Backyard Layout: Track & Surrounding Area
This is my backyard G scale layout in progress. Work on it began around 2007-2008 when we started the flower bed it is located in. The area has a Pennsylvania Laurel Highlands theme. Groundcover is mainly ferns. Most of the upper bed is occupied by cherrie trees, Rhododendron, Mountain Laurel, and the stream. The lower bed is covered primarily by mulch on top of topsoil. The lower bed was created behind a stone retaining wall that was built from scratch with natural stones from the surrounding area.
The railroad is created from Aristo-Craft G gauge stainless steel track. Ballast came from a local landscaping company. It is their smallest size crushed stone. I found that after it rained and the ground dried, the powder that had been with the stone had hardened to a cement-like toughness. At two points bridges were required, one to bridge the stream and the other to cross a chasm in the retaining wall. We simply cut fence pickets to size. Although the railroad is permantly outside, it is not anchored to the ground anywhere except the bridge across the stream. This is because the ground freezes and shifts each winter. The railroad uses all Pennsylvania RR engines and rolling stock. Eventually it will include a mine. Right now it runs on 24V track power supplied by a custom-built control panel with detachable connectors (so that I can take it inside).
Backyard Layout: Trains and Models
The main train on my layout is the 0-4-0T PRR Switcher with two PRR gondolas and a PRR bobber caboose. There is a new live-steam 0-4-0 with a tender. I have a third gondola which I converted to a track cleaning car. Also, I have a baggage combine and a passenger coach. I now have 2 steel boxcars. For the winter, I have a PRR gondola-snowplow, which I hope will be aided by the track cleaning car. These are all Aristo-Craft. I have another engine, a Bachmann PRR 2-4-2 steam engine with sound. I have two Ford F-1 pickups, a Ford F-150 pickup, a Ford Coca-Cola truck, and a Volkswagon Van.