Events in July–September 2022

  • - Garden Railway Trains!
    Garden Railway Trains!

    Garden Railway Trains!


    July 24, 2022

    Washington, Virginia and Maryland Garden Railway Society is running trains outside, weather permitting! Garden Railroading is simply this: take a garden, lay some track through it (yes outdoors) and operate the trains in and amongst the plants. This simple explanation tends to elicit many questions. Model railroading in the U.S. was so deeply entrenched in electrically powered trains that the thought of running these trains outdoors seemed odd or even dangerous to some. In 1968 a German toy manufacturer decided to use a scale and gauge of model trains that had not been actively modeled since the late 1800’s, and developed large weatherproof electric trains with sealed components. This allowed trains to be set up outside on the lawn and to be operated by children with ease. This, of course, intrigued a few model railroaders to take this idea further, and to build more intricate railways complete with buildings, miniature plants and natural landscapes. Garden railroading is a way to create miniature wonderlands in and amongst our everyday surroundings.

     

    Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
    11200 Fairfax Station Road
    Fairfax Station, VA 22039
  • - T-TRAK Model Trains Running!
    T-TRAK Model Trains Running!

    T-TRAK Model Trains Running!


    August 14, 2022

    Northern Virginia NTRAK will set up and run trains on a T-TRAK layout.
    T-TRAK is an N scale modular train system designed to be run on table tops, hence its name. Originally developed in Germany in 1962, N scale model trains (generally 1:160) are about half the size of HO trains (1:87). Its small size is popular among model train enthusiasts in Japan, Australia, Europe, and the United States. The modular aspect of N scale permits different track layouts for every set up.

    Fairfax Station Railroad Museum
    11200 Fairfax Station Road
    Fairfax Station, VA 22039