to the late 1800s. They introduced a line of model trains that were designed to be operated outdoors. They were larger than anything on the market and built tough. They were called Lehmann Gross Bahn which translated to Lehmann Large Trains. They were designed and built to take the rigors of the outdoors. To make it simple, the logo used the letters LGB, which is what the name is commonly referred to.
The big confusion of Gauge and Scale.
The gauge is called G which fits in with the existing HO, O, N, Z etc. The actual scale of the trains is roughly 1:22. That means that 1 foot equals 22 real feet. There are several companies that joined LGB in making trains for the G gauge market, however, each chose a slightly different scale. There is 1:32, 1:29, 1:24 and 1:20.5. So, as you can see each manufacturer chose a different scale, but the good news is that they all ran on the same size track. Because of this you'll find the slightly different scale trains all operating on the same G gauge railroad track. Yes, one boxcar might look a little smaller or larger next to the next boxcar, but unless you're one to get really exacting, it doesn't matter. For comparison's sake, HO is 1:87 so that means that G is almost 4 times larger. G gauge is easy to remember because the G for the Garden.
So LGB was soon joined by other manufacturers.
Aristocraft, USA Trains, Accucraft, Bachmann, PIKO, MTH and others and a small industry was born. The one common thread was that they all ran on the same track, and that was a good thing. Some of these are no longer, Aristrocraft and MTH are now gone but the others chug onward. Actually, LGB went bankrupt during the recession but fortunately was purchased by another German train manufacturer, Marklin, so the name LGB continues today.
A common question is "how do they operate?".
Very similar to the 'electric' trains we all know, there is a power supply transformer that converts the wall current down to 0-24 volts DC, which is safe for use. The voltage varies to change the speed of the trains.
The next question is usually "do you take them in every night?".
The answer for me is no. I usually park the engine under one of the many tunnels and buildings on the layout to give a little extra protection from the weather. But basically, the trains and buildings stay out all year long. I do know people that have built little doors in the wall of their garage, and they drive the trains inside when they are not operating.
Another common question is "how do I get started?"
The answer may vary. If you're familiar with model trains then the answer might be to come up with a plan for your yard and start purchasing the parts, the track, the power supply and of course, the trains. However, if you're a "newby" you could start with what is called a "starter set". These are all in one box sets that make it easy to get you started. They usually come with an engine and a couple of cars, a circle or oval of track and power supply. This is a good set for around the Christmas tree. Once you get this going it becomes a good basis for expansion, more track, more trains and of course buildings.
Are there clubs for garden trains?
Yes, and you'd be surprised at how many are involved in the hobby. I'm in Dallas so my local club is the North Texas Garden Railway Club, or NTGRC. There are members all over the Dallas Fort Worth area, even into Oklahoma. The great thing about the club is that they have monthly meetings that are usually at a member's house. This gives you an opportunity to see what and how different members build a layout. You can even attend a meeting for free and the dues are cheap. Check out their website at www.ntgrc.com. In other parts of the country there are similar clubs.
How do I know what to build?
Visiting what others have done gives you a good chance to figure out what you might want to do. I know one member that has his track running around his pool deck. He lays on his float in the pool and watches the trains circle the pool. No buildings or anything else. For him this is great. Then others have expansive layouts. To each his own. There is no right or wrong. Of course, the size of area is a good limiting factor, but you can build a real nice layout in a small area. This is evident by what they do in England; the backyards are tiny and so they manage to build really nice layouts in a small space. I subscribe to a UK garden train magazine just for the purpose of seeing what they're doing across the pond. I've picked up some good tips.
Is everything pre-built and off the shelf?
This depends on what you're into. There are plenty of engines, cars and buildings already built and ready to run. Then there are kits things. I buy ready to run engines and cars but most of the buildings are from kits. And the range of kits can vary. I buy PIKO building kits. They're plastic (real heavy duty) and go together fairly easy. They range from an easy kit that you can knock out in a few hours to a more comprehensive kits that can take weeks. Then there are kits that are almost from scratch. Lots of pieces of wood to cut and fit. So, there's something for everyone.
And what about the garden part?
If you're into gardening, there's the perfect opportunity to landscape your layout with all sorts of miniature trees and bushes. The landscaping part adds to the visual impact of the trains. There are also many regular types of bushes and groundcovers that are perfect for your garden train layout.
What about people and stuff?
Yes, you can decorate, if that's the right word, your layout with little people, cars and more. You'd be surprised at the variety of things that are available for your Garden layout. Farm animals, dogs, and even benches for out in front of the buildings.
What about other stuff?
I use a lot of 1/24 scale die cast metal cars and trucks. The inexpensive ones aimed at the toy market are perfect, inexpensive and readily available. I've also found bird house kits at both Hobby Lobby and Micheels that are almost the right size and inexpensive. With some simple modifications they become perfect little buildings for the layout people.
I'll keep adding to the questions as they come to me. You can go to the Contact page and send me a question too.
