Kalmbach Building A Basic Garden Railroad VHS - 10001V Review

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(More customer reviews)BUILDING A BASIC GARDEN RAILROAD is a very brief, nineteen-minute video presentation that does more to whet the beginner's appetite for garden railroading than to explain very much about how to actually get into the hobby. The tape explains that several manufacturers produce track that differs in various aspects, but it doesn't bother to explain those aspects or to present the pros and cons of various brands of track. The newcomer to the hobby leaves the presentation knowing no more about choosing track than he did when he arrived. The narrator refers the viewer to a local hobby shop, which, for the thousands of potential hobbyists who live nowhere near any hobby shop, is incredibly worthless advice.
The presentation mentions that there are multiple brands of garden railway equipment and even identifies a few of those brands. However, it makes no mention at all of the different scales to which those brands are made, nor does it even define the difference between scale and gauge, two words that often confuse new modelers.
Many different methods exist for laying outdoor model track on roadbed. This fact is not mentioned, and only one method, i.e., free-floating the track directly on crushed rock for ballast, is illustrated. As with various brands of track, the pros and cons to this method are not explained. The narrator explains that track connections should be tight for good operation and electrical conductivity but does not mention track clamps or using additional electrical feeder wires to maintain proper current flow. Getting current to illuminated trackside buildings or streetlights is not mentioned, either, nor is the use of waterproof conduit for the wiring.
Creation of simple scenery is covered to some extent. Killing existing grass and planting various flowering ground covers is shown, as is the construction of a simple (too short to be believed) tunnel. Waterways, bridges, the principles of laying rocks in a realistic pattern, and other common scenery elements are avoided entirely. The narrator makes no mention of selecting plants for their long-term miniature appearance or various methods of encouraging slow growth, to include pruning and potting techniques. Again, the modeler is referred to his local garden center, as if all of our communities came equipped with garden centers whose staff is familiar with the goals and principles of plant miniaturization.
There is one very brief mention, almost a verbal footnote, that the track will need to be cleaned now and then and that a scrubbing pad or a track-cleaning engine can be used. However, there is no real discussion of cleaning tools, and, as for that track-cleaning locomotive, the newcomer has no idea of what brand to look for or how deeply to dig into his pocketbook to afford such a nicety. The existence of track-cleaning cars or cleaning pads that can be attached to regular cars is never explained.
The tape does show a few garden railway scenes with trains running through mature scenery. These scenes are nice but brief enticements to investigate the hobby further. The tape also mentions Garden Railways magazine several times. For anyone who is curious about garden railroading, my recommendation is to skip this superficial tape and go straight to the magazine. On the other hand, I do like the simplicity of free-floating the track directly on crushed rock ballast as shown in the tape and avoiding the extensive construction of buried wood, metal, or PVC supporting structures. Perhaps this is the approach I'll actually take, although I suspect that there is a lot of maintenance required by this method, such as replacing washed out ballast, re-leveling the track, repairing the damage left by deer hooves and gophers, and probably many other challenges that the tape conveniently ignores.
In brief, for one seeking detailed, practical guidance on building a garden railway, BUILDING A BASIC GARDEN RAILROAD answers few questions and will prove more of a disappointment than a help. Referring the viewer to Garden Railways magazine is possibly its one positive suggestion.

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