About Garden Railway Supply Depot

Owners – Tom & Pam DeGeere
Store Mgr – Bill Hickory

Several years ago, Tom & and I were introduced the Garden Railroading through the local garden railroading club, Ozark Garden Railway Society, and fell in love with the hobby. Already successful business owners in the boat lift industry, we decided to open a store specifically geared to the G-Gauge train enthusiasts and Garden Railway Supply Depot was born. Our first location on West Kearney was in a small store, to “test the waters”. The “waters” proved to be fruitful so we opened a larger store in its present location. Through marketing and word of mouth, the business had taken off and caters to a customer base from all around the country, through mail order, phone orders and in-store shoppers.

As our slogan says, we “fill the needs of the garden railroader” with an impressive inventory of engines, rolling stock, track & accessories, buildings, figures, structures, scratch building materials, books, magazines and die cast automobiles. If you can’t find it in our store, we can get it for you. We also offer custom layout design work, workshops and clinics. Check out the website for more of what we are all about or, better yet, come see us!

Thanks,
Pam

If you are new to G Scale, the following may help you:

G-Scale Comparison

In “Scale” is the relationship between the sizes of two items. In model railroading, it is generally expressed as a ratio. For example, HO scale is 1:87, which is one inch on the model to 87 inches in the real world. This chart shows the average man in common scale in model railroading.

Garden Railroading is, as the name implies, model railroading in the outdoors. While some modelers have indoor layouts, most prefer to build their miniature railways in specially prepared gardens. The trains are large, usually 1:22 to 1:32 inch to the foot (for reference, 1:24 scale is the size of most model car kits). The track is large and built to stand up to the elements, as it stays outside year-round. Buildings and other accessories can be built to stay outside all year or brought indoors during winter. While the trains should be stored indoors, they are designed to operate in the elements, even rain and snow. The engines can be powered by electricity, battery or even live steam.

It's a creative hobby that allows the builder many opportunities for creative expression. Everything needed to run a garden railroad can be purchased ready to run. Many items are available in kit form. And it is possible to build all or parts of the railroad from scratch. You can model any era from steam to modern diesel, and even any part of the U.S. or Europe. Garden railroading offers enjoyment and challenges for all skill levels and interests.