GardenRailways.com 37Variations on a theme
My previous railroad provided many
years of simple enjoyment and invaluable
hobby knowledge. Even better, it gave me
confidence to try something different on
my new 20' x 37' Kittatinny Mountain RR
(Mark II). Although the rebuilt Kittatinny
Mountain RR (KMRR) has retained the
backwoods logging theme, I introduced
a few new twists.
I’ve always enjoyed the charm of
garden railroads in the United Kingdom,
especially those built to 16mm scale
(1:19). Many of the trains I saw operating
on UK railroads seemed to include smaller
0-4-0-type locomotives with two-axle
cars in tow. But as much as I was attracted
to these fascinating railroads and their
intriguing equipment, I wasn’t at all
interested in the effort it would take tore-gauge my existing KMRR f leet to
16mm standards. Instead, I made a much
easier rationalization. For my fictional
backwoods (narrow gauge) railroad, I’d
simply settle on 1:20 scale trains operated
on 45mm hand laid track.
Even though the gauge on my KMRR
would not change, the type of motive
power did. Since starting in this segment
of the hobby, my preference has shifted
from battery-powered to live-steam
locomotives. Running and maintaining
live steam has become a form of relax-
ation. Prepping the locomotive with gas,
water, and steam oil, and then waiting for
the water to boil and build pressure is a
process that can’t be rushed.
There’s something therapeutic in these
preparations that ultimately yield an
elevated experience of watching plumes
of steam drift over a miniature forested
landscape. Plus, with live-steam power,
there’s always something to tweak and
tinker. Fortunately, that’s something I
enjoy doing too.
As a result of my new interest in live
steam, the KMRR includes a few features
designed to aid operation. To start, I
needed the railway to be partially elevated
to make the locomotive preparation
process more comfortable. Also, the track
had to run as level as possible. Most non-
geared live-steam locomotives tend to
increase velocity when descending hills
and stall when climbing, so I kept the
route below a 1% grade.- Beyond the Geoffbuilt Shay spotted at Hainsville, dwarf Alberta spruce and Japanese maples
blend into a field of blooming groundcover.
4. This overview of the KMRR depicts the
orginal main line route, before the author
made changes to the railway in early 2019. - Low sedums and custom figures stay clear of
the wayward Class A and scratchbuilt loader.