GRR - Light Railway Extension

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Andrew
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Jan 20, 2020 10:54 am

Well done on getting your station site leveled - it looks very promising, with plenty of space to ensure interesting operations and scenery...

All the best,

Andrew.

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sjrixon
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Wed Jan 22, 2020 7:48 am

Thanks everyone. I need to get the main loop in action first, then I'll start with some concrete in the first section and see how it goes. At least that will give us an idea and a new siding.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:14 am

Some sunshine! Oh and we are not mean to be going out, perfect!

The first job was always to get the loop tidied up and relayed. Previously there had been a play house in the middle of the railway, this restricted the first point as I didn't want the kids jumping over it. With them growing out of the house we opened up a little more space.
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Then I wanted to re work some of the blocks. They had been put down in an excited hurry last year when the ground was quite hard.

Then with a few facebook posts to the 16mm group, I agreed on this plan.
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The Y point in the foreground really helped to widen up the track and make room for a nice island platform. Also softened all my transitions and bad track joins that I slightly forced before.

Then the little people had to try out their new station arrangement..
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I hate bending flexitrack! But I got it to work!
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That should give us enough room for a 4 coach train and a loco now. Ideal to run round for the return trip to the terminus.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:37 am

How are you bending the track?

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sjrixon
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:43 am

Is that a trick question.. Normally with my hands :)

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by tom_tom_go » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:50 am

It was a genuine question!

A rail bender will give you smooth curves with no kinks.

There are ways to make your own or you can buy kits from GRS (this one is for Peco SM32 bullhead rail, others are available):

https://www.grsuk.com/shop/Rail-Bender- ... SM32-M5202

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Mar 23, 2020 10:21 am

That's expensive! - Thanks.. I'll keep my eyes open for one.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Mar 23, 2020 11:02 am

That's looking very good! Great to get the kids involved too...

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by MRail » Mon Mar 23, 2020 11:11 am

I made one from this plan.
I believe you can even get flatbed vices in plastic.
Good enough for code 200 rail.
[attachment=0]RailBender.jpg[/attachment]
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Rob G
Madog & Mersey Railway (SM32)
In my Father's roundhouse are many loco sheds.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 06, 2020 11:01 am

Thanks for the article on the rail bender. Probably don't have bits around the house for something like that though, my grandad's workshop would have been perfect to go raiding back in the day, easily been able to help me make one!

Been cracking on with the build, and running some trains. The through station has been put back together and the sidings added back in this week, so all up and running.

This was our works train caring the screws to sort the track out and secure it down.
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Then we started laying out the track in the new station area as it's half cemented in. The job will be to get the track plan finalised so I know where the turn table will sit.
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The current thinking.. Two main lines to the turn table, this will have initially one platform on the shed side, but space to add one on the other (for busy market days).

The kick back siding for the engine shed, coal, water etc. Gives me a nice space to develop and a view blocker for the train to pass behind.

Then the front two just general sidings for whatever they want to be.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:58 pm

This is looking great - it's going to be a really characterful little line I think, with loads of operational interest, which the children will love. I used to set mine shunting puzzles - take the logs to the sawmill and the coal to the docks (both imaginary!) but make sure the guards van stays on the back and the gunpowder van doesn't end up next to the engine, etc etc...

Cheers,

Andrew

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:58 pm

Oh, I love that Andrew! I'll have to think up some things to do and move, also, start to get some wagon loads sorted.

Ordered a few kits over the weekend, so there will be some more variety coming.

Need to get on with the turntable, can't site it properly until the base is finished.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Apr 06, 2020 2:49 pm

Yep, it was fun!

It's a fairly narrow window though - My kids were interested in it for a year or two, and then it passed. They loved it while it lasted though and would play for ages sometimes, with one taking the role of driver and another being a shunter/signalman. What I'm glad I realised was that the railway didn't need to be complete for them to enjoy it - if I'd have waited until I'd laid all the track and made all the buildings I'd have missed the boat completely, in fact I'd still be waiting!

I have a very happy memory of Daisy, aged about 9, loading up a train with Sylvanian Families characters and taking them for a picnic by rail. I'd gone in for a cuppa, but looking out the window I saw that she was carefully shunting the train to re-position the guards van at the rear for the return run - that's my girl!

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:03 pm

It's always a small window, just mostly a moving one!

The playmobile gang have been on the railway a lot, but even with huge amount of bluetac they tend to make a bid for freedom half way around. I've some tippers that get filled with mud and the mud moved around, I then have to clean it all off the track for me to enjoy what I want to.

That's part of the reason for the turntable, just adds a little something else.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Tue Apr 07, 2020 10:16 am

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Bit of track went down last night and we had a little test run. I need to decide how I'm going to fix the turntable in next. Wondering on a solid base to attach it and then add then to bed it in.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:28 am

It was a busy last couple of days for the pw gang on the GRR. The management had been pondering for weeks on the best way to set the turntable into the station area, also setting it in would be the final decision on where it was staying. They had been pondering over track plans for weeks, moving things around, deciding what would be best, but finally a decision was made.

The back line will be where the new station will be built, leaving plenty of room at the front of the sidings. Easier to reach to uncouple trucks if the yard is at the front.

A larger hole was dug out where the table is to be sighted, then a brick placed into the hole on a bed of sand. Then the painful process of levelling the table.
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Finally once the team were happy a quick mortar mix was made to set the brick into the ground.
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That was it, the table position is set! To move it now would involve more ground work, so it's not going far!

That was left overnight to set. The following day the table was attached to the brick, with a couple of drain holes added on each side into the ground to let the water out. Then the area was levelled in the same manner as the rest of the track area. It's actually looking quite good now!
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Then 2 mixes of concreate to set the whole area in and we have a completed track bed! Finally.
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The final push was challenging work, needed a couple of medicinal pints of ale to help with the aches and pains. Next job will be a little bit of a tidy up. I want to set a couple of paving slabs into the ground next both stations as these are well trodden areas that now don't get much grass, I've also got some edging to put back. Then maybe chuck some grass seed down and see if the area will grow again! It's come a long way from the sandpit. Just need a garden centre to open so I can plant a few flowers!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by philipy » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 am

It is coming on well and it's nice to watch, the steady progress.
sjrixon wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:28 am Just need a garden centre to open so I can plant a few flowers!
Might be worth looking on-line at your local ones. We have a small independant not too far from us who don't normally do web sales or delivery but have started doing it for the duration and are now snowed under with orders!
Philip

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:20 am

Thanks, but nothing that I've found around Reading. I'm trying to grow a few seeds, you never know!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by invicta280 » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:16 pm

philipy wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 am

Might be worth looking on-line at your local ones. We have a small independant not too far from us who don't normally do web sales or delivery but have started doing it for the duration and are now snowed under with orders!
We have one of those, and very handy they are too.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:45 am

I need to go out into the world today to get some supplies. I hope that one of the shops might have some odd plants to try and dress up the garden a bit. Due some nice rain today, so be good to get out with the kids tomorrow and do some more garden work.

Back to the railway.

The turntable went quite well! We left it a couple of days for the concrete to set, then ran some tracks onto it as planned.
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I took a step back and realised this wasn't going to work! I wanted the station to sit at the back by the shed, hiding it a little. Clearly the rear track had drifted to far back. I lifted it and tried again with the track going into the middle of the table. Maybe the table should have been further forward? Too late now.
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Looked pretty good at the second attempt.
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My new loco under build sat on the new table.. But that's another story!

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