Garden Railway Realism Group is a loose association of garden railway modellers. It is not a formal society, and exists as a mutual self-help group with the specific aim of promoting and developing more accurate garden models. While we all currently work in various narrow-gauge scales, we also welcome standard gauge modellers where their outlook is congruent with our own.

We distinguish our approach from the wider garden railway hobby as being concerned with addressing all aspects of the railway environment for their own inherent interest and modelling potential,  thereby seeking to reproduce them accurately and convincingly. We view the running of trains simply as the focus of a much wider range of activity.

We are not ashamed to think of ourselves as ‘serious’ modellers, and we seek to further our skills and knowledge at all times.

Our general principles are set out elsewhere on this wiki, but may be summed up as:

·         A modelling approach to garden railways, where the engineering content is part of a wider whole. 

·         A concern with the accurate portrayal of real railway practice, either by strict adherence to prototype practice, or by the limited use of freelance techniques, but always with the prototype as the datum point.

·         A concern for active experimentation with techniques that will move garden modelling to a more convincing and accurate level.

·         A determination to achieve the highest levels of craftsmanship of which we individually are capable – and a high degree of self- and peer-evaluation of our activities.

·         A wish to disseminate our findings to the wider railway community, and to encourage and help more modellers to adopt this approach. This is primarily done through the medium of this wiki, but also by considered participation in other groups, and sometimes by providing a presence at shows.

·         An acceptance that within our general principles, a very wide range of priorities and approaches is entirely valid.

GRRG is a new type of group; for instance we have no wish to acquire the accoutrements of a formal society, which we believe can all too easily distract from our core purpose, as well as creating much work. Our identity is forged largely through the electronic medium of this wiki and its accompanying email group; however, we feel ourselves to be more closely-knit that membership of an email group on its own might suggest.

Occasionally, informal gatherings of members do occur, but this is with neither the approval nor disapproval of the group as an entity, and the group accepts no liability for such meetings.

Affiliation.

As we are not a formal society, we feel that membership is an inappropriate concept; we therefore prefer to think in terms of affiliation. We do, however, loosely refer to ‘members’.

Affiliation brings increased access rights to write on this wiki and membership of the email group (wherein much of our day-to-day discussion takes place), that together form the core of our activities. In due course, a hard-copy newsletter may be produced if there is sufficient demand and enthusiasm for one.

We have, however, reluctantly concluded that open membership will not permit us to preserve our focus. We therefore welcome serious applications from those who feel they whole-heartedly share our outlook, but while there is no membership fee, we do ask for an expression of commitment to our aims in the form of a submission to the wiki, to be edited and accepted according to the principles already laid out elsewhere on this site. This will, of course, have the added benefit of contributing to the collected archive of the group, which is available to all.

We would encourage modellers to consider all available groups such as 16mmNGM , NGGarden, 16mm NGM Association and G Scale Mad, and choose according to their personal priorities, before deciding whether this group is for them.

Submission

We make no pre-conditions with regard to content or length of the submission, as each will be seen on its own merits - but examples might be:

·         a description of a specific high-realism modelling technique

      ·         an account of a specific modelling project

·         reference material on a specific relevant part or practice of a prototype railway

·         a description of an existing garden railway that subscribes to our approach

·         annotated photographic material relating to one of the above.

Other proposals are welcome; the only prerequisite is that all items are slanted towards providing help, information or inspiration for garden modellers. Reference to material already on the wiki will provide more guidance.

We do, however, reserve the right of acceptance as laid out in the terms elsewhere on the wiki, and hope that  our reasons, in wishing to retain the tight focus of the group, will be understood.

We welcome unsolicited applications, or you may wish to discuss your idea, and indeed the group as a whole, with us first. A copy of the (few!) rules may be inspected if desired. We can be contacted here.