Large Scale Online

Scott Suleski: I started with the standard Pola and Piko kits, but then didn't want my railroad looking like everyone else’s. Also a lot of the kits looked too European or old western for my tastes. I made a few garden train buildings out of aluminum. Those and the plastic ones get left out all winter. I only bring them in for the winter if they need repair. I went to a Jig Stones seminar at the ECLSTS and decided that was the way I wanted to go. I now have 4 buildings and will bring them inside for the winter.

Jon D, Miller: We have buildings constructed from plastic and wood with one of metal. Several of the more delicate structures are taken in after running sessions, however, for the most part the buildings stay out year-round. I prefer wood because it is more woody and properly treated holds up well in the weather. We have a number of garden train buildings that have been outside since 1993; they have held up well. Plastic needs to be painted to stop the effects of UV rays. Once painted the plastic buildings will give extended years of service.

Dwight Morgan: Most of my garden train buildings are plastic (Pola or Piko) but I do have some wood birdhouses and a fiberglass structure. I place my buildings on Corian type bases I buy from a counter top manufacturer. These are the sink and stove top cutouts he usually discards. When I build the kits I add a Lucite base for stability and so I set a couple pins in the Corian and match them to holes in the Lucite. This keeps the building from sliding around in the wind. The buildings usually come in for the winter just to save wear and tear.

Dara Legere: The buildings on the GreenCrow Railway are mostly made of Eastern Red Cedar. They are painted and will be treated with an outdoor varnish to add protection. I had a couple of bird feeders, which were converted to buildings, but they did not hold up very well. All garden trains buildings, bridges, and trestles are brought in for the winter.