I got bored and a little frustrated with Classic Toy Trains so I started looking at other magazines that Kalmbach owns and elsewhere.
O Gauge Model Railroader is an excellent magazine, no doubt, however I do prefer heavier and larger trains. This drew me to Garden Railways. I do have a few MTH and Bachmann G gauge items (Hudson, Big Boy, hand cars, etc). and I do enjoy garden railways when I see them.
Withouth blathering on too much, I am very glad I subscribed to this magazine. It's a vast departure from other Kalmbach magazines in that it doesn't adhere to a formula that essentially makes it look and feel the same way every time.
I really enjoyed Marc Horovitz's editorial this month, quite frankly it was beautifully written and actually got me to think about the topic Marc intended. It was a very well done piece that I had to read twice because I liked the message and the writing.
What does this have to do with standard gauge trains? Well, G gauge is a bit larger and different than standard gauge. From what I've seen from this magazine, G gaugers really love to modify and scratch build in all facets of the hobby. There are tons of great ideas in these pages and I do really enjoy the large trains offered up in gorgeous backyard and garden layouts.
One thing I also really like is that G gaugers are very international, they are really where ever there is enough real estate to merit a large backyard layout. I really enjoy seeing different trains from different manufacturers from around the globe. They all are reviewed and there is wonderful information about how they fit into the G Gauge ecosystem. There also seems to be many more means for command and control in G gauge and with different approaches depending on manufacturer and locale.
The running water, live plants and very wide curves really offer a different experience than standard gauge. All told, this is one magazine I am very glad to have found. It delivers on multiple levels. Check it out
here.
Marc
