Fresh from the Stoneleigh show where I was able to pick up some little bibs and bobs, to make my railway a little more scenic, and some fresh ideas. I began to reflect about David Pratt’s article Why Build Out Doors? on G Scale Mad website about the purpose of railways. I am afraid I have to admit to just trying to get as much track and operating ability as I could in my small garden without trying to think about the reason why anyone would build a railway in my  model world.

I probably like quite a few others have purchased a wide selection of engines and rolling stock over the years. I tend to buy what I like the look of and what I can afford. However David has a very interesting point and it has made me give some serious thought to the Lakeside, Gorge and Bridgend Railway Company.

 It is set on a hillside that time seems to have passed by. It is privately owned and therefore purchases engines and rolling stock from a variety of sources. Mainly second hand surplus stock from other railway Companies. This explains the differing liveries on display.

Although the original purchase of a Stainz and coaches by the owners was purely a whim and was for their recreational use only. They realised that the railway could benefit the local community and their estate business. So a programme of extensions was planned. One was to join the line to main line at Harpsden. The others were planned around the slate and timber in the area. A small tramway was also set up for local visitors to get a close up view of the waterfall and scenery.

I think that story justifies my hotch potch of rolling stock and of course being a private railway the owner is able to change bits here and there. Supposedly to improve running but really he is a budding Brunel who loves building railways.

But what makes a garden railway special for me are the little scenes that you can set up. Seeing other people’s railways has been a real eye opener for me. The attention to detail that some railways have achieved is a credit to their constructors.

Some have taken a lifetime, others one season. But all are special to their owners.

With all this in mind I have been buying small plants from the local market to create a more realistic landscape in some areas.

In a small garden some compromises always have to be made.

It was always my plan to try to blend railway and garden together so neither took over completely. So Dwarf conifers, box hedging, small hebes, campanula, creeping thymes and a plant called mind your own business (which always raises eyebrows when visitors ask what it is and you tell them). These all seem to grow no matter what the soil is like and mine is heavy clay.

Then one needs buildings. There are some excellent heavy duty ones from Tuxcraft which are ideal if you have active children or dogs to contend with. I have a selection of resin kits from Pendlebury Models which are easy to construct and weather well throughout the winters. I purchased a station from British Outline which although harder to make is more flexible in the design of finished model. I should point that I have no skills as a model maker apart from always being able to glue several fingers together or to the kit I am making. But even I can produce a reasonable good looking building at the end of the day from these kits. Although I am sure the makers would weep at my attempts. I have also put lights in these buildings to add a completely different perspective at night.

 I am hoping to have a go this year at making a scratch built watermill and looking to find some suitable construction materials at the shows this year. Although I am not sure yet how to it is going to look or how I am going to make the actual water wheel. But that is the challenge that makes this hobby special.

After the buildings we need the people and apart from some LGB ones and some second hand ones.  I have purchased some from Busybodies which you have to paint but are really good value. I am also having a go at making my own from modelling clay but I have not got past the prototype one yet. He looks a bit like ET but I am working on it.

The last ingredient is those props that finish off the scene and here Perfect World have many of the answers they have a wide range of metal products from flower tubs to station fire buckets. Add the odd vehicle and the scene is set.

I now know why garden railways are never finished there is always something that catches your eye and says “ buy me” and you are off again trying to fit it in somewhere on your layout.

To me however the best part of G scale has been the new friends that I have made and who have freely given their help and advice over the past couple of years.

This is purely a personal view. Please feel free to make any comments or suggestions on the Roger's Rambling's section of the G Scale Mad Forum.

ROGER PALMER 2005.