I cleaned the darned track with rubbing alcohol, spent a couple of hours with my torpedo level and stone, and leveled from side to side.  It ran like a turtle.  I took a Scotch pad to the track....got cramps in my fingers from scrubbing the darned thing, scrubbed the train wheels, and it ran even worse.  *sad face*
I am starting to feel like I am not meant to be a train engineer. 

I have been wanting to go to Taltree Arboretum!  Sounds like it is definitely worth the trip!  Thanks so much for all of the input!  I will definitely check youtube for the pediatrician's garden!

Thanks, Andrew and Chuck!  I will definitely try the rubbing alcohol.  It is getting dark too early here in Ohio, so my train time is severely limited!  I am hoping to get it running smoothly before the nasty winter weather sets in.  I so appreciate all of the advice that I receive here!

Good info, Chuck!  Thanks for sharing!  I will try your suggestions and let you know how it works out! 

Do you use anything in particular to clean the train wheels?  Or just the scotch brite pad??  My Bachmann track has brass rail joiners that are held in place by screws.  I have power connections in two different areas of the track (about 50 feet of track total).  Does that seem like enough?

Great tips and pic tutorial!  Thanks, Chuck!  I have been using a fine grit sandpaper to clean the track.  Not sure how it has gotten so dirty already, since it has only been outside for a couple of weeks.  I live in west central Ohio, pretty much in the middle of nowhere.  I belong to my local garden club, and none of them have ever heard of railroad gardening.  I am blazing a trail into the unknown. 

Thank you for the input!  I am using 4' diameter curves, and believe it or not, the curves aren't the problem.  It slows down tremendously on the straightaways and keeps derailing in the same spot.  I am currently working on more leveling (tedious process, for sure!), but it just seems to not run as smoothly as I had thought it would.  It speeds up and slows down (without me changing the speed) and comes almost to a complete stop at times.  I will see what happens after I work on leveling some more and clean the track again.  Who knew this would be so much work?  A labor of love, for sure.    I will hold off on lubricant for now and see what happens.  I so appreciate all of the help and advice available here!  I don't know ANYONE that has a train garden, so I rely solely on what I can find online for help.  Thanks so much!

Holy moley, you are talented!  Love this so very much!  Thanks for sharing.  I will be wiping the drool off of my keyboard now. 

Hello fellow train lovers. 

I'm a newbie and finally have my G scale brass track laid and have been having fun playing with my train.  I think I read once about some type of oil that can be used to help the train glide across the track more smoothly?  I have a Bachmann Big Haulers starter set (I substituted with Bachmann brass track since it is being used outside).  Does anyone know what kind of oil, if any, should/could be used?

Thank you in advance!

Chris

Mark, thanks for the input.  I understand that the wider the curves, the better the performance.  As I am still waiting for track pieces to arrive, I haven't been able to lay things out and play (only with the steel track that came with the train set).  Right now I have some 1 foot sections of 4' diameter curve.  Can I add shorter pieces of straight track to the ends of those to make wider curves?  (I hope that makes sense!)  Unfortunately, I live in a rather remote part of Ohio (Small town) with no train shops nearby.  The closest one I have found is an hour and a half away and they didn't have brass track, nor much in the way of G scale items.  So, I am relying heavily on the 'net to help me out!

Thanks again for all of the wisdom and advice that I am finding here!

Chris

Thanks, Mark!  Great advice! 

Good to know!  I am so looking forward to getting things rolling! 

Bill,

I don't know of a single soul in my area that has ever heard of garden railroading, let alone created one.  Crazy, huh???

I sort of stumbled on it by accident.  I have a grandson (newly acquired through marriage) who has an O scale train.  I took him to a train store and the train bug bit me!  I have always been fascinated by trains, but when I saw those G scale trains, I was in love!  I came home and started looking online and stumbled across the garden part of it.  I KNEW that I HAD to be a part of this exciting hobby. 

So far, all of my track purchases have been Bachmann brass.  Have you found any other the other screw type brands to be compatible?

CRB (Chris)

Thanks for the input, Bill!  I have been ordering things online, but thought it might be nice to see something up close and personal that was already completed, just to get some ideas.  I am such a novice, that I have been drinking in everything that I can online and I ordered a book by Kevin Strong, but I want to see and touch things.....LOL

Have also considered a trip to Taltree Arboretum in Valpairaso, IN....to see their railroad garden, but it is 3.5 hours away and I haven't found a day that I have that many hours free to just travel....(would rather play in the dirt......LOL)

I have been a faerie gardener for several years now and my railroad garden isn't likely to be a "typical" one.  I might get kicked off of this forum, but my railroad will basically be adding a fun element to my faerie playland.  I have designated a spot on my yard for it, have torn out the exisiting landscape plants and added a small pond.  Am waiting for more track pieces to arrive so I can begin to lay out my track.
I'm sure I sound like a nut case.......

Anyhoo. thanks for the help!  

CRB

Hello train friends!

Wondering if any of you have ever visited EnterTrainment Junction in West Chester, OH?  Would it be a worthwhile trip for someone building their first railroad garden? 
I understand that they also sell trains and accessories, does anyone know if they have a large selection of G scale items?

Thanks in advance to anyone with knowledge. 

CRB