Garden Railway Forum

It's quite a while since I visited this lovely little well detailed railway, now almost thirty years old!
Laalratty & LMSjools travelled up with me & a great late afternoon/evening's steaming was had, joined by Uncle Keith & the PTLR staff.





















And as darkness fell, the whole railway became a fairyland of lights....

WOW, that is a superb looking line. Lovely pics, loved the night ones especially. They look so atmospheric. Of course it was nice to see another Carrie as well.

Well this was the last of the NWAG lines that I hadn't visited, and in some respects I saved the best untill last. The Coniston Railway is very atmospheric and the lighting was very impressive. Here are my pics

A Paul Millington model of Blanche runs into Lowick station

Double headed Andel Baldwins, with the Wheldon wagon on its first visit to an NWAG line, picking up another signiture on the way

Edrigs dominate at Lowick

Lady Adele going under one of the lovely overbridges pulling away from Blawith

Lady Adele blowing down on shed at Greenodd

Corrie the Carrie heads towards Lowick Junction

Taliesin brews up in the shed at Greenodd

Taliesin steams out onto the main circuit

Taliesin pulls into Blawith

Tibby from the SLR north....
Never was the sign "Beware of the trains" so true as when SLR midge was running....!

Guenevere rolls into Blawith

In the gathering gloom of evening, Yeo the coal fired L&B adds to the atmosphere with some aromatic fumes....

Greenodd by evening

The night train calls at Lowick
And just a bit of silliness (without featuring PTLRcecil and his evil Andel Moelwyn! )

The Wheldon wagon did come to grief now and then...
And finally



The continuing saga of SLRmidge and his amazing tiliting Talyllyn train!
Many thanks to our host, known in NWAG aliases as Mr T for a great evening

Marvelously enjoyable steam up on a Truly atmospheric railway.
Many thanks to our Host and to our Chauffeur too.

STU - NNING!!!!

There's more and more detailing becomes apparent the more you look at the photo's (like the lineside 'phone just by the overbridge!)
FANTASTIC line

Great looking line, thanks for all the photos. Can I ask how it all fits together - has anyone got an overall photo of the garden, or a track diagram, or can you describe how the different scenes relate to each other?

The line is a circuit with a return loop built in, and with a terminus going off as well. The return loop allows a train to turn round so that you can leave the terminus (Greenodd), do a few circuits, go round the return loop to face the right way for going back into Greenodd. On the main circuit starting at Lowick, the bigger station heading anticlockwise, first you pass Lowick Junction where the line comes in from Greenodd. The you go up the straight with the underbridge, turn left into a short tunnel, then over the first point for the return loop, through a left then right kink, under the underbridge into Blawith. This is on another left turn, continuing round you go down another straight, then another left to where the other return loop point is, then you are back into Lowick. Hope this gives the general idea!

Got the general idea, but you've whetted my appetite now! A "general view" photo (or maybe a cab ride video???) if ever you get the chance would be very much appreciated.

I for one have a really limited space for the line, and ideas for getting maximum "bang for buck" are always useful. I really should be thinking about adding a terminus to return loop if I can manage it

Thanks for the cracking pictures of a beautiful line - I particularly appreciated the evening shots, as light are one of my "things".

Can you please send me a PM with the (proper) name of the photographer and details of the locos and location, so I can add it to the Wheldon Wagon Web Site? I've already "lifted" the picture..........

laalratty wrote:The line is a circuit with a return loop built in, and with a terminus going off as well.

Thanks, that really helps.

I'm at the stage of trying to validate my plans for a permanent line here, checking that what I'm planning makes reasonable sense and will fit with sensible curves, before work starts. My own plan so far is for a smallish circuit (30 yards or so) around the top of the garden, with a triangular junction leading to a terminus near the house. The main difference operationally compared to what you describe, I guess, would be that with the triangular junction you can't readily change direction once you're on the circuit. OTOH you can enter and leave the circuit in either direction.

Must try to do some drawings for you all some time for comment.

has the Managing Director of the Coniston Railway done some p-way work this year?? I just dont recognise some of the photo locations. Looks like it was a great day on the beautiful little line!

Looks like a superb line with some lovely shots

bungle80a wrote:has the Managing Director of the Coniston Railway done some p-way work this year?? I just dont recognise some of the photo locations. Looks like it was a great day on the beautiful little line!

Yes he has, when PTLR cecil arrived his words were along the lines of "what have you been doing here then!?" Basically Mr T has added a return loop to the circuit, allowing a train to be turned round for returning back to Greenodd, or of course running round the circuit in the opposite direction. Not sure if anything else was different though, that was my first visit to the Coniston Railway.