I have been trying to persuade my mother to help fund a small garden railway. She seems pretty interested. But, I don’t know what to start with. I work at a train store, Purkey’s Toy Trains in Sykesville, Maryland. The LGB starter sets look good, but I am not sure, since I model HO. What would y’all reccomend. If you have any tips for starters, I would greatly appriciate them.
[8]TrainFreak409[8]
If you can aford it, the LGB set is not a bad place to start! For the money you get a bullet proof engine, sturdy cars, track and a good 1amp powerpack thats good to start with.
Other good starter sets are by Aristo-Craft and USA Trains. Bachmann sets have good engines and cars but lousy worthless track for outdoors, get it as a second set after you have track down.
Now you need to ask yourself, “How big am I planning on making this layout?” If you think it will be something simple, not too big about 10 feet x 10 feet, then the 1amp pack will be fine and all you’ll need is the extra track. Anything larger than that and you will need a bigger powerpack.
Its a good idea to draw up a track plan so you know how much extra track you’ll need. and where you will need to either raise ground or cut it out if needed. Start simple, get running, then you can go insane and fill the yard with track!
I suggest a loop (final shape depending on your area) with at least one passing siding or spur. The LGB starter set will have 4 foot diameter curves. Now if you only plan on running LGB stock or only the engine that came with the set, fine, no worries.
BUT if you think in the future you’ll want to run larger engines , then you better plan on larger diameters. I would suggest in that case 6’ diameter as a MINIMUM , However If you want to run bigger steam engines like Bachmanns 2-8-0 Consolidated, Heisler, Spectrum line, or Aristo’s new DASH-9, plan on 8 foot diameter MINIUMUM. 8 foot is becomeing the Standard curve in large scale.
Also read alot , here other forums, websites, magazines, books, etc. Knowledge is power. Good luck, Vic.[8D]
Vic gave you some exellent advice there. For me I would say good quality track such as Aristo or LGB, and a good quality loco. These are key. I’m sure you realize from HO that if it looks good but runs like garbage then you’ll hate it pretty quickly. WELCOME TO LARGE SCALE eh! Enjoy the forum. Later eh…Brian.
Okay, thanks. I’ll avoid the Bachmann sets. Right now, I have my eye on the LGB Pennsy Passenger starter set. But, I still don’t know where in the yard to start out.
[8]TrainFreak409[8]
Once you have a layout operating then the Bachmann sets are terrific. Its just the track thats bad. The track provided for LGB starter set is as pretty basic an oval as you can get, 6 curves and 2 maybe 4 straights.
When thinking about where to put track the best place to start is ask yourself…
“where will I be viewing this from?” a patio?, a gazebo?, bench?
what can you see from there? would an larger expanded oval work in the center of the area be best or a dogbone type layout that wraps along the edge of the viewing area be better.
Hello there,
I started with a LGB starter set and it just keeps growing !
I can’t say much about the other manufacturers but the starter was excellent for my needs.As said in earlier posts,start off simple with a loop.You will want to leave you’re train running.Keep the set close to the house to start with so that it is easy to use.
As vsmith says,think of a track plan.I have taken up my entire layout about 3 times so far and I’m still not completely happy with it.
Also,do you’re own thing ! If it makes you happy then it has got to be good.
I wish I worked in a train shop.I’d be bankrupt by now!
Troy
Just go EXTREAME Large Scale[:D] and [#welcome] to it!
Yes I too started with an LGB starter set and soon I will have 130 m or 400’ of track with 4 locos, all being controlled by LGB MTS. You have been given a bit of not quite right info, the size of your layout nor the tightness of the curves will affect the size of your power supply. What will affect it is the number and type of locos youhave running and/or as I do, having illuminated carriages for night running these will affect the size of the power pack. Also track side stuff that draws power.
Another thing which is right but not 100 % so, is if you run LGB and i wouldn’t run anything else, the size of your locos and rolling stck will have no undue affect on how the curves work, all will run on R3 albeit they will look a bit funny though, running a Mikado on R3, my Mallet looks funny and it is much smaller.
Do not consider buying anything until you have your starter set going and just like topsy it will grow from there. You will get your own ideas and just take it easy step by step, less is more!
A message for your mother, if she likes to have a drink in the evenings, nothing is better relaxation than watching the little lights of loco and carriages running around in the dark. And this may well be your next addition, illumination of carriages.
Rgs from downunder
ian
Hi TrainFreak
I started with an LGB train Set as well.
All the advice so far has been good.
The Aussies on the forum will be familiar with the KISS principle
which means Keep It Simple Stupid in Aus this is NOT insulting in the planning concepts and context where it is used.
It is the principle that must be remembered when doing you track plan
stations like Sydney Central, Paddington or Grand Central what ever the US equivelent is are out, otherwise you will be spending all your time on maintainace instead of playing trains, another piece of advice I can offer.
All the articals I read when I started said bury the wiring under the track
DON’T DO IT instead bury pipes beside the line with small pits made from 6" pipe and end caps for the lids this way wiring can be easaly added to
or changed.
The ugly looking pits can be painted in earth tones and then softend by some clever use of plantings if the wiring is buried under the track altering or repairing it will become a night mare.
regards John
John
I like that tip!
Guess you could blow some extra “jet line” in there to make another pull if need be.
Hibluebonnet-71
I take it you mean the pipe one.
I used 50mm pvc waste pipe for the pipe run so at the moment have plenty of room for more wiring I just use pvc coated steel washing line as a pull wire to pull in new wiring
For “long” (a bit subjective) runs i just use a little dish washing liquid to ease the passage of the wire there is a proper lubricant you can buy for this kind of thing, but as I haven’t just about filled the pipes or got realy long runs can get away without it. but you must protect the top of the pipe and pit where the wire is being pulled in as the wire can cut in to it
regards John
Well, I always say “Keep It Stupidly Simple” [;)][8D][:D]
What has been said about burying wires and using plastic conduit is very good advice or a waste of time, depending on the wire involved and wherever you live, as the climate and soil will affect things. The little bit about the pits, is more important than you realise if you do use conduits.
I do not bury the wires in the ground and it works for me but then again what works in one set up may not work in others.
Rgs ian
Trainfreak,
before gettting excited, we suggest looking for local garden train clubs. You will learn lots and see what works in your area. What works for others might not work the best in your vicinity. Also don’t rush into anything. After joining a local club you might find may new sources for great stuff. We have a great local club that have been a great source for info.
We are in the same club as Mark & Sue Smith and enjoy it immensely.
From reading posts regarding clubs in the past, I think a misunderstanding is clouding the perception of what a garden RR club is all about.
Most clubs DO NOT have a “club layout” but are a collection of home layouts.
Our Minnesota club has voluntary open houses at members homes throughout the warm weather months. Garden railroading around here is as much social as it is a hobby.
A majority of our wifes also come to these open houses and have formed friendships with other women as well as the guys. Lets face it guys, having the wifes involved does make the whole experience much better.
So don’t put down membership in a garden railroad club based on horror storys of small scale clubs.
Don’t have a club?..Start One!!!
Our club was started by one man who didn’t even have a layout, only a track set up on the floor.
This man rented a table at the Minnesota State Fair…hung a sign on the front of the table and now we have 80 some members.
If this sounds like a plug for garden railroad clubs…IT IS.
Join a club or start one, you won’t regret that decision.
Yes I realize that some of you live in remote areas and club membership would involve long drives to an open house.
Some of our members live as much as eighty miles away from the twin cities but still come to the open houses. And we go to their open houses also.
May all your weeds be wild flowers…OLD DAD
Hi Old Dad
Sounds a lot like the LGB club of Aus to me[:D]
But the important bit on the visiting for the beginer is to see what others are doing and running.
We can make all the sugestions we like there is no substitute for seeing how railways have been built in the local area as they will take into account local weather and soil type.
Unfortunatly they don’t take domestic managements favorite rose right in the middle of where we want to put the railway reserve but thats another story and we just have to go round that[:)]
regards John
John
Rose bush’s, there was no way I could avoid one, but the domestic commander was adamant that the rose bush was staying.
Wait to winter, pruned the rose bush, well, sort of.
The pruning was at the base, and I left the top bit still attached to the fence. Got away with it until spring. Strange it did not flower ???
see, model trains can be dangerous…
Tony.
Your right John, the important thing for a beginer of any age is to see how others in their area have built layouts. This is what I was trying to say in my usual soap box way…not always as clear as I intend it to be.
Club membership for a “veteran” garden railroader can be every bit as rewarding as for a beginer.
So my advice for you Mr. TrainFreak409 is to find a club (if there is one) and join them. We have members in our group who don’t have a layout but come for the ideas and the social aspect of the club. Talk your mother into coming with you I think she would enjoy the experience also.
OLD DAD
Hi Larry,
Messed up my first reply so I’m doing this again. Anyhow, in my case it’s no club, no other layouts, no nothin"! Oh well, I still plan on starting a club here in the fall. Gonna’ put up a post at the hobby shops after holidays are over. Until then it’s “I hope this works!” Later eh…Brian.
Hi Brian,
I know that you have slim pickings up there or at least it may seem that way. It didn’t seem like we had many people interested in garden railroads ten years ago but look at the numbers we have now.
“Build it and they will come”. If that ONE guy didn’t try to start our club it could have been years before a club was formed…if ever.
So put some of that “Brian promotional know-how” to work and just maybe a few potential members will come out of the garden and join your club. You only need one or two to start with and together you can make it grow larger.
OLD DAD…Larry T.
P.S. Why are you waiting untill fall?