When I saw your topic title, I thought it was a spam for some slinky "nature girl" who comes and works out in your garden. lol

I haven't built a model railroad/train in the garden, but check out this fantastic one at the Chicago Botanical Garden. It may give you inspiration, or maybe you could write them for pointers.

Here is a link that might be useful: garden model railroad

The most recent issue of Birds & Blooms has a model train featured in a garden--what fun it looked like to have one in the garden--gave me ideas!

Thanks for the information!! Cady you are too funny with the thoughts of me being a slinky nature girl wanting to work out in your yards...mine is big enough for me to work in-thank you. LOL. Heartsease I have bought some copies of the magazine and am looking for the garden train article. I never heard of this magazine before. It is a very nice one. Here are some photos to show our O-gauge 3 rail garden train in the beginning progress. Right now my husband will next install the train tracks on them. Then we will plant some bonsai plants,etc... and have chat layered around that so the dirt hill will stay put in any kind of weather. We had a dry creek bed built below the train raised area too. We hope it'll look cool when we are done. It is a labor of love!!

Beca

Here is a link that might be useful: Dan & Beca's garden train layout

I have a friend in Missouri who has an extensive model train in his backyard and although I never have actually seen it, he sent me some photos of it one time and it was charming. He said all he had to do was bring in the trains in winter and keep the tracks brushed off every now and then. He is nuts about trains. Several years ago I found a wooden train whistle in a toy store in New Orleans that had a slide so you could create the Doppler effect while blowing it. It was so cool, so I sent it to him as a gift. If I ever find another one I'll get it for you.
Cheryl

Thanks Cheryl! I'm sure that whistle is something else. Your friend sounds like my husband too. If you are ever in San Diego, California....check out the model train museum in Balboa Park. Dan designed the control system and wired the San Diego Children's Model Train Museum in 2004 (with a friend). Besides building the garden train outside-he has his own room that he will be laying down a few different model trains tracks. He is a busy boy!!

Beca, there is a Garden Railways magazine, so this must be getting more popular and have a large number of folks involved. I'm impressed by the work your husband is doing. The indoor type is enough for us!

My husband has an indoor HO scale setup and enjoys building all the accessory buildings of a small 1950's era small town and 'antiquing' them. Tiny barbershop with the red/white striped pole and old advertising placards and pot of Sanseveria in window. Looks like Floyd's barbershop in Mayberry from the old Andy Griffin show...LOL I've had fun helping find twigs to use for trees and shrubs, but fortunately they don't have to be kept alive.

The Rock Garden/Alpine forum may have some good ideas for small hardy plants for you. Good luck...josh

Here is a link that might be useful: Garden Railways

I had a friend who had a train running through his garden. He had it so it would run through his house and basement and out a 'flap' into his garden.

He was a 'train nut' and insisted on making it realistic using vegetation around the train that was 'to scale'. For example using bonsai trees and dwarf Rhodendrums, and Irish moss for "grass" around the little buildings. The rest of his garden was all green stuff with mostly hostas and sedum never any flowers. He thought it ridiculous when he saw magazine pictures with trains running through petunias. His 'train garden' looked like green rolling hillside with a train that would run through.

Be careful, trains can become 'addictive'! Once you get started there is always so much more to learn and do. Then of course, there are train swap meets to attend. This guy had his whole house decorated with train stuff he bought off eBay. He had curio cabinets filled with trains and other train collectables like the dinnerware used on old time dining cars and cases with antique railroad tools on display.

Do you really have time for another hobby? LOL.

It's too late Bud. He IS a train nut already!!! LOL. Thanks for the info on your friends garden. Sounds beautiful.
Josh...your train layout sounds really nice. My husband had a layout started a few years ago but had to disassemble it when we moved. I will look up some plants in the Rock Garden/Alpine forum. We are going to wait now and plant in the fall when it is cooler. This way we can check out every plant possible and make sure it'll be able to stand the heat and winds we have.

I just got into this hobby and am building my layout (under
my wifes supervision of course) You really need to use a "G"
scale train. They are larger than "O" and are made to run out doors. It's a bit expensive, but start small. Check out
your local hobby store. They may be able to help you more. The Garden Web needs to add this hoby to their forums.