Large Scale Central

Garden railroading at the WDC H&G show

General Discussion
#1

I have been pretty busy this past week and a half promoting my biz and the hobby. We (me and a couple of the guys) set up a garden train display for this past weekend’s Washington DC Home and Garden Show. The track plan was simple with a large loop (about a 100 feet with 8 foot curves) and a passing siding.

The track was on a raised two foot high bed anchored by an Okame cherry and southern magnolia at the ends. Track was on ripped down OSB. Mountains were created with chicken wire on wood frame, covered with weed cloth and mulch. The layout also featured a small waterfall and pond with the trains running over the waterfall. We got a prime spot in the center of the displays right off the entrance balcony -

and it looked great down on the floor -

and the judges shined favorably on us with a blue ribbon for “Best Specialty Garden” -

We kept two to three trains running at most times with a mix of battery and track power. I kept the trains short and ran my kitbashed locos including the Dunkirk, boxcab, 7/8’s rail truck and eggliner train. I got the most questions about the egg train.

We exposed many people to the hobby who had never seen large scale garden trains before. A few folks from the club helped docent, keeping the trains running and those little fingers off of them. It was a ton of work with four days of set up with much prep work, four days of display and last night and today’s break down. I’ll all done in but got my first call about a garden train layout install already today. -Brian

#2

Nice!

#3

Great looking display. I’ve always been of the same mind as Paul Race when he says that to get the GR hobby to grow, we need starter sets in Lowes Home Harbor Depot, or whatever your local big box home store is called.

#4

The Gateway Garden Railroad Club has been doing the Home Shows in St Louis for about 4 years now, in one form or another… We had been setting up in a “Landscapers”" display in the spring, and we were setting up the club modules in the fall… This year, we are not doing the St louis show this spring, but we are setting up a smaller layout in the Home Show over in St Charles, in April… It shows “Garden Railroading”" to a totally different group of people…

#5

Brain,
Your work is excellent! I agree this is a great hobby with many skills to learn that only enhances one’s ability. Now if we could just do something about the dang out of control track prices we would all be good!

#6

Great photos, Brian! Who’s the bloke in the red hat?

#7

Thanks guys!

Dave, the man is the red hat is club member, Jeff Schmaltz, former first hubby and club webmaster (I took over the reigns of the club from his wife, Sue). Jeff was very helpful keeping me awake Thursday, the first day of the show when things were slow (it got much busier Friday and doubly so on the weekend). Both Schmaltzes were down on Sunday to help out.

-Brian

#8

Brilan-

Having been active with numbers of home shows – with train setups – those involved have found some interest from attendees as to how, how much, is it hard, and can you leave the track outside? series of questions. However, the residual remains a mystery as to whether those attending create their own garden railway. My guess is very little residual is the outcome if starts of systems is the measurement.

What has been your experience from those attending?

Thanks,

Wendell

#9

It was seeing Large Scale Trains at the San Diego Home Show at the Del Mar Fairgrounds that first peaked my interest. It took about 5 years and three moves (the Navy is like that) to finally have somewhere to lay that first rail, but I was hooked.