I have had a lot of model railroads over the decades – here are the ones I have done in G Gauge:
Front Porch Santa Train – My first G Gauge Layout  – See bottom of this page for all 6 years of this technological marvel!
Outdoor Back Yard Train – See below
Indoor Railroad




Some track on the mulch, a transformer and a train, that’s how it started……..


……and all about the Garden Branch is below – the Indoor Branch that replaced it is HERE.


Overall Information

Model Railroads Page 1 – From the very early years (about 1945) to the Garden Railroad beginning (August 2008)


Above – August 9, 2008 – A flower garden with track laid on the mulch. Do we want a garden railroad?

Model Railroads Page 2 – Frankfort Terminal Railroad expansion (May 2009)

Model Railroads Page 3 – Frankfort Terminal Railroad ballast and wiring (May 2009)


Above – August 29, 2009 – Yes, we do; a new south loop, new plants, four new buildings and the roads connecting them, new solar lights and new mulch.

Model Railroads Page 8 – Railroad Economics from a Five Year Old (October 2009)

Model Railroads Page 10 – Choo-Choo Gone!! (February 2010)

Model Railroads Page 11 – We Found It (March 2010)

Model Railroads Page 12 – Spring Projects Get Underway (March 2010)

Model Railroads Page 14 – But then the Chief Gardener said, “Why don’t we……” (May 2010)

Model Railroads Page 15 – “……and then we could……….” (June and July 2010)

Model Railroads Page 22a – Track Crew Cleanup (September 2010)

Model Railroads Page 23 – Rubber Roads! (September 2010)  Phase One Roads Finished – Web Page Report (December, 2012)


Above – October 23, 2010 – Overall view after a long, hot and productive summer. Eight more buildings, a new road, a lot more green area and a reverse loop siding behind the church (preacher says, ‘No whistle tooting on Sunday.’).


Model Railroads Page 28a – Our First Open House (August 20, 2011)

Model Railroads Page 28b – While it is all purty – more pix (August 21, 2011)


Model Railroads Page 29 – Back Yard Final Run for the Year and Santa Train Test (October 25, 2012)


Above – June 2, 2013 – Overall view – working on other projects, and a very wet spring, means that the rapidly growing ground cover is covering more than just the ground. The south loop track has disappeared! Guess we’ll have to call out Woody and the crew again.


Above – April 2, 2017 – The track is complete for now and the RBRBB (Really Big Red Brick Building) is in place to house the electronics. Now it is time to build a rock wall to support this saggy track around the tree.


Above – May 24, 2017 – The South Side Sag has been mitigated by the Pile O’ Rocks Wall. It has even been thunderstorm tested and found to be stable; the interstitial use of rocks of four basic sizes also allows drainage.

Above – May 24, 2017 – The overall views.


Model Railroads Page 30 – How About a West End Rail Yard? (May 4, 2014)

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Below – November 18, 2016 – All my power units in the yard on a 70 degree late fall day. Guess which ones Grandma decided we needed.

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Model Railroads Page 33 – Our Second Open House (September 29, 2018)


Above – September 29, 2018 – Testing (i. e. playing with) my new radio controlled switch engine before the club members and guests arrive for the big open house.


Final Run – September 14, 2020

September 20, 2020 – A rainy, miserable day in a miserable year – somehow it seems like an appropriate time to start a miserable task.

October 3, 2020 – The miles of wiring were the final traces removed.

January 17, 2021 – Let’s clear out these cabinets and build a new indoor railroad!

October 3, 2020 – Mulch Again – the Chief Gardner has her garden back!

Rolling Stock – Passenger

Rolling Stock – Freight


Structures and Other Details

Model Railroads Page 4 – The Train Station (June & July 2009 & 2010, 2011 Updates)

Model Railroads Page 5 – The Farm House (July & August 2009 & 2011 Update)

Model Railroads Page 6 – The Barn (July & August 2009 & 2011 Update)

Model Railroads Page 7 – The Maintenance of Way Building (July & August 2009 & 2011 Update)

Model Railroads Page 13 – Scratchbuilding an Engine House (April 2010 thru March 2015) Update on the location plan…

Model Railroads Page 16 – A Church to Feed the Soul (May thru October 2010)

Model Railroads Page 17 – A School to Feed the Mind (May thru October 2010)

Model Railroads Page 18 – A Cafe to Feed the Body (June thru September 2010)

Model Railroads Page 19 – A Gazebo to Feed the Spirit  Web Pages Finished! (June 2013)

Model Railroads Page 20 – A General Store to Buy the Feed  Web Pages Finished! (September 2011)

Model Railroads Page 21 – A Town Hall to Feed on the Populace  Building Finished – Web Page in Progress

Model Railroads Page 22 – A Gas Station to Feed the Machines – and fix the broke ones

Model Railroads Page 24 – Utility Cabinet

Model Railroads Page 26 – The RBRBB – A Major Industry to House the Electronics

Model Railroads Page 28 – A Strange Power Supply Housing

Santa Train

2007 – In the beginning…

2008 – See and hear….

2009 – A real Christmas train is rebuilt for duty….

2010 – Snow Fence and a Mystery Solved

2011 – Ed the Polar Bear is Roaming….

2012 – Some major upgrades and a Tough Decision

2013 – The front porch Santa layout is gone, however…..


Return to the Top


Comments

Railroad Models Index — 2 Comments

    • Hi Tom,
      Thanks, I’m glad you like it. The motion-controlled Santa Train ran every winter on our front porch from 2007 to 2012. I retired that seasonal layout but the Santa Train runs occasionally in the back yard at holiday time.

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