Anyone on this forum know about or have a garden railway? (models, trains)

[homegrown tomatoes]

Hello,
My son has a question about garden railroads.

Hoping there are folk on this hobby forum who are into trains.

"Is it true that garden railway gauges for the locomotive and cars are all 7.5 inch track even if the rolling stock is 4 inch gauge?
Will it run on 7.5 inch gauge track?"

Thanks!

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by homegrown tomatoes

Hello,
My son has a question about garden railroads.

Hoping there are folk on this hobby forum who are into trains.

"Is it true that garden railway gauges for the locomotive and cars are all 7.5 inch track even if the rolling stock is 4 inch gauge?
Will it run on 7.5 inch gauge track?"

Thanks!

Gauges of garden railroads, called garden railways outside of the US, aren't much larger than inside model train gauges. A 4" gauge would be very large, a 7.5" gauge outside the bounds of a garden railroad. Gauges of 3.5" or more are large enough for people to ride. Small commercial miniature railroads at amusement parks, etc. almost always use gauges of 14" or less. Outside railroads frequently feature locomotives using live steam, sometimes even coal-fired.

The width of the equipment is not closely related to the width of the track. Modern railroads of this sort use wider equipment for a given gauge than in times past. 4" equipment wouldn't be used on a 7.5" gauge; it just wouldn't work. However, the opposite would work well.

Depending on usage, a miniature railroad may mean a model railroad or it may mean a railroad of a size large enough to carry passengers and even freight. There was a law passed in the US over a century ago requiring a two man crew in the operation of a steam locomotive. This effectively killed the industry. However, in Great Britain 10"- 24" railroads were common in industrial settings as well as many estates and even in short line revenue service as well as tourist lines. In addition to railroads, steam vehicles of all sorts were popular in Great Britain, and today there is still great interest. Steam fairs are relatively common and very popular there.

Garden railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

Ridable miniature railway - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

British industrial narrow gauge railways - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

This is a bare start. There is an immense amount of information on railways of all sizes from toys up.

[jambo101]

I dont know much about Garden railways other than i wish i had a garden and enough money to build a garden railway.I'll have to stick with my 4'X8' N scale in the basement for now.A good resource for all things railroad is =
Trains & Railroads - Zealot Hobby Forum

There used to be a garden railway TV show, a trip to youtube will bring up all the episodes.
Heres an example of some ones passion into the garden railroad hobby

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ESwDbeQyF1A

[TechGromit]

Originally Posted by homegrown tomatoes

Hello,
My son has a question about garden railroads.

"Is it true that garden railway gauges for the locomotive and cars are all 7.5 inch track even if the rolling stock is 4 inch gauge?
Will it run on 7.5 inch gauge track?"

I had a garden railway, but I don't think it's the same of what your thinking. Garden Railways usually refer to G Scale model trains that run on 45 mm wide (1.772 in) track. Each train car is about the size of a loaf of bread and runs from $40 to several hundred dollars each. The locomotives usually run about $200 to $300, but I purchased a used one for as little as $40 and you can spend up to $6,000 for some locomotives. The track is designed to be installed outdoors, usually in a garden. Usually the trains are only brought outside when actively using / playing with them.

My layout consisted of a 200 foot long oval track in a garden setting. When I sold the house I had to take down the layout and haven't had the time to set it back up again in my new house. I did set up a smaller layout in my basement, I haven't measured it, but I would say its 120 foot of track.

[LIGuy1202]

No. But my wife and I are thinking of installing one in a couple of years (when we get around to landscaping). I think it would be a hoot to have it make a pass through the front yard on the hour. That way the neighbours can bring their kids by to watch it at an appointed time. Then they can call ours "the train house".

[harry chickpea]

Your son may be confusing live steamers, which run on the 7.5" gauge (width between rails), with something else he has seen, with the common garden railroad. Walt Disney had a 7.5" gauge railroad at home.

7.5" in South Florida
Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad

The recognized gauges are 1, 2½, 3½, 4¾, 7¼, 7½, 10¼, and 15 inch gauge.

[Happy in Wyoming]

Originally Posted by harry chickpea

Your son may be confusing live steamers, which run on the 7.5" gauge (width between rails), with something else he has seen, with the common garden railroad. Walt Disney had a 7.5" gauge railroad at home.

7.5" in South Florida
Tradewinds & Atlantic Railroad

The recognized gauges are 1, 2½, 3½, 4¾, 7¼, 7½, 10¼, and 15 inch gauge.

Live steam does not require 7.5". There are RTR models available on G and (I believe) O gauges. A 3 !/2" is adequate for carrying human passengers. Gauges have generally become smaller in recent years. You can find plenty of live steam on the internet.

[harry chickpea]

Originally Posted by Happy in Wyoming

Live steam does not require 7.5". There are RTR models available on G and (I believe) O gauges. A 3 !/2" is adequate for carrying human passengers. Gauges have generally become smaller in recent years. You can find plenty of live steam on the internet.

Sorry if I gave that impression. I'm aware that steam is not confined to any particular gauge, although IIRC, the smaller gauges manytimes do not develop the pressures needed to be considered "live" steam.

[deckdoc]

yes I have a G-guage layout in my yard and am a member of rocky mountain g scalers here in the springs.
I also have visited 7.5 inch layouts and 15 inch layouts at Stillson RR Park in Scottsdale, Az. Those guys with their riding trains need some ROOM to run and also have some serious bucks in the hobby. A simple gas engine engine runs about $5000 and I talked with a guy that brought his live steamer to show and run that told me is engine/ tender cost him $250,000. Way past my ability to play! Any serious questions PM me~ I'll be glad to answer any questions

[TN Tin Man]

Gauge Chart you can down load Large-scale basics: Download our scale and gauge chart - Garden Railways Magazine