I know this magazine is for garden trains, but couldn't we have a section for INDOOR layouts?

I model in what is supposedly g-scale in my basement…g-scale as in anything from 1:32 to 1:20.3, but nominally I stay as close to 1:24 as possible in structures and figures and all.

It seems to be modelling indoors in a different animal with a different set of needs than outdoor modelling.

What are the chances of getting a section dedicated to indoor g-scale?

Once in a while they do have indoor layouts but as the title says Garden Railways. As much as I like an indoor layout not sure if I would want to see a section devoted to just indoor. Once in a while is ok. I also dont think there are many people with indoor G layouts. Maybe it would be better if model RR had a section devoted to G scale indoor. Might get more people with G to get model RR.

I would love to do indoor “g” since i can’t, I have to deal with the wind, cold,heat,rain, darkness, falling leaves, and of course my faverite snails and weeds.

Dave

I’m not trying to contribute to a controversy here but perhaps some sort of headcount of those of us modeling G indoors might be of help in deciding if a new category might have merit. While I generally check most of the categories when visiting the site and I pay particular interest to any new indoor display that pops up, it would be useful to be able to go to one category that was devoted to indoor-only layouts. Just because I model indoors doesn’t mean I won’t look over what else is new in other areas, it just means I can quickly check for what has changed in my primary interest.

If some sort of indoor (primary interest, not limited to only interest) category needs a headcount, I’m in.

Tom (not related to Dave) Beckett

I hear you…you and me that makes a head count of two…anybody else?

Hello, St. Francis, and welcome!

We run an article on an indoor large-scale layout about twice per year. We also have an online photo gallery where you can submit your indoor photos (if you have any, please upload some! No one has so far). If you have a video of your indoor line, submit it in our user videos section.

As for adding another forum just for indoor, I don’t see that happening now. You are welcome to post in any of the current forums, though.

Since a couple of us got on the forum seeing if there was much interest in having an “indoor layout” category (there wasn’t) perhaps it might be worth seeing why we thought we might have something to show. My layout is under my house in Santa Cruz, California which is on the side of a hill. There is a lot of space ranging from 10 feet of headroom down to 6 feet scattered amongst several rooms. The diagram shows two separate mainlines (red and green tracks) and the gray sections are concrete/wood foundation walls. The little green line loop in the middle room currently under construction is an N-scale “excursion train” I use for additional animation. I started work on the layout after moving here in mid-2005 and add on as time permits. A few photos are included (I hope - my first time trying this).

Tom Beckett

[IMG]http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/tomgb3/Town.jpg[/IMG

]

Well, my first attempt at photos was partly successful anyway. Sorry for the duplicate photo and I don’t know why a couple of others didn’t work. But it’s a start. I need some practice with this, obviously.

Tom

I’ll see if I can get the missing 3 shots to show and then give it a rest.

Tom Beckett

IMG]http://i1185.photobucket.com/albums/z342/tomgb3/Town.jpg[/IMG]

Garden railways may be the title of the magazine, but it is the general “G” scale magazine.

So Indoor G scale layouts are covered in Garden Railways, just not as often as outdoor ones. The new product info and vendor lists applies to G scale layouts if you are indoors or outdoors.

Classic Toy Trains is the O scale (and a little bit of S scale) magazine, Model Railroader is the HO and N scale magazines.

If you’d like to see more indoor layouts in Garden Railways, submit your photos and articles. They can only publish what they get.

I love this hobby as a whole. I got out of indoor HO scale to see if I can handle the challenges of outdoor model railroading. I KNOW some folks need to have it inside. thats great

for me “personally” its cheating. Indoors can do so much better work and detailing than we can outdoors because we have to with stand the weather, etc.

Its too easy to work indoors, you use many of the same methods and materials that are shared in MRs mag, outdoors is a back breaker, dirty ,hot , cold windy year round JOB.

Now, why am i still doing this???

Outdoors I have real plants that grow and change, real snow to plow, real dirty to move. And the sun sets are to die for.

The point of this thread, I assume (because I didn’t start it), was to see if there might be enough interest among indoor “garden” modelers to request a forum category devoted to indoor layouts only. While I am suitably impressed with the outdoor displays I have seen, I don’t miss the idea of the large amounts of dirt, rocks and earthmoving that are involved in many of them. And then there’s the maintenance of plant trimming, ballast adjustments, repairing weathered items and so forth. I bow to those who are willing to put in all the time needed. On the other hand, outdoors gets you the ability to handle larger groups of visitors, work with ample elbow room, and enjoy nature’s built-in backdrops (and sunsets).

On my property I’m dealing with a significant slope and 85 mature redwood trees that both limit where can run track and provide me with a steady rain of dead tree material that would require a track cleaning before each run. On the plus side, working indoors I can build scenery or run trains in any weather and I need spend very little time on maintenance. I did have to expend a bit of horsepower in moving many framing and plywood materials downslope to create a belt-to-chest high deck for my layout which is spread through several rooms under my main floor each with limited and sometime awkward access. At my age, I have no desire to go through the heavy part of the construction process again. Mostly, what I have works for me because it’s about the only way I can have a railroad. True, I don’t have sunsets.

If you’d like to see more indoor layouts in Garden Railways, submit your photos and articles. They can only publish what they get.

Matt couldn’t have said the above better–send us your indoor photos and articles!

The thing is Marty, that not all of us have a big chunk of Nebraska as our backyard. [;)]

I read on MLS where a well known long-timer will be planning a new layout and the minimum size he wanted was 75’ x 100’ …seriously? Thats LARGER than my ENTIRE home and property! Alot of us are forced by space constrictions or or other circumstances to move indoors into spare rooms, garages or basements. I’d love to outside, even have plans for where I want to put it, but I dont have permissions from the land use czar so no joy.

I dont think a seperate forum would solve anything here, there is one on MLS for indoor layouts and its been mighty quiet in there of late. I’ve had my layout building logs here for several years, whether it was indoors or outdoors never really mattered. Since I finished it I havent had much to say about it. I am also considering adding a scratched turnout to the lower circle and using a piece of Aristo 21" dia track to connect the lower circle to the fiddle yard. Thats going to be a large job as everything would need to be made from scratch. Of course if I build it, Lewis Polk will come out with a ready made 32" diameter turnout by next summer LOL

I’d like t

Hello Ladies and Gentlemen…I’m the guy who started this discussion…let me post a couple of pictures of part of my indoor g-scale, large-scale, 1:24, 1:32, and 1:20.3, not to mention some 1:22 objects…as I mentioned above, I try to stick to 1:24 on everyting that isn’t track or actual locomotives or rolling stock (I can take and include some other pictures if anyone’s interested, maybe this weekend):

St.F.: I know I would like to see some more shots of your layout. Your detail looks very good. Actually, it was your starting this thread that finally got me to take the plunge and figure out how to post photographs (which I did in somewhat clumsy fashion) and get myself active on this site that I have been a mostly viewing member of for several years. Maybe I’ll add a few more pictures of my own.

Rene: I did write one “Tip” piece for the GR magazine which was published a while back and have written for other fields (ham radio, music box restoration and even N-scale) over the years so will try to put something together for your consideration. Maybe I just needed a push. Time to get busy, I guess.

Tom

Tom,

Great pictures! Thanks for posting them. Indoor G is pretty cool.

Best,
TJ

Here are 6 more indoor layout photos with a little explanation. These are the last.

The turntable is home-made using a lazy susan base. I add animation here and there on my layout so added a couple of flashing red LEDs on posts at each end of the table which aren’t correct, I know. I wonder if any turntables were ballasted either. I maybe went too far here without checking first.

The platform is scratch but the houses are very inexpensive raw wood units from a Michaels Craft store that I’ve dressed up a bit.

This is actually an inexpensive and a bit overdone birdhouse “restaurant” but the price was right. I put screen over the bird access hole (not shown) and it became an attic vent.

This is part of my old N-scale collection now used as a ride-on scale train for animation in one room for my big trains that’s still under construction. You might recognize the graphic under the “Ken’s” title near the peak of the roof.

This is a mill kit. I modified the porch, lit the interior and motorized the waterwheel.

I showed this from another angle in a previous post but the lower shot looks nice.The gazebo is one of those $6 raw wood hobby store bargains. The bluebird in the foreground tree probably scales out to the size of an eagle though.

Now to put something together for Rene if i can.

I have an outdoor layout, but to save carrying trains outside, I have built tracks & sidings in my shed. I cut tunnels in each wall for the trains to pass in & out.

As it is on bench work it makes a great time to work on “stuff” as the trains do their round of the yard. As I have many visitors it also makes a great starting point for those who are coming from smaller gauge trains to garden railways. Engine sheds, coal, fuel, cranes, loading docks, show that it is not just a “staging area”.

This seems to grab peoples interest, then we watch as the trains head outdoors for the trains for a run. Many follow the train around the layout and enjoy what they see.

We now have 6 operators in my area from a simple visit to an indoor/outdoor layout. We have different interests in the garden railways. One loves gardens, one loves buildings, one loves electronics, another builds wagons & carriages. They all complain about carting stuff and setting up to run, and then to pack it away at the end of the day but I am one of the few to have trains stored on the sidings reading to run.

We all like garden railways, but what one person likes has no interest for me and that also works in reverse as they may have no interest in what I like. That will not stop there good ideas though.

Yes I would not mind seing and bit more inddor stuff, as much of the many layouts have been built from ideas that others show, especially from photos

Cheers

Andrew - Sandbar & Mudcrab Railway

I was really tring to help his cause by showing how differnt the two really are .

many folks with big yards still will use very little of the space for trains.