Dedicated Enthusiasts Part of the fun of garden railroading is getting together with other hobbyists to see the layouts they've created for their miniaturized railroads. Some of the best and most elaborate G-scale layouts can be found in Las Vegas, Nevada -- home to one of the largest garden-railroad clubs in the US.
In this segment, Chris Chianelli visits with the Van Nettas of Las Vegas (figure A), some dedicated enthusiasts who have done some amazing things with their extensive backyard layout -- including some creative use of miniature buildings and inhabitants in their miniaturized world.
- Charles Van Netta shows Chris a diesel track-cleaning engine that he uses in his garden setup. The wheels on this specialized engine (figure B) incorporate brushes actually clean the tracks as the powerful engine traverses the backyard course .
- The cleaning engine is used to clean the rails about once weekly (figure C ). Though the rails are made of brass so that they won't rust, they can still oxidize on their surfaces. The cleaning engine helps deal with that potential problem, particularly in areas of high humidity.
- The Van Nettas have also gotten very creative with the miniatures they have used to "populate" their miniature layout. They use carved miniature people in period costume (figure D) as well as an assortment of miniature buildings and structures.
- Some of the buildings are actually made by modifying pre-made decorative bird houses (figure E). They've used about twenty birdhouses in their layout.
RESOURCES :
The Large-Scale Model Railroading Handbook
Model: 0801982294
Author: Robert Schleicher:
Scenery for Model Railroads, Miniatures and Dioramas
Model: 0873417097
Author: Robert Schleicher
303 Tips for Detailing Model Railroad Scenery and Structures
Model: 0890242437
Author: Dave Frary
To order this title from Amazon, click here.
How to Build Realistic Model Railroad Scenery
Model: 0890241244
Author: Dave Frary
Scenery for Your Model Railroad: From Backdrop to Tabletop
Model: 0890243239
Kalmbach Publishing Company
Garden Train Association
Garden Train Association
Columbus, OH 43229
Fax: 614-436-3501
Website: www.gardentrains.org
Garden Railways Magazine
Garden Railways Magazine
Waukesha, WI 53187
Fax: 262-796-1615
Website: www.trains.com
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