Garden Railway Forum

I've been cutting those lovely cut-outs in the frames, lots of sawing and filling. Then lots of drilling for spacers, and heaps of 8 BA tapping in the spacers. I start the tap square in the bench drill. But, first I remove the quill return spring... https://youtu.be/5YxaHGscx40 Filing, filing http:/...

YouTube nicely removed all my camera shake. The train has just picked up a works train along the route... Here we are slipping down the return curve and into The Yards <object width="640" height="360"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/xcxmorT5XKA?...

Do you who made the Goodall valve as I could do with one? I made the filler valve myself. --- Raising steam http://s20.postimg.org/hhq0em9a5/IMG_20160213_101151_e.jpg A fine all LGB train, lined up and ready to go... http://s20.postimg.org/cpg736em5/IMG_20160213_101232_e.jpg This is my special truc...

I have this lovely loco on my bench at the moment. It's the ultimate beginners live steam G Scale loco with safety features for the novice. The gas valve and regulator have mechanical stops set. I haven't found these a hindrance at all. The smokebox contains a condensate trap to catch start-up wate...

Following your example, I am trying to build a speed controller for the little Houston Gate diesel shunter. I am using an 8 pin H bridge motor control chip and will use PWM to control  the speed of the motor. I am hoping to get it onto one PICAXE protoboard. Excellent! I converted our LGB shunter t...

Dave, how have you found this track to be in terms of durability?  I'm considering building a small line outdoors in the courtyard at the back of my house and I can't afford to buy commercial track. Hi Annie, It was durable, the sleepers held up well over the years. The aluminium strip is available...

Whilst waiting for some paint to dry... I've been cutting out the frames from sheet steel. I have a lifetime supply of 1.6 mm :) It's hard work with a hacksaw. Filing the edges flat was aided with a long straight edge and sighting through. http://s20.postimg.cc/y03nd7k3h/IMG_20160207_125850_e.jpg He...

Cracking video Dave. I'm very envious of all that sunshine, seems to have been raining continuosly for the past month here in the UK.  :( This is my running season. We're having a bit of a heatwave at the moment. I won't say the temperature as I don't want any Aussies spilling their Castlemaine XXX...

The loco ran very well, and proved to be a good hauler. It's more fun with manual control. The train did 3 laps of my 56 m loop before stopping it to top up the water. <object width="640" height="480"><param name="movie" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/hGYWQC14KvU?...

The diesel does seem to work well in your videos. I was thinking the gubbins from your control van would make an interesting model brake-van, with the electronic stuff operating a brake rather than a throttle. That would be an interesting project. Yes, and it could be used with any loco. Best wishe...

Dave, you say you've removed the controller from Albus because you've devised a simpler method of keeping the speed down. Is it just the loco's natural ability to run slowly or do you have something else up your sleeve? Your little "crate" containing the servo is interesting, because I ca...

When you say you constructed them - are they your own design or a kit? Rik All my De Wintons are scratch built and based on Dave Watkins' "Idris" design. Kindly made available on his website: http://www.davewatkins.pwp.blueyonder.co.uk/16mm%20railway/steam.htm#Idris Best wishes, Dave

Great video Dave. One of the things i like about your De Wintons is the complete lack of the 'duck like waddle' that you see in so many of the model De Winton type locos. A lot of them appear to 'S' their way along the track. Yours is as straight as a die, Very interesting Alan, I don't know why th...

Thank you!

Rubeus uses a less fuel and water than Albus and is more powerful; because the cylinders are direct mounted to the boiler. There's no condensation.

Best wishes,
Dave

I'd be seriously tempted into live steam by a vertical boilered loco. What sort of running time do you get from a fill of gas and water? Good man! 18 minutes for water and top up the meths every 5 minutes or so. Unlike gas the meths can be topped up on the go. Water too, it's got a top-up valve. It...

Albus, my first loco built about 11 years ago, is going back to manual control, now that I've innovated a simple system to keep the speed down :D Two screws remove the auto bunker with servos fitted. http://s20.postimg.org/844r2nzb1/IMG_20160130_162350.jpg Here's all the redundant control gear... ht...

Fantastic run yesterday evening hauling a long train of LGB stock, with the LGB loco at the rear. The cylinders are only 10 mm diameter, but it can really haul. The axle pump was pumping to the boiler most of the time as the loco was working hard. The exhaust flow was impressive - hand over funnel. ...

I encourage our NZ modellers to choose 45 mm gauge as there are plenty of G scalers around. There's also 1/24th NZR modelling to be done. And, I like the larger scales now. The loco's have greater momentum.

Best wishes,
Dave

I'm a Gauge 1 man - 45 mm gauge With loco's from 1/32 to 1/12 scale. I like to run slow, so I'm more of a narrow gauge man. When my Gauge 1 loco started to really take off I realised how much I like to run slow.

Best wishes,
Dave

Thank you chaps. I couldn't bring myself to modify the loco, and it needs the exhaust to draw the meths flames. The Baldwin's voice is enhanced I think with this set-up. Starting the train is simplified, no more pushing the loco. The electric pushes the whole train along and then I open up the regul...