112 PUNCHMAGAZINE.COM GARDEN RAILWAYS TAKE DIFFERENT ROUTES + Era: Many garden railroads recapture the age of steam. Others operate modern diesel equipment. + Size: Some take over an entire yard with hundreds of feet of track. Others are limited to a section of a yard. + Complexity: This varies a lot. A few are built for elaborate switching operations. Some are built for simple watch-while-having-an-adult-beverage operation! + Power: Locos use power from the tracks or on-board battery power. Still others are live steamers, burning butane or coal. + Detailing: Some are highly detailed with many buildings, figures, animals and all manner of smaller trackside details. Others focus on operations. Some garden railroaders build locos from scratch, but most are purchased ready to run (though often customized in some way). + Plants: Some garden railroaders focus on plants; some don’t. Many railroads feature miniature plants, some carefully trimmed to look like scale trees. + Sounds: Most have locos with sound on board. Others feature trackside sounds including animal sounds, music or even mine operations. + Lighting: Many have elaborate lighting for night operations but not all. + Realism: Some model an actual railroad while many are the product of the owner’s imagination, with backstories to match. BY BAGRS PRESIDENT MICK SPILSBURY all aboard the garden railway
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