Garden Railroad Ideas

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  Garden railroads combine two hobbies, model railroading and gardening, to create an unusual addition to a backyard landscape. While traditional model railroad layouts are located indoors on train tables, garden railroads are built outdoors using G scale trains and accessories and using aspects of nature and functional gardens to add charm and living scenery to the project.

Herb Garden Railroad

• When considering plants for your garden railroad, herbs are a practical choice. Their scale is similar to the shrubs and trees that grow near real-life railways. In addition, herbs grow best with full sunlight and minimal water, which is common in the open gardens best suited for viewing model trains. Choose rosemary to replicate pine trees. Thyme bears a similarity to several deciduous trees, or can be planted in clusters to mimic a shrub. Basil and parsley can provide green foliage. One of the greatest benefits of planting herbs in your garden railroad is that pruning them results in trimmings for kitchen use.

Alpine Garden Railroad

• A mountain landscape is an attractive railroad garden option; a dwarf alpine garden can include rolling hills and colorful flowers. Choose dwarf conifers to create tiny forests on sunny hillsides. Use dianthus, miniature daisies or dwarf violets for ground coverage with small, colorful flowers. Rocks are a staple in alpine landscaping, and rocks are a clean and dry option for close proximity to the electric parts of a model railroad. Add Scotch moss over rocks away from the tracks for additional greenery.

Water Features

• Garden railroads can be built around existing ponds and waterfalls, or you can add a water feature to your garden railroad. Since most model railways operate on a loop of track, the center is an optimum location for a pond or other water feature. Keep in mind that filters, pumps and liners will be required to ensure clean, flowing water and the pond or other feature must be constructed on level ground to avoid spillover. Ambitious garden railroaders can build a bridge so the train passes over the water instead of circling around it. When considering bridges, lay out this aspect of the project first to avoid the need to tear up track and start over should the rest of the rails fail to line up.