Does your garden include engines, rolling stock, turntable pits and switchstands? When you visit a garden centre, do you ignore the towering magnolias and mophead hydrangeas in favour of plants with tiny leaves and miniature flowers? If so says C. W. Cameron of the Atlanta Journal-Constitution, you are one of a growing group of gardening hobbyists who have their own magazine – Garden Railways – and their own society, the Garden Railway Association with regional and national conventions.
Model railways outside of the United States that is, where they are railroads. Most of Canada also but once across the ranges of the Rockies, they once again revert to garden railways. For example, British Columbia has the Vancouver Island
Model Railway Club and
Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club.
Although the power source is frequently electricity, live steam is popular. The gauges tend to be larger than those used indoors as small sizes are hard to maintain in an outdoor environment. The locomotives may be radio controlled with digital audio on board to sound like a real train. Ponds are used to imitate lakes and even the sea with rocks and boulders doubling as cliffs and mountains. Tunnels may be a problem because of animals such as cats, raccoons and skunks using them for shelter, nesting and even hibernation.
Many gardeners have the railway as a secondary hobby to gardening. Even botanical gardens have become involved. During the summer season of 2005, Atlanta Botanical Gardens featured a complete railroad layout.
The challenge for home gardeners who become backyard model railroad enthusiasts lies in the selection of suitable plants. Dwarf varieties are usually preferred but cultural knowledge is also needed, especially pruning, which may verge on bonsai practices.
Small-leafed forms such as those found in various cotoneasters make an excellent choice. Similarly, short-needled conifers, for instance dwarf spruce, work better than long-needled mugo pine. Flowerbeds can be recreated using ornamental thyme but the real challenge comes to imitating grassy areas – perhaps with Irish moss.
Outside of coastal British Columbia, one might think the infamous extremes of Canadian climate would discourage garden railroaders, but far from it. In the west there is the Calgary-based Rocky Mountain Garden Railroader whose website (
link) features plenty of pictures, as does that of
Ontario’s Backyard Railroaders in Newmarket, north of Toronto. The capital city boasts of the
Ottawa Garden Railway.
Those seeking inspiration, advice and supplies in the east might try the Winona Garden Railway, 7457 Boyce Drive, Puslinch, south of Guelph, Ontario (519-763-9477), a large scale only train store with an equally impressive layout.
In Surrey, B.C., the Art Knapp Garden Centre & Railway, Surrey, B.C. features a G-scale layout and ample kits and other essentials
info@artknappsurrey.com;
info@artknapptrains.com. Fun for the whole family will be found in Naton, about an hour’s drive from Calgary, Alberta, at the
Big Sky Garden Railway, 2121 18th Street.
Further afield the oldest model village in the world and the largest garden railway in Britain is Behonscot at Beaconsfield, Buckinghamshire, which commenced building 1920s, and opened to public in 1978. Portraying a mythical English system of the 1930s, since then it has been viewed by over 14 million visitors, covers two acres with 10 scale miles attended by 12 fulltime staff, more during the busy season.
Still looking for more? Check out the
Garden Trains Association.
