US railroads enter the post-war era with a new sense of optimism that leads the railways to invest billions of dollars in new locomotives, freight equipment and passenger trains. That investment would see retirement of the last steam locomotive by the late 1950s in favor of diesel engines. In spite of this modernization, the railways continue to suffer the decline in the transport market share that began before the war.

The “Model Railroad Garden: Landmarks of America” exhibit picks up steam with new attractions at the Chicago Botanic Garden – a 385-acre living plant museum featuring 23 distinct display gardens surrounded by lakes, as well as a prairie and woodlands.

Visitors can step into an enchanting world of small-scale trains, landmarks and plants, and learn how to combine a love for gardening and G scale model railroading.

The G-scale (garden scale) trains traverse high and low, across bridges and trestles, around miniature buildings and past beautiful plantings designed to scale. Others come to gather ideas for their own backyard garden railway.

Garden railroading is the fastest growing segment of hobby railroading, and more and more gardeners are “getting railroaded.” Today, the United States has as many as 25,000 garden railways.

New scenes in the Garden’s 2006 exhibit include the original Route 66 Diner in Albuquerque, New Mexico, and an all-new Hollywood, complete with Grauman’s Chinese Theatre, the most famous movie theatre in the world.

“Landmarks of America” trains speed on 1,700 feet of track through miniature scenes of the USA’s most treasured sites. Buildings, tunnels and bridges are intricately hand crafted with natural materials, including twigs, bark, leaves, acorns and pebbles. More than 6,000 tiny plants of 175 varieties recreate the geographical landscape of America. Vignettes of tiny people and animals give the exhibit a storybook feel. Sound effects and a working geyser capture imaginations.

Paul Busse of Applied Imagination, Alexandria, Ky., helped design and create the “Landmarks of America” exhibit. Busse’s fascination with trains began at age five when he received an American flyer train. By 1982, he was a landscape architect and entered a model train garden in the Ohio State Fair. Since then, he has enjoyed a career in train garden design. His exhibits are in numerous private and public spaces, including the botanic gardens in New York and Atlanta.

The Chicago Botanic Garden’s 7,500 square foot Model Railroad Garden features 15 trains, including Thomas the Tank Engine, which moves to a new track near Main Street, and two new train lines, the Chicago & North Western and Burlington Route. Other highlights include the Santa Fe Super Chief, Bob “Bozo*” Bell Circus, Napa Valley Wine, Golden Gate Line, Denver & Rio Grande Western and Amtrak. Keep your eyes peeled for the elusive Ladybug Train. A devoted group of Chicago Botanic Garden staff and volunteers work daily to ensure trains run smoothly and on time.

Visitors travel coast to coast from the Seattle Space Needle past Yellowstone, with its Old Faithful Geyser, and Yosemite National Park, underneath the Golden Gate Bridge and past a Napa Valley vineyard, where miniature ivy plants become grapevines. An old-fashioned Hollywood movie set is just a skip across the track from the Muir Woods and Badlands National Park.

The Model Railroad Garden is open from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m. daily, with special hours until 8 p.m. until Monday, Sept 4 2006.

Another six railroad terms in this series:

Three-Step Protection
A safety procedure used for the protection of workers going on, under, or between cars.(1) Apply the brake.(2) Center the reverser.(3) Put the generator field switch in the OFF or OPEN position.

Tons of Operative Brake
Is calculated by dividing the gross trailing tonnage of a train (not including the locomotives) by the total number of cars with operative brakes. Abbreviated as TOB.

Track Barricade
When access to the track is blocked by a sign or obstruction fastened to a track.

Track Car
Equipment, other than trains, operated on a track for inspection or maintenance.
Abbreviated as TC.

Trainmaster
An executive officer who supervises train service operations at terminals, in yard service, and on one or more divisions (or on part of a division).

Turn-Around
A train operated from a terminal to an intermediate station and returned to that terminal in one work shift.

The Overlander train is a journey through the heart of New Zealands North Island, travelling between Auckland – New Zealand’s largest city and home of the Sky Tower, to Wellington – New Zealand’s arts and culture capital.

Along the way the train passes the Central North Island ski towns of National Park and Ohakune, popular with young and old alike. There are spectacular views of New Zealand farmland, the volcanic plateau, Mount Ruapehu, the world famous Raurimu Spiral, and stunning river gorges – all from the panoramic train windows or open air viewing decks allowing you the best possible views.

All carriages feature large panoramic windows giving sweeping views of the magnificent North Island. The Observation Carriage includes a mix of seating including lounge style seating. The lounge style seating is arranged at the very rear of this glass backed carriage enabling passengers to enjoy a totally unique Overlander experience.

The Overlander departs Auckland and Wellington daily.

Here is a list of groups in United Kingdom & Ireland:

Abingdon & District Model Railway Club – Abingdon, Adnalms Järnvägsklubb – modelling the railways of Sweden – UK based club HO scale, Alton Model Railway Group – Alton – North East Hampshire,Andover & District Model Engineering Society, Ayr Model Railway Group Ayr (HO, OO, O and N gauges) – Scotland, Bassetlaw (North Notts) Railway Society – Retford – Nottinghamshire, Falkirk Model Railway Club – Falkirk – Scotland, First Bangor Model Railway Club, Barnsley Model Railway Club Barnsley – South Yorkshire, Barry and Penarth Model Railway Club – Barry – South Wales, Basingstoke & North Hants Model Railway Society, Bassetlaw Railway Society, Beaconsfield And District Model Railway Club (O gauge), Beckenham And West Wickham Model Railroad Club – London, Bentley Model Railway Group Chippenham – Wiltshire, Blackburn & East Lancaster Model Railway Society – Blackburn, Brighton Model Railway Club – Brighton, British 187 Scale Society, Broad Gauge Society, Cambridge Model Engineering Society Cambridge – Cambridgeshire, Central Southern Group Of The Gauge O Guild Wimborne (O Gauge) – Dorset, The Chatham & District Model Railway Club – Chatham, Kent, Chester Model Railway Club, Clay Hill OO Gauge Model Railway Society, Cleveland Model Railway Club Boosbeck – Boosbeck – Guisborough, Clydeside Model Railway Club – Scotland, Colchester & District Model Railway Club (N, HO and OO scale layouts), Crawley Model Railway Society – South East of England, East Grinstead Model Railway Club – East Grinstead, East Kilbride Model Railway Club – OO and N gauge layouts, East Surrey N-Gauge Group, Enfield Town Model Railway Club, Edinburgh & Lothians Miniature Railway Club Edinburgh – Scotland, Ely & District Model Railroad Club Ely, Exeter Model Railway Society Exeter – Devon, Folkestone, Hythe and District Model Railway Club – South-East England, Gainsborough Model Railway Society – Gainsborough – Lincolnshire, The Gauge ‘0’ Guild Limited – Sheffield (O gauge modeling), The Gauge One Development Society, Glasgow & West Of Scotland Model Railway Club, G Scale Society, Ground Level 5 Inch Mainline Association, Hazel Grove And District Model Railway Society Hazel Grove – Stockport, Hull Miniature Railway Society, Ilford & West Essex Model Railway Club, Isle Of Thanet Railway Society – Broadstairs Railway Station, Ipswich Railway Modelers Association Suffolk, Kitmaster Collectors Club, Leamington & Warwick Model Railway Society – South Warwickshire, Letchworth Model Railway Society Letchworth, The Model Railway Club of Lancing – (The LING Club) Lancing – West Sussex, Maidstone Model Engineering Society, Manchester Model Railway Society Manchester, Merseyside Model Railway Society Birkenhead – Merseyside, Mickleover Model Railway Group, Model Electronic Railway Group London, The Model Railway Club Of London, New Mills & District Railway Modellers, The Newcastle Model Railway Club Inc, Newcastle & District Model Railway Society Newcastle upon Tyne, Norbury & South London Transport Club Croydon – Surrey, North East Area Group Of The N Gauge Society, North Mersey Model Rail Show, North Turton O Gauge Group – Edgworth, Nottingham (Bulwell) Model Railway Society, Perth and District Model Railway Club Perth – Perthshire, Preston & District Model Railway Society – Preston, Redditch Model Railway Club, Renfrewshire Model Railway Club – Scotland, Risborugh and District Model Railway Club – Princes Risborough, S Scale Model Railway Society, Scalefour Society British Society, Seaboard Southern Model Railway Club, Sheffield 0 Gauge Group, Solihull Model Railway Circle, South Hants Model Railway Club Portsmouth – Hampshire, Stafford Railway Circle Stafford – Staffordshire, Stockport and District Railway Modellers Stockport – Cheshire, Sutton Model Engineering Club, Swindon Model Railway Club Swindon, The Model Railway Club of London, Twickenham & District Model Railway Club Richmond-upon-Thames, Uckfield Model Railway Club Uckfield – East Sussex, Upson Downs Model & Enthusiast Group, Ulster Model Railway Club – Ulster – Ireland, Warley Model Railway Club – Birmingham, Waveney Valley Model Railway Club Beccles – Suffolk, Western Model Railway Society London, Westford Modellers Group Westford, Weymouth Model Railway Association Broadwey – Dorset, Woking Miniature Railway Society Mizens Farm – Surrey, Worthing Model Railway Club – Worthing, Wyre Forest Model Railway Club Model Railway Club – Kidderminster, Worcestershire.

For details on individual groups visit http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/modelrailroadclubs.html

There is an increasing interest in garden railways, so here is a little piece of interesting information about them. G Scale trains are big and are sometimes referred to as ‘Garden Scale Trains.’ Much of the trains and equipment made in G Scale is suitable for use outside in a Garden Railroad. G scale trains are also ideal for running around the Christmas Tree.

The TranzCoastal train journey travels between the delightful port of Picton and Christchurch in the South Island of New Zealand.

This is a popular rail journey, because it is a liesurely way to get from the capital city (Wellington) in the North Island, crossing Cook Strait by ferry to Picton in the South Island and then by train on to the South Island’s largest city (Christchurch).

This journey is a scenic feast of New Zealand, with the Kaikoura mountain ranges on one side of the train and the rugged Pacific Ocean coastline on the other. Along the way the train passes though the village of Kaikoura, where passengers touring New Zealand can break their journey to take in the whale watching or dare to get closer and swim with the dolphins.

The train travels through some of New Zealand’s finest horticultural and farmland areas, and passengers can see amazing wildlife such as dolphins, seals and penguins from the comfort of the train carriage.

One of the world’s most scenic train journeys, the TranzCoastal travels through 22 tunnels and crosses 175 bridges, one of them being New Zealand’s only road-rail bridge. The TranzCoastal includes an open air viewing carriage where all the senses are awakened with the clean, fresh, sea air.

The TranzCoastal train departs Christchurch and Picton daily.

Here is a list of groups in California:

Alameda County Central Railroad Society, Amtrak Employees Model Railroad Club, Angels Gate Hi-Railers, Antelope Valley Model Railroad Club, Antelope Valley N’Scalers, Bay Area Lego Train Club, Bay Area NTRAK Model Railroad Club, Bay Area Garden Railway Society, Belmont Shore Model Railroad Club, Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club, California Southern Model Railroad Club, Capitol City NTrak, Carquinez Model Railroad Society, Citrus Empire Model Railroad Club, Coachella Valley Model Railroaders, Coastal Valley Lines, Corona & Temescal Canyon Railroad, Black Diamond Lines Model Railroad Club, East Valley Lines, Eel River Valley Model Railroaders, Glendale Model Railroad Club, Gold Coast Modular Railroad Club, Golden Empire Model Railroad Club, Golden Gate Model Railroad Club, Golden State Model Railroad Museum, Goleta Valley Railroad Club, Group 160 Ntrak Club, San Fernando, Highland Pacific HO Model Railroad Club, High Sierra Model Railroad Club, Joshua Tree & Southern Railroad Club & Museum, Lancaster andNorthwestern Railroad Club, Live Steam Clubs Of Southern California, Los Angeles Live Steamers, Los Angeles Live Steamers Railroad Museum, Los Angeles Model Railroad Society, Los Angeles N-Scale Association, Modular Railroad Engineers of Ventura County, Monterey & Salinas Valley Railroad Modeling & Historical Society, Napa Valley Model Railroaders, North Coast Narrow Gaugers, North County Model Railroad Society, North Valley Live Steamers, Oahu Sierra Railroad Engineers, Orange Coast Railroad Club, Orange County Model Engineers, Orange County Module Railroaders, Pasadena Model Railroad Club, Pomona Valley Model Railroad Club, Poway Station All Scale Model Rrailroad Club, Redwood Valley Railway, Riverside Live Steamers, Roseville Roundhouse Model Railroad Club, Sacramento Model Railroad Historical Society, Sacramento Modular Railroaders, San Diego Garden Railway Society, San Diego Model Railroad Museum, San Diego Model Railroad Club, San Diego Society Of N Scale, San Joaquin Valley Garden Railway Society, Santa Susana Railroad Historical Society, Silicon Valley Lines, Slim Gauge Guild Model Railroad Club, South Bay Historical Railroad Society, Southern California LEGO Train Club, Southern California N Scale Council, Southern California Traction Club, Tehachapi Loop Railroad Club, Tri-City Society of Model Engineers, Walnut Creek Model Railroad Society, Western Sierra Model Railroad Club.

For details on individual groups visit http://www.model-railroad-resources.com/modelrailroadclubs.html

The TranzAlpine rail journey from Christchurch to Greymouth (New Zealand) is rated one of the world’s great scenic railway journeys.

The TranzAlpine scenic train journey travels from one coast of New Zealand to the other. The train journey sets off from Christchurch – New Zealand’s largest city on the South Island. Views from the train begin with fields of the Canterbury Plains and farmland, followed by the spectacular gorges and river valleys of the Waimakariri River.

The train then climbs into the Southern Alps of New Zealand before descending through lush beech rain forest to the West Coast town of Greymouth and the spectacular glaciers.

The trip is 223.8 kilometres long and takes just four and a half hours. There are 16 tunnels, and 5 viaducts, the highest being the Staircase standing at 73 metres.

My list of common railroading terms continues with another seven this posting. These railroading terms are reasonably universal, but some may vary depending on where you live.

Operator
The person controlling a designated section of track. He or she is accountable to the Dispatcher for movement of trains. Abbreviated as Opr.

Overhead Bridge
Any bridge which crosses above the trackage eg. a railroad bridge, road bridge, or pedestrian bridge. Abbreviated as OH.

Pilot
An employee assigned to a train to guide the Engineer, Conductor, or Track Car Driver in unfamilar situations or territory.

Push-Pull Train
A passenger train with a MU or control car at either end.

Retarder Yard
A switching yard where an employee in a control tower controls the movement of cars (after they are released from a locomotive).

Return Movement
When an uncoupled engine, or leading portion of a train returns toward the remaining stationary portion of the same train.

Reverse Movement
A movement opposite to the direction previously authorized.

Enjoy your model railroad.

Lionel is a well-known name associated with O gauge trains. Joshua Lionel Cowen started the Lionel firm in 1900, later developing Standard gauge (2 1/4-inch gauge) and helped to popularize O gauge.

Lionel trains became a major model train manufacturer during the late 1940s and ’50s. In 1969, General Mills secured the rights to manufacture Lionel trains under the names Model Products Corp. and Fundimensions. Richard Kughn acquired those rights in 1986 and formed Lionel Trains Inc. In 1995 he sold the company.

The American Flyer Manufacturing Co. was founded in 1907, and made windup and electric wide gauge (the competitor to Lionel’s Standard gauge) trains. The A. C. Gilbert Co. bought the firm in 1937 and offered O and HO trains. After World War II, Gilbert switched from O to S gauge. Lionel purchased the rights to produce American Flyer trains after Gilbert went out of business in 1966.

Before Lionel entered the scene, Ives Corp. dominated the toy train manufacturing in America. Founded in 1868, this toy firm developed a mechanical clockwork locomotive giving its trains the edge of self-propelled motion. Around 1900, Ives faced competition from European toy makers. Ives then produced colorful electric locomotives with the first automatic reversing units. Heightened competition from Lionel and American Flyer led to Ives declaring bankruptcy in 1928.

1970-1975

Burdened by regulation and faced with subsidized competition, nine Class I railroads, representing almost one-quarter of the industry’s trackage, file for bankruptcy protection.

If railways are considered lucky or unlucky, maybe this example would fit the description of the unluckiest. In the Gippsland region of Victoria, Australia, there was a gold mining town called Walhalla. Around the 1890’s the citizens were lobbying for a branch line from the mainline some 40 miles away so their town could continue to be prosperous.

The gold mines were going well, and many in the town beleived a railroad connection might guarantee prosperity for the town. The lobbying for a railroad went on for quite a few years, and eventually the railroad was built, the first train arriving in March, 1910.

A week or so before the railroad was officially opened one of the major gold mines in the town closed down, and this was followed by many others. Because there weren’t any other prospects for employment in the town because of it’s isolation, many people left town, and ironically they left town on the train! The very thing that many thought would keep people in the town actually carried them and their houses away!

The town slowly died away, but the railroad soldiered on for about another 40 years, and was eventually closed around the mid 1950’s. According to a number of books on the subject, the railroad had very few years where it actually made a profit. Published courtesy of http://www.stanfordnorth.com

It is a fact that many modelers begin their hobby in model railroads without having a specific interest in any one particular railroad line or company. The model trains that they start out running have either been given to them as a gift or chosen because they look nice or are priced within the budget.

Model railroading is a wonderful hobby, but mistakes can be costly. Take your time and work through the process carefully, logically and thoroughly. After all it is a hobby and buying a train set or building a model train layout is not a race. It is better to think things through carefully and then do things the best way to achieve your goals.

This model train set blog looks at a variety of topics of interest to model railroaders and train enthusiasts.

Model railroaders can get frustrated with derailments and accidents that happen with model train sets. Sadly, real train accidents are far more serious:

April 3, 1955

300 people are killed when a train plunges into a canyon in Guadalajara, Mexico.

September 29, 1957

250 people are killed when an express train strikes stationary oil train in Montgomery, West Pakistan.

Another six common railway terms with simple definitions:

Foreman
The person in charge of a Roadway Crew. He or she is authorized to control train traffic (designated by a Form D) through a section of trackage obstructed or undergoing repair. Abbreviated as Frm.

Form D or Movement Permit Form D
A form issued by the Dispatcher containing written authorizations, restrictions, or instructions.

Form D Control System
A block system (signalled or non-signalled) for the movement of trains outside of yard limits as authorized by a Form D. Abbreviated as DCS.

Frog
The “X” shaped portion of a switch. A Frog can also an tool used for rerailing car wheels.

General Order
A document used to detail Timetable or other changes. Abbreviated as GO.

Head Man
Is a freight train brakeman who rides in the locomotive cab.

Another six common railroading terms with simple definitions:

Engine Servicing Track
Area Track(s) for servicing, repairing, inspecting, testing or even rebuilding of engines.

Engineer
The crew member designated to operate a train. Abbreviated as Engr.

Extra Board
A list of crew assigned to trains when an extra train is needed, or when the regular crew has worked the maximum legal hours and needs rest time.

Fixed Signal
A signal at a fixed location that affects the movement of a train.

Flagman
Usually, the brakeman assigned to duties at the rear end of the train.

Flares Or Fuses
A warning signal to other trains. These glow (burn) for up to 15 minutes.

1872- Early 1900’s

Train travel was the mode of transportation for even U.S. Presidents in the early 1900’s. Presidents from Ulysses S. Grant to Franklin D. Roosevelt traveled largely by train. For them, as for virtually every American, the railroad offered the fastest, safest means of travel.