Yet to be named railway

Hi to all. I'm still relatively new here and although I've made one or two posts elsewhere on the forum I thought I would introduce my embryonic garden railway to you all. After dabbling with the smaller gauges as a kid (OO & OO9) I left off modelling for other important things (music, work, wife, sorry - wife, work, music  ) it's taken some 35 years to re-kindle my enthusiasm - working full time on the big railway tends to jade ones palate for anything else to do with trains in your spare time .

After having a house extension built over the last 18 months / 2 years the garden has been left to its own devices and it has got to the stage where it really does need a lot of work doing to it. I was not looking forward to this at all but browsing a well known internet auction site I spotted a substantial amount of LGB track, 2 Stainz locos and a few wagons and a Playmobil coach for sale. I started to watch it and as it got closer to the finishing time I broached the subject with the domestic authorities. My wife took the suggestion in good part and I started to mull plans for the railway in the garden. My bid was the highest and I was soon the proud owner of what appeared to be most of the contents of two starter sets and a station track set - all for about £250

I'd like to combine shunting operations, stage 1 and (eventually) 'round and round' operation, stage 2 (for those long summer days accompanied by cool beer ).

So - to the photographic evidence.

Laying out the track

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Trackbed preparation



Checking for level



Checking for clearance

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

More checking after cement base laid



End of the line (for now)



Station area showing location of turntable

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Last for now - turntable. It's a plastic TV turntable screwed to an upturned flowerpot saucer (all plastic construction). Unpowered for now but I have plans .

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Looks very promising, and given time, that bit on the ledge between the wall and path could have a real Welsh feel to it..

Like the idea of using the TV stand for the turntable, wish I'd thought of that - and TV's are generally heavier than even LGB locos, so you can reckon on it standing up OK.

J.

Have you looked at some of the postings on this forum?
 
You could have spoken to your GP!
 
You could have discussed it with your vicar/Priest/Rabbi/Imam.
 
Welcome to THE madhouse!!!!!

Looking really good, promising start, keep up the good work

Steve......


The Nutbrook Garden railway

JonathanJ


Like the idea of using the TV stand for the turntable, wish I'd thought of that - and TV's are generally heavier than even LGB locos, so you can reckon on it standing up OK.

J.

I wish I could take the credit but I 'stole' it from another G Scaler, but I can't remember which forum/website I saw it on. I think it might even be somewhere on this forum. I keep looking at everyone's photos and nick their ideas take inspiration

Ade

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

I think Ian S. did something very similar

Matt 

oh--- i like your garden....and i understand the pressure to perfect it with a RR!

Those little walls and the walkway look really fine.

The work on your line seems to be very fine....wood in concrete????


regards

Frank

..how slow must a man be to be run over by a shay?
www.g-scale-structures.de

JonathanJ

..could have a real Welsh feel to it..
J.

What! That is a real drystone wall made from real white peak limestone in the middle of the real 'Gods little acre' - the Peak District! (I think I spotted some dark peak millstone too).
Welsh indeed, bite on the carbolic!
Only joking - a bit

What have you found? The same old fears.

pugwash

What! That is a real drystone wall made from real white peak limestone in the middle of the real 'Gods little acre' - the Peak District! (I think I spotted some dark peak millstone too).

All you can see is gritstone - there is some limestone but its buried at the bottom of the drystone wall - below ground level. I know this 'cos I built it . The trouble is round here is that most stone is so damp for so long it grows moss so quickly that the prevailing colour is green! 

I live close to the gritstone / limestone border (fault line?). North Peak District is called the Dark Peak because of its' gritstone, South Peak District is called the White Peak due to its' (yes, you're ahead of me) Limestone. A lot of houses near here are built primarily of limestone but with gritstone quoin stones (I think quoin is the right word for corner stones  ). I shouldn't have much problem making my track look overgrown.

Ade

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Did a bit more today before snow/sleet stopped play.

Turntable cemented in position. Now I can start laying and ballasting the track form here.

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Started to loose lay the track to get the geometry / gradients right from the previous 'end of the line'.




I then realised that the point / turnout where the branch line veers off was going to be on the yet to be built bridge so I altered things to set it back a little.


One line will run next to the back wall staying very nearly horizontal whilst the branch line goes downhill to 'ground level' before taking a left hander towards the ponds.

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

welcome and a brill start you have made - looks promising

The branch line will first pass the 'frog' pond (that bit with the green mat of duck weed covering it) - probably on some sort of 'cob' -


- before approaching the koi pond. Time for another bridge (or two, or three) methinks


Now - do I go left, right or straight on!

Attached Image(s)

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

I would go left with a bridge coming back to earth just to the right of the double-trunked tree. If you build a bridge the length of the pond you just know what will happen. Yep, kois with their own G scale train. It might also cause injury when they jump during the, erm, 'fruity' season - you know how they are.

What have you found? The same old fears.

pugwash

...... It might also cause injury when they jump during the, erm, 'fruity' season - you know how they are.

I don't think mine have got it in 'em.

Back to the track plan - I hope to go left and right to go right round the pond with a through station along the left hand side but that is for 2011.

Ade - Chief Cook & Bottle Washer of the Yet To Be Named Railway
Green = Go. Amber = Go Faster. Red = How the hell do you expect me to stop at this speed!!!

Very nice.   Definitely got me thinking about that turntable.

...or a sector plate.....

An Englishman in the Florida Panhandle trying to model the English narrow gauge despite turtles, snakes and hurricanes.

its all looking great

NSLR Ireland
http://nslrailroad.webs.com