About the New Boston and Donnels Creek

I started with mostly narrow-gauge gear, which was all that was available inexpensively for a long time, but have phased out most of it except for some D&RGW I keep for my daughter (the D&RGW fan) to run. Information about the locomotives we have tried and the other rolling stock we use is on the Motive Power and Rolling Stock pages respectively.

ClimateWe are in botanical zone 5.5 which means its temperate with an occasional really good freeze. So I use mostly hardy and perennial plants on the RR.

Time Invested - I broke ground for the current RR in the summer of 1998. I then worked several hours a week on the RR in the fall of 1998 and the summer of 1999, thanks to a job in which I worked out of the house and could set my own hours. Work on the RR was basically halted in the fall of 1999, when I broke my ankle and couldn't do a thing for months on end. Construction resumed slightly in the early spring of 2000, but stopped again (for the most part) in May, when I got a job that required a commute of an hour each way.

In late 2001, I started construction on the north loop, because I wanted it to be working in time for the National Garden Railway Convention in Cincinnatti in 2002.

In March of 2002, a neighbor's trees destroyed much of my work on the north loop and required significant rework on the south loop as well. Nevertheless, with a great deal of hard work (and patience on the part of my wife) I was able to get the north loop finished enough to run trains for the Convention.

So what you see in the 2002 photos represents about 24 months' worth of part-time work and a few more months' worth of sneaking in an hour here or there every other week. Since then, work has included finishing buildings adding and trimming plants, and some more serious maintenance, such as pulling up track and pouring concrete underneath sections that have been plagued by moles. I did one section in 2005, and it was a success, so I did another, longer section in April of 2006.

In late 2008, I pulled up my first loop of track, which had gotten very uneven due to frost heave aggravated by burrowing animals, and was overly prone to weeds growing up through the track. I dug a ditch, and poured concrete underneath that. For details on that operation, and why it was necessary, check out our article on Refurbishing Garden Railroad Roadbed.

Track is mostly Aristocraft Euro that I got used or on sale. I like the Aristo because of the screw-on rail connectors that make for a better electrical connnection. The screws under the ties into the brass track make for very easy jumper connections, though I haven't needed many jumpers. If I was starting now I might use Aristo US track, but since 95% is the other kind, I'll just stick with that. Minimum radius curve on the mainline is 60" (Aristo 10-foot diameter curves), on the shortline is 30" (Aristo 5-foot diameter curves).

Plantings - Trees include frequently-trimmed Dwarf Alberta Spruce, mugo pines that I trim bonzai-style, and several red cedars the birds have planted in my garden. I let them grow until they get about a foot tall, then transplant them elsewhere. Ground covers include several varieties of thyme, sedum, and low-lying junipers. Adjacent to the Garden RR is a hosta garden with several varieties of Hosta. Pond plants include hardy water lilies and rushes. Ornamentals include dwarf tulips and miniature hens-and-chicks. Note: Almost all of these plants came from local nurseries or friends with perennial gardens. I'm too dangerous with plants to try anything expensive. Some information about plants with which I've had success is in the Primer articles Groundcover 101 and Inexpensive and Low-Maintenance Plants for Garden Railroads.

To learn more about what makes my railroad work and what could be improved, please check the other links on the New Boston and Donnels Creek page