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4 minute informational video
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 Jon DeKeles Editor in Chief | He may seem like big bad Jon, but that’s because he’s a man of steel – born with trains and technology in his blood. No surprise he engineered the gene splice that gave birth to LSOL.com. | |
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 JD Miller Reviews Editor | The original tinkerer, JD took apart his first watch in 4th grade and now he’s having the time of his life taking apart trains to show you what’s inside. | |
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 Rick Henderson Associate Editor | Rick has more model train experience than Jon has years. He's LSOL.com's jack-of-all-trades from almost day one. He's reviewed, sold retail, and built trains, too. He's not grumpy, just focused. | |
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 Noel Widdifield Managing Editor | Since he’s a card-carrying member of the NMRA and TCA, we all yield right-of-way to Noel’s expertise when it comes to model railroading. | |
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 David Bodnar Electronics Editor | When you’re ready to “Bodnarize” your railroad, David’s the guy who puts the pedal to the metal. Our resident power ranger is all about automation and remote control. | |
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 Jo Anne Sales Manager | What’s a nice lady like her, doing with a crew like this? Joanne is the grand dame of discounts. Better yet, she’ll keep your large-scale spending on the QT from spousal units if you ask politely. | |
Bud Steinhoff: I use Aristo knuckle couplers on all my various brand 135 cars and 25 engines. I started with the Aristo coupler and stayed with them because to me they are reliable and inexpensive for my garden trains, especially that the Aristo equipment come with that coupler. I modify the couplers so they do not look so clumsy. Kadee's are great, but expensive and even if I wanted to change, it is too late now and I am satisfied with what I have.
James Scofield: I use Kadee's as a holdover from HO. I like to operate and there is nothing better than the knuckle coupler with delayed coupler action. The delayed action is great in Garden Trains and eliminates a lot of uncoupler magnets on every track. Kadee is also very helpful in answering questions when I have had a problem in the past with installation. They have always been the premiere coupler for many, many years.
Walter C. Bringsauf: Granted, KD couplers are a bit more expensive then other Garden Train couplers, but the reliability and ease of use more than makes up for the higher price. Also the wide variety of shanks offered by Kadee makes it easy to custom fit any type car or Loco. I have used Kadee's since they first came out in HO and have never considered using any other coupler, and I have used quite a few in the past 50 years.
Updated every 5 minutes
Important Topics
Bridges
Buildings
Couplers
Getting Started
Grades
How Garden Trains Work
Live Steam
Wheels
Edward Stempien: I have a small garden trains set-up in my back yard. In it, I have incorporated three bridges, all scratch-built. The bridges create the system. I wish that my terrain (flat coastal South Carolina), were more conducive to the use of bridges. They lend realism to the garden railroad and give the opportunity to fantasize at being a Civil Engineer.
Ed Frey: Bridges on a Garden Railway are of almost universal appeal. Ever notice how many ads, magazine covers, and layout photos show the trains on a bridge? I can't imagine a railroad without bridges. Maybe it's because of the aspiring "civil engineer" in most of us, but more practically, it's usually because we need a place for water to go, we have a topographical gap to cross, or we need to get one track over another. Based on comments from our railroader and non-railroader visitors to our garden railroad, they are seen as focal points that add interest and plausibility to the right-of-way. Besides, I just enjoy building them
David Clapper: Bridges and railroads share a long history. The railroad's need for a nearly level roadbed made bridges necessary where the common wagon roads in the early days tended to follow the contours of the landscape. So, a garden railroad without a bridge is quite unusual.
Come see the first, the original and the best web blog dedicated to Garden Railroads. Remember: Some people talk about what they are going to do, and others actually do it. Come show people what you have done.
