Books, etc.


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Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains

Over the years I've answered all kinds of questions for people. In fact, most of the articles on the Family Garden Trains website came about because several folks asked the same questions.

The scariest question I get asked is "Where Do I Go to Learn More?"

My Primer article Where do I go From Here?" answers that question with many links and hints (as well as the book, magazine, and video resources listed here). But sometimes what you need most of all are encouragement and ideas from a range of resources. The books, magazine, and videos listed on this page are all great sources of inspiration.

Note about Suppliers: While we try to help you get the products you want by recommending suppliers with a good record of customer service, all transactions between you and the supplier you chose to provide your purchases are governed by the published policies on the supplier's web site. So please print off any order confirmation screens and save copies of invoices, etc., so you can contact the appropriate supplier should any problems occur. (They almost never do, but you want to be on the safe side.)

Magazines

I agree 100% with 90% of what Garden Railroading editor Marc Horovitz says. GR is a great source of information for beginners and intermediate Garden Railroaders. Many "old-timers" still find it useful for one reason or the other. Marc tries to cover a range of issues, and to have articles of interest to beginners as well as fellow "experts." The photographs are my favorite part; they provide a lot of ideas and inspiration.

I believe that the quality of the articles and the overall fairness of GR's editorial content will continue as long as Marc is at the helm.

If you are new to this hobby, realize that the cost of subscribing is less than you'll pay for one wide-radius turnout, and will do you far more good in the long run.

Narrow Gauge Annual-- This is a once-a-year publication dedicated to narrow gauge railroads and models of them. There is a lot of good information and inspiration for folks who model narrow gauge railroads.

Videos

Marc Horovitz has also dabbled in video, as shown by the excellent How to Build Your Garden Railway video by Marc Horovitz and Rod Wentler. Although Marc and Rod didn't do things exactly the way I would have (they probably did them better), this is a great introduction to a kind of garden railroad construction that many beginners have used successfully. A series of Garden Railways articles that make an excellent companion to this piece have been republished in the book Garden Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby, shown below.

For more information, or to purchase this video, please click on the photograph to the left.

Holiday Garden Railroads Video - Peter Wine, garden railroader and photographer, has worked on several of the nation's best-known display railroads (under the direction of master builder Paul Busse). Pete has captured live-action video of several of those display layouts as they were decorated for Christmas, including display railroads at the Smithsonian and the New York Botanical Garden. It should give you lots of ideas, even if you're not doing a Christmas display at the moment.

For more information, or to purchase this video in VHS or DVD format, please click on the photograph to the right.

Recommended Books

The following books will give you many ideas; they will also more than pay for themselves by helping you avoid costly mistakes. Yes they may contain conflicting advice or contradict advice I give in my Family Garden Trains primer articles. But that's all the more reason to read up on your various choices early and often.

Gorgeous Garden Railways is written by Marc Horovitz and Pay Hayward, the editor and gardening editor for Garden Railways magazine. Both authors have selected their favorite photographs from the thousands in their collections and written narratives that "tell a story." The result is an informative, but beautiful "coffee-table" book that should be in the collection of every current and prospective garden railroader - not because everyone has the skills to replicate the most impressive examples, but because everyone should know what is possible while they're dreaming up their next project.
In May, 2005, I wrote a long, informal review of this book, which also includes information on getting a signed copy directly from Marc.
How to Design and Build Your Garden Railroad, by Jack Verducci, is the best recent "how-to" book to come along. Jack has been contributing articles to Garden Railways magazine for many years, and I've personally learned a great deal from his experience. I expect this book to become the "new" standard reference for years go come.
Update for 2008: For some reason, this book is no longer available through Amazon. I know I had a hand in getting sales off the ground, but I can't believe they went through a printing this fast. As of April, 2008, you can still get the book through your local bookstore, directly from Kalmbach, or through this link .
Getting Started in Garden Railroading by Allan W. Miller, is the most organized and comprehensive single text on Garden Railroading that is currently in print. If my figures are correct, it is also the best-selling book on the subject. You will certainly save the cost of this book many times over as you use its guidelines to make effective planning and purchasing decisions.
Garden Railroading: Getting Started in the Hobby is a collection of beginner-oriented articles from Garden Railroading magazine. This is not a single "how-to" source as much as it is a source of encouragement. It is also a great companion to Allan Miller's book, as it fills in some of the (admittedly small) gaps and shows a few alternative ways to accomplish things. Many people appreciate the great photos, which also appeared in Garden Railways magazine at one time.
The Large-Scale Model Railroading Handbook This book was also updated in 2000; it is a useful reference.
If you're a little put off by the gardening side of Garden Railroading, you should get some guidance and encouragement from The Complete Idiot's Guide to Rock and Water Gardening, Illustrated.

Amazon links to these books are shown in the following table. If any of these boxes contain a generic Amazon button,please refresh this page to see the link properly.

How to Design and Build Your Garden Railroad

Note: this is not an Amazon link, but it works.

If you come across any resource that you'd recommend to others, please contact us.

Best of luck,

Paul D. Race

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