From
Will Shilling / Photos for the Dispatch

A freight train rumbles through a tunnel along the layout of Jack and Cecil Easterday.

 

Treated 2-by-6s are the roadbed for the Easterdays' line, which has a Western theme. Jack, in the background, is shooting photos.

 

More track will be laid on the 2-by-6 roadbed being constructed beyond the wooden trestle.

 

Cecil and Jack Easterday are surrounded by railway cars in what used to be a bedroom of their home.

 
Experts offer tips to help you get on track

Before you decide to answer that "All aboard!" for a garden railway, consider these suggestions from members of the Columbus Garden Railway Society and other train buffs.

Layout

Beginners have a few other options besides an oval:

Point to point, a line running from one place in the yard to another.

  • U-shaped, with the line forming a horseshoe.

  • Dog bone, a straight section with loops on either end.

    Avoid figure 8s, at least at first, because of the skill needed in grade changes and curves, said Bill Logan.

    Grades should be no more than 3 inches for every 100 inches.

    Railway fans find that a raised bed has advantages for permanent layouts; less stooping is required to maintain plants and trains.

    Richard and Barbara Abler, for instance, have a sloping homesite. Their track is built into a terrace of the hill, putting everything in easy reach.

    Roadbeds

    Once the layout is decided, use 2-by-6s laid on the ground or dig a shallow trench and fill it with gravel (turkey grit is perfect scale).

    This provides a firm footing for the track and allows the line to rise and fall as the ground freezes and thaws. The right bed will prevent the track from buckling.

    Security

    "Out of sight, out of mind," is a good guide, Logan said. Most enthusiasts build their lines in private areas of their property to avoid tempting passers-by to take a souvenir.

    Maintenance

    Nature blocks tracks with twigs, leaves and rust. An electrically charged track has to be cleaned regularly to ensure a good flow of juice.

    Track-cleaning cars are available for about $500, but drywall sanders with a scrubbing pad attached work fine. Cleaning rust depends on the amount of rain; the more rain, the more rust.

    Storage

    While the engines and cars are weather-resistant, they aren't submarines, Logan said. Most people store them indoors when they aren't in use.

    Some enthusiasts cut a hole in the wall of the house or garage and lay a line that allows them to run the train indoors for storage, saving the steps needed to bring in engines and cars, which can weigh 15 pounds.

    Wiring

  • If you can hook up a train under the Christmas tree, you probably can wire a garden railway. The only danger from electrified rails comes in the form of a mild shock if wet hands are placed on them. Otherwise you can put your hand on the track and not feel anything.

All aboard!
Scale-model railways in the back yard appeal to all ages
Sunday, April 21, 2002
Michael Leach
Columbus Dispatch Garden Reporter

The clickety-clack, clickety-clack of steel wheels on rails and the whoo-whoo of train whistles sound a siren song drawing people to build railroads in their back yards.

Garden railways mix scale-model trains, buildings and plants with whimsy in a hobby appealing to all ages.

Tempting these train buffs are lengthy routes featuring trestles, tunnels, forests, waterfalls and trackside villages.

While layouts can be sophisticated and cost thousands of dollars, they can be simple as well.

"The hobby should be fun," said Chip Rosenblum, a member of the Columbus Garden Railway Society and veteran railway builder at work on a layout at his new home in Bexley. "It's adult therapy."

That is one reason garden railroading continues to grow.

Railroaders come from all backgrounds and ages, said Richard Abler, who edits the railway society newsletter for the 120 members and their families.

Lines are as varied as the people who build them, from accurate re-creations of a specific area to whimsical lines that appear to be built and populated by leprechauns.

"You have a myriad of approaches," Rosenblum said. "You start small and get a better idea."

"There's no right or wrong way," said Jack Easterday. He and his wife Cecil operate a line that has hand-built trestles, a waterfall and a stony area meant to suggest the Rocky Mountains.

The Easterdays are far from finished.

A separate layout is being built for a circus train, and they're adding a stretch of track with wider curves to the main line to accommodate long passenger cars bought since the line was built.

Adding on is not uncommon among railroaders; the Easterdays' railroad wasn't always this elaborate.

After they decided to move their G scale -- garden scale -- trains outside, they simply put track on the flat front lawn of their Northwest Side home.

A yard isn't necessary. The Easterdays have a small layout on the deck.

Think of this first phase as putting a toy train around the Christmas tree, only on a larger scale. A bed of mulch under an oval layout is adequate to begin.

Starter kits, which include engine, cars, several feet of track and a transformer can be had for $250 to $350. Simple trains made in China are available for $50 and sometimes less at discount stores, Rosenblum said.

As newcomers get the hang of running trains, they may develop a theme or historic look for the line.

Inspired by the garden railway at AmeriFlora '92 in Franklin Park, the Easterdays hired designer Paul Busse of Alexandria, Ky., to help them create the first installment of their permanent line.

Tons of rock and earth were moved to make the pond, waterfall and hillsides of their slice of the West.

The railway garden is a focal point from the glass-walled living room, a plus for any line.

Besides the garden view during the day, lighted buildings and trains create a magical scene at night.

The soothing sounds of clickety-clack, clickety-clack and lonesome whistles coming through open windows add to the atmosphere.

While this rugged section is dramatic, most novices would find it too challenging to build.

Like real trains, garden engines have trouble climbing steep grades. Curving grades complicate the situation even more, said Bill Logan, one of the society's members working with Franklin Park Conservatory on a garden layout that is to open this summer.

As railroaders learn operations, they also learn how they want the train to fit into the landscape.

A railway adds movement, color, graphics (on cars and buildings), architecture and proportion to the landscape, Logan said. That can take some planning for best effect.

Garden railway operators also learn to deal with rusty tracks and marauding squirrels and raccoons.

Besides unwanted digging and occasional droppings, wildlife presents other problems.

Rabbits use tunnels for dens, and squirrels and raccoons sometimes carry off the little people and other small accessories.

But horror-movie scale animals don't frighten some would-be railroaders as much as wires, layouts and plants.

Train power is fairly simple.

Some trains operate with batteries. Turn them on and let them run.

Others are powered by electricity drawn from the rails. Speed and direction are changed with radio control, an upgrade available for less than $100. The control unit resembles devices used by model airplane enthusiasts.

Advanced engineers, such as Rosenblum, opt for steam-powered engines, scale versions of those used on real railroads and similar to the original garden railways developed in England.

As for a layout, simple is best. To get a feel for a layout, lay a garden hose on the ground until you get a shape you like, Abler said.

Plants can be daunting, especially for model railroaders who have never been to a nursery, Abler said.

Boxwood, dwarf Alberta spruce and woolly thyme frequently appear in layouts, but some railway gardens use everyday plants for the whimsical juxtaposition of a tiny train next to say a big-leaf hosta.

Generally the "10-foot rule" is a sound guide for plants, buildings and accessories. If items look proportional from a distance of 10 feet -- the typical distance between layout and viewers -- go with that, Logan said. Precise detail essential for indoor railroads isn't that important outdoors.

While the starter kit's instruction manual doesn't mention it, socializing is part of package. Neighbors and friends are likely to visit just to see what's new.

The Columbus Garden Railway Society encourages camaraderie by having monthly meetings at a different member's home, usually one with a layout.

Even rain doesn't stop visitors during the group's annual open-garden tour in September. The Easterdays had 400 umbrella-covered visitors one rainy tour Sunday.

Club members offer advice and sometimes help with construction.

Multifaceted garden railroading offers more than a chance to run toy trains outside.

"It's a journey, not a destination," Logan said.

(c) 2002, Columbus Dispatch, Used with permission