How to Design and Build Your Garden Railroad

Start planning a garden railroad the whole family can enjoy! Master garden railroader Jack Verducci offers tips for designing, planning, and installing your garden layout; landscaping with natural materials; adding drama with structures, bridges, and trestles; and installing water features. From the pages of Garden Railways magazine.

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Author: Jack Verducci
Softcover; 8 1/4 x 10 3/4; 96 pages; 190 color photos; 25 illustrations; ISBN: 9780890246443

Jack Verducci has always had an interest in models and miniatures. As a child, he built ship, automobile, and train models. He built his first layout (HO scale) in the early 1960s as a Boy Scout project with his brother. He discovered large-scale trains during his time in the Navy in the late 60s, after purchasing a Marklin set.

In 1988, he built the initial version of his Crystal Springs Railroad, and displayed it at the 5th National Garden Railroad Convention in the summer of 1989. A few years later, in 1992, Jack began building garden railroads professionally. Since that time, he has built nearly 75 garden railroads in many areas of the country, as well as a few indoor layouts. He recently earned the NMRA's title of Master Model Railroader based on his garden-railroad accomplishments. Jack is also a regular contributor to Garden Railways magazine. His "Garden Railway design & construction" column has appeared regularly in the magazine since December 1996.

Jack lives in the San Francisco Bay area in California with his wife Pauline. In his spare time, he enjoys sailing his boat with Pauline, his two sons, and their families.

Introduction 5
Chapter 1 Choosing the perfect place 11
Chapter 2 Start working 17
Chapter 3 Groundwork 37
Chapter 4 Laying track 54
Chapter 5 Dealing with dilemmas 58
Chapter 6 Adding drama 61
Chapter 7 Structures 69
Chapter 8 Water feature design 79
Chapter 9 Maintaining your railway 91
Suppliers 96