It’s a lot easier to find space for an impressive railway layout outside than it is inside, and so it’s no wonder that garden railways have grown massively in popularity (especially in rural areas and suburbs). As with everything else in life, though, there’s a tradeoff: weather. No matter what climate you live in, the elements will relentlessly wear down anything you build outside.
If you want to plan your garden railway to maximize durability and reliability outdoors, here are our top five tips for weatherproofing your build:
1. Plan for Drainage and Sunlight
The decisions you make early on about how and where you set up your tracks can prevent costly revisions later. Your layout should account for factors like natural drainage, sunlight, and accessibility. Ensure there’s adequate water runoff by avoiding flood-prone areas and provide shade to protect your layout from UV damage.
It’s a good idea to create a mockup layout with garden hose or ropes to test the conditions of your path before you lay out any kind of track. Consider places with natural slopes for better drainage. If you can identify where excess water builds up during heavy rains, you’ll be better able to find the routes that are less prone to flooding.
One of the quickest ways to assess your soil’s drainage is by digging a small test hole and filling it with water. If the water drains quickly (within an hour or so), your soil has a good percolation rate.
If the soil doesn’t drain well (or at all), you can make some changes that improve structure without doing any ecological harm. Adding organic matter like compost is one trick that enthusiasts use to enhance permeability and create air pockets.
2. Choose a Stable Foundation
The cornerstone of a weatherproof railway is a solid foundation. There are as many options as you have the imagination to build, but gravel ballast, concrete, or patio blocks are some favorites. Gravel gives you flexibility and good water drainage, but concrete or blocks obviously give better stability for elevated sections.
Depending on where you live, you’ll probably want to avoid any materials that are prone to rotting or eroding, such as untreated wood or fill dirt.
3. Invest in Weather Resistant Hardware
For track, use outdoor-rated materials like brass, stainless steel, or nickel silver, which resist corrosion pretty effectively. The consensus is pretty clear that aluminum is unsuitable for outdoor use due to its tendency to oxidize.
Don’t forget proper joinery, either. Quality rail joiners or screw clamps help manage expansion from temperature variations. Check out our guide on rail joiners and clamps here.
4. Opt for Battery Power with Remote Control
In real-world conditions, it’s inevitable that weather will affect the performance of traditional track power systems. Corrosion and erosion are always going to be culprits for bad electrical connectivity.
Many enthusiasts now recommend using battery power and remote control to negate the need for conductive rails. Live steam, of course, is another option, but that’s its own ball game and something most beginners don’t start out with.
Battery power means you don’t have to be quite as meticulous with cleaning your tracks. Depending on your tolerance for extremely regular maintenance, that might make you more likely to enjoy the garden railway experience instead of feeling like you’ve gotten yourself into a time-sink.
Not to mention that wiring a track-powered layout, especially as it grows in size and complexity, is a challenge for novice modelers in its own right.
Check out the May 2015 issue of Model Railroader for an excellent guide to running trains with batteries and remote control.
5. Regular Maintenance is Key
At the end of the day, there’s no solution that’s truly weatherproof, so you’ll have to forgive the clickbait title of this post. “Weather resistant” might be a better way to phrase it. There’s only so much you can do to keep the elements at bay, and eventually, even the best designs are going to be beaten by mother nature.
There is no way around it: to keep your garden railway in top condition, you have to do regular maintenance. This includes clearing debris after storms, checking track alignment, and inspecting power connections. That’s part of the fun of a garden railway, though. Even though we’ve spent this post talking about minimizing weather effects, don’t forget that problem-solving is what will set your garden railway apart and bring you back outside day after day.
Armed with these tips, we hope you’ll be well on your way to building a more resilient outdoor railway that blends seamlessly with your property.
If you need to equip yourself with the right hardware, our selection of tools at shop.trains.com is your best place to start. Don’t forget to check out our selection of advanced guides to garden railroading if you want to dig deeper into mastering the craft.
- Written by Matt Herr
- Image credit: Mark Bottrill