Garden Rail

In this issue, you’ll find the show guide for the National Garden Railway event in April. Garden Rail is now working with the 16mm Association not only to ensure the event continues, but also with the aim of growing it in the future. More displays in more (large) scales is the aim of the Warners’ team. But first, let’s get 2026 out of the way. As ever, you’ll find a fine selection of layouts, thanks to the effort of Rick Turnock and his team. There will also be plenty to tempt from the trade, with several new stands this year. If it helps, I’m always looking for articles for this magazine, and we pay for contributions, so you might be able to offset some of the cost of your purchases…

My railway can be found at the bottom of an allotment in Trefyclawdd. Why HS33? High-speed rail on plot 33, of course! It started off as a circle of track in 2019, to run a 1979 Mamod loco and its three trucks. Then it grew. The aim was to be able to transport vegetables from the greenhouse, Ty Gwydwr, at the bottom of the plot to the shed at the top, utilising the unproductive ground under the large trees on the northern edge of the plot. When its existence became widely known, people wanted to see it, so it was necessary to run passenger trains on the Open Days, which are held on the last Sunday afternoon of each month. Apart from the original level circle, all the tracks are…

The group of engines known as ‘Quarry Hunslets’ have always been high on the list of enthusiasts' favourite narrow gauge locos. Although there are a number of accurate gas-fired 16mm scale locos available today, in the early days of 16mm live steam, they were deemed too small to be practical locomotives. Stewart Browne produced a one-off Archangel pot boiler called ‘Louisa’, which was a 0-6-0ST built to the larger 7/8th scale, and I had a lot of fun with this very lively lady until she left to cross the Atlantic. There were also some scratch-built examples exemplified by the Foulds ‘Flying Hunslets’ and Robin Gosling produced a chassis that has been used as the basis of a more accurate Hunslet. So, there was great interest in the 16mm world when…

Spring at last stirs the railway garden from its winter slumber. We’ve had more than our fair share of drizzle lately, but after last summer’s scorched borders, the plants are practically doing a happy dance along the tracks! Fresh shoots are appearing in the borders, and early bulbs - crocus, snowdrops, daffodils - signal the start of the season with cheerful bursts of colour between the rails. Now is the perfect time to mulch the beds, locking in moisture and keeping weeds at bay. Prepare the ground by removing any weeds, followed by a generous sprinkle of organic matter such as composted bark, spent compost, or manure. Pruning plays its part, too. Cutting back old stems encourages strong, healthy growth and ensures trains can thread freely through the emerging planting.…

This was another of those spur-of-the-moment purchases while at a model railway show; tempting, competitively priced, and fun. Sometimes we just need a quirky little project like this to crack on with when we have a few minutes here and there. That said, thematically it will fit in nicely with our railway and allow us to create another cameo scene on or near the station. A vintage ice cream barrow might look a bit out of place on a nationalised narrow gauge railway set some time in the 1990’s, but we liked the idea of BR looking towards creating a bit of heritage atmosphere on the branch. In any case, so much of railway modelling is tied up with nostalgia, and that’s no different for us, as the wider project…

National Garden Railway Show Date: Saturday, 25 April 2026 Venue: NAEC Stoneleigh Park, Kenilworth, CV8 2LH Times: 9.30am to 5pm Web: www.nationalgardenrailwayshow.org.uk Steam Over Spencer Date: 4-8 March 2026 Venue: N.C. Transportation Museum, 1 Samuel Spencer Dr.Spencer, NC 28159, United States Times: 9am to 5pm Web: www.nctransportationmuseum.org/steam-over-spencer Llangollen Garden Railway Festival Date: Saturday, 6 June 2026 Venue: Llangollen Pavilion, Abbey Road, Llangollen, LL20 8SW Times: 10am to 4.30pm Web: www.lgrf.co.uk Garden Railway Specialists Open Day Date: 19-20 June 2026 Venue: 6 Summerleys Rd, Princes Risborough, HP27 9DT Times: 10am to 4pm Web: www.grsuk.com Live Steam in Lymington Date: 8-9 August 2026 Venue: Lymington Community Centre, New Street, Lymington, SO41 9BQ Times: 10am to 4.30pm Web: www.lymingtoncommunity.com All events are published in good faith. Please check with the organisers before travelling…