# My Garden Railroad Layout Engineer's View



## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

Here's the first video I ever took of my newly completed Garden Railroad:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrIf8pkJoIo

The video was shot over a year ago, so we've added a bit more stuff since then.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

DoctorZ said:


> Here's the first video I ever took of my newly completed Garden Railroad:
> 
> http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TrIf8pkJoIo
> 
> The video was shot over a year ago, so we've added a bit more stuff since then.


Welcome to the site.

Link it here, in the address bar on you tube just copy everything after the = sign. Then come here and click the you tube icon and in between the (YT)(YT) paste the copied part. It will show like this,







Nice RR it makes me tired looking at all the rock you moved in place for your RR. 
Nicely done, love the tunnels. :smilie_daumenpos:

Maybe you should have done something like this? You got the room. 
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=9043

Do an new video?
How do you clean all the track?
In the winter do you have a snow plow or blower to run? :smilie_daumenpos:

Check this out there are more on the tube, I think we have a few here on the site too.


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## MuhThugga (Apr 2, 2013)

Sweet layout.

I like the Thomas the Tank Engine set you have sitting off to the side.

When I was younger, my grandmother knew these people who had a house on a small island in the Chesapeake, and they built a small railroad that circled the island and people could ride on. The locomotives were gas-powered. Your video reminded me of riding on that train.


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## oddtodd (Nov 5, 2013)

That is too cool! My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Keep up the good work!


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

Nice RR it makes me tired looking at all the rock you moved in place for your RR. 
Nicely done, love the tunnels. :smilie_daumenpos:

Maybe you should have done something like this? You got the room. 
http://www.modeltrainforum.com/showthread.php?t=9043

Do an new video?
How do you clean all the track?
In the winter do you have a snow plow or blower to run? :smilie_daumenpos:

I've had other people tell me I should do a rideable train, but that's sounds like way too much work for me and too much money too.

I had help with all that rock and stuff. A couple of the guys from our Club came out to help me. It took us about 400 hours to get it all laid out.

I have stainless steel track so it's pretty much maintenance free. I just use a scotch pad on the end of a mop handle and run it across the rails.

I do have a snowplow car, but I haven't been able to use it yet because we haven't gotten any small snowstorms. We get 8 inches on the first shot!


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

oddtodd said:


> That is too cool! My wife and I enjoyed it very much. Keep up the good work!


Well I have another video of my first Open House, sit back and enjoy some more....


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## gunrunnerjohn (Nov 10, 2010)

That looks great, nice looking layout.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

They all your trains?
What kind of transformer powers the RR?

How many operators are running the trains in the second video?

400 hours!  Like working on a chain gang. 

400 hours of moving rock!
I got to take a nap just thinking about doing that. 

Very nice. :smilie_daumenpos:


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## golfermd (Apr 19, 2013)

I'll be back in a second. Have to clean up my drool. :laugh:


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

big ed said:


> They all your trains?
> What kind of transformer powers the RR?
> 
> How many operators are running the trains in the second video?
> ...


Thanks for the compliments. The transformer is here and it's NOT cheap:
http://www.wholesaletrains.com/Detail.asp?ID=200482677

Only one person operating all the trains, and yes, they're all mine. I have track power, but since I've got about 700' of track on two loops, I can run two trains on the same track for awhile. That's what you saw in the second video.

My loops are connected, but isolated from each other.

One other thing I should mention is all my rolling stock and locos are weighted to scale weight! That means those three Dash 9's were pulling about 250 lbs of weight behind them and I have a 2.5% grade in some places.


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## Dano (Aug 26, 2012)

Nice setup. I thought there was a reverse loop so I had assumed that you were running on battery power.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

All I have to say is WOW you have some layout! :smilie_daumenpos:


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

You guys sure know how to "puff" a guy up about his layout. I never thought mine was all that great compared to other guys in our Club. Since I am the video guy for our club, I'm going to start a new threat with a link to the Minnesota Garden Railway Society's YouTube page, which I film all the videos for and maintain. That will keep you all busy for a long time. We now have 23 unique layouts uploaded, and if you subscribe, you will see more new layouts next season when our Open Houses start up again.


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

We puff up everyone. 


Well you have a lot of time and money invested in it, I didn't look at the others yet.
You deserved a well done. :smilie_daumenpos:

I will check out the others at a later time. :smokin:


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

Thanks Ed. I posted the link to our Club's YouTube page in the Videos Thread.

Enjoy!


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## Big Ed (Jun 16, 2009)

DoctorZ said:


> Thanks Ed. I posted the link to our Club's YouTube page in the Videos Thread.
> 
> Enjoy!


Yes I see it, I have more time at the end of the week then during the week.

How much $$$$ do you think you have just in the locomotives and rolling stock?


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## DoctorZ (Nov 15, 2013)

I have no idea. I've been told I need to document my collection for insurance purposes. I'll get around to it sometime. Some of my loco's are customized, so that doubled their price.


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