wooden structures to capture the charm
of a backwoods logging line. And to
think, it all began with my plan for a
modest plot of land.Lot, plot, plan, and new line
It’s no coincidence that my new house also
had an ideal backyard for a garden rail-
road. At one end of the space I allotted for
the KMRR, the terrain is roughly one foot
higher than the opposite end. But even
this marginal slope in the yard would
prove to be advantageous. This grade
provided an opportunity to elevate the
low end about a foot above ground level,
and create a thigh-high location that
would be perfect for preparing my grow-
ing f leet of live-steam locomotives.
The space also borders a garage with a
side door, providing easy access to equip-
ment storage and workspace. And yet
another part of the space abuts a 3'-high
deck, making it perfect for viewing the
entire backyard.
My original plan was to fill the allotted
railroad site with a large loop around the
perimeter, and maybe toss in a few
S-curves for interest. My objective was to
limit the use of track switches, since theseI always wanted a water feature
for my garden railroad, but I was a
bit reluctant to pay for something I
thought was too closely associated
with headaches. Then I discovered
a DIY option in a magazine, and I
knew I could tackle building a
pondless waterfall using simple
materials found in most home
improvement stores.
The key component is a plastic
livestock feeding trough, that when
topped with rebar and hardware
cloth, serves as a supporting base
for layered stones. Building atop
this assembly allowed me to keep
the pump readily accessible and
the waterfall operation hassle free.
WATERWORKS IN THE WOODS
The KMRR now features handlaid
track. I liked the idea of using real wood
with spikes, which helps give my back-
woods logging railroad authentic appeal.
As I installed the line, I maintained 10'
diameter curves so friends and club
members are able to operate their larger
locomotives over the KMRR. Naturally,that also allowed me to acquire a few of
my own large, live-steam power.
In a natural setting like my tree-lined
lot, I wanted everything from the hard-
scaping to the structures to the rolling
stock to suit the surroundings. By focus-
ing on specific scratchbuilding efforts, I
assembled everything from waterfalls to- A hardworking Regner Class A Climax tows several carloads of fresh-cut timber from
a forest interplanted with stonecrop.
IS WATER IN THE WORKS FOR YOU?
Read more on the topic in “Greening
Your Railway,” p. 18.