The man from whom I bought my current home was an avid train fan. Like my Father, the previous owner had a collection of trains made by the German train maker LGB
When I bought my home, one of the selling points was the outdoor, garden railway layout that the owner had built years earlier. Garden railways originated in Europe but have now become very popular in the U.S. The garden railway in the home I bought is built on a raised planter bed and it features tunnels, a waterfall and a small pond.
At his death, my Father left me his collection of large scale trains but other than Christmas time, when I set up the trains around the Christmas tree, I did not have a regular place to run the trains. With an outdoor, garden railway already built, I now had the opportunity to once again play with my Dad’s trains.
Unfortunately, however, the previous owner had been ill and so he did not have the time and energy to keep the outdoor layout in running shape. Like a real railway, a garden railway requires regular maintenance. The tracks need to be kept clear and in shape, plants need to be trimmed and weeds have to be cleared.
The first year after I bought my home I was too busy with other matters, so the outdoor layout laid in a messy state of disrepair. Every time that I saw the little train cars sitting on the track, I would promise myself that I was going to clear the layout and bring it back to life. Alas, life’s other obligations kept me from spending time rebuilding the train.
This year, the coming of spring has awakened my train-building ambitions. I hope that by the time summer arrives the little trains will be running in my garden. Stay tuned and watch the rebuilding process unfold!
Choo…chooo…!!!
