G-Scale Model Train - Popularity and Planning
The first time I saw a Garden Scale Model Railroad - the famous Bekonscot Model Village in Buckinghamshire, England, I knew I would one day have G scale model trains in my own backyard garden at home.
And while I knew mine would not be as grand as the nearly 10 scale miles of the oldest model park ever built, and would probably not become a mecca for thousands of tourists each year, I was excited to have discovered a hobby that incorporates the passion of model building with the relaxation of gardening - and fun! Bekonscot is where the garden railroad hobby began.
But right from the start, it caught the imagination of gardeners and model railway hobbyists alike, and more G-scale railroad model villages sprang up in other large gardens nearly overnight.
And the hobby is still growing in popularity today - in fact G scale model trains are one of the fastest growing segments of the model railroading hobby.
Model enthusiasts vie to outdo each other in creating perfect pastoral scenes or villages, fantasy landscapes complete with castles, and amazing scaled bridges over real ponds and pools.
And G-Scale clubs are to be found almost everywhere.
The G of G-Scale or G-Gauge originally stood for the German grob, or big, as the first G-Scale trains came from Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk in Germany.
Today, it's becoming more common to simply call the scale Grand.
Any while originally it was considered a misnomer to think of G-scale as meaning Garden Scale, it's actually now becoming an accepted meaning too, since these large indoor/outdoor trains are built for - and quite at home - in gardens.
Brass tracks and steel wheels keep these big model trains running with little maintenance.
When planning how to install your own G scale model trains, remember, anything you can imagine or build goes! Choose your theme, and make it something you'll enjoy modeling for hours.
Popular G scale model trains can run by electricity or live steam.
Plan to run your tracks around interesting features, including both the models you build yourself or acquire and plantings of miniature shrubs and trees.
You can work around your garden's natural features, but you may also want to do some contouring.
Remember to leave access to your tunnels - a derailed outdoor train out of reach has been the end of more than a few garden railroads.
And then invite family and friends to enjoy!
And while I knew mine would not be as grand as the nearly 10 scale miles of the oldest model park ever built, and would probably not become a mecca for thousands of tourists each year, I was excited to have discovered a hobby that incorporates the passion of model building with the relaxation of gardening - and fun! Bekonscot is where the garden railroad hobby began.
But right from the start, it caught the imagination of gardeners and model railway hobbyists alike, and more G-scale railroad model villages sprang up in other large gardens nearly overnight.
And the hobby is still growing in popularity today - in fact G scale model trains are one of the fastest growing segments of the model railroading hobby.
Model enthusiasts vie to outdo each other in creating perfect pastoral scenes or villages, fantasy landscapes complete with castles, and amazing scaled bridges over real ponds and pools.
And G-Scale clubs are to be found almost everywhere.
The G of G-Scale or G-Gauge originally stood for the German grob, or big, as the first G-Scale trains came from Ernst Paul Lehmann Patentwerk in Germany.
Today, it's becoming more common to simply call the scale Grand.
Any while originally it was considered a misnomer to think of G-scale as meaning Garden Scale, it's actually now becoming an accepted meaning too, since these large indoor/outdoor trains are built for - and quite at home - in gardens.
Brass tracks and steel wheels keep these big model trains running with little maintenance.
When planning how to install your own G scale model trains, remember, anything you can imagine or build goes! Choose your theme, and make it something you'll enjoy modeling for hours.
Popular G scale model trains can run by electricity or live steam.
Plan to run your tracks around interesting features, including both the models you build yourself or acquire and plantings of miniature shrubs and trees.
You can work around your garden's natural features, but you may also want to do some contouring.
Remember to leave access to your tunnels - a derailed outdoor train out of reach has been the end of more than a few garden railroads.
And then invite family and friends to enjoy!
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