The G&DLR begins.

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markoteal
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by markoteal » Mon Apr 10, 2017 10:09 pm

Great signal box - very North Eastern!
Where did I put that uncoupler?

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Fri Jun 02, 2017 10:51 am

Cheers guys - the signal box is usually victim to the elements i.e my cats who don't appreciate the intricate value of the fittings I've added. So between my last post and this one, some repairs have had to be enacted...

Well, some of the plants survived, other did not so it's a slight renovation to see what works this time. The land is looking a little bare now but I've seeded some wild flowers and partial shade loving plants to see what takes effect this time.
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In other news, I've managed to sort out some ladder to the signals are back under way. Here's a shape of things to come.
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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Mon Jun 12, 2017 1:50 am

Well, overall I think I'm going to be as done as I can be for the moment. The final bit of major structural works completed and installed today - that being the signals.
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I managed to solar power all of my signals (adapting cheap Wilko's maker lights)
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There is still some fettling to be done with the signals - the home signals keep dropping back to danger and I want to use piano wire instead of sifter picture hanging wire I used instead.

In fact all of my buildings are solar powered now. Again my first attempt was relatively successful but I have some more powerful solar panels from lights which no longer work due to the elements but for the moments I'm pleasantly surprised.
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For the moment I'm happy to finally have gotten a layout regardless but the bad news is that the line may have to be taken up due to a severe change in circumstance. I can't make an ideas on what going to happen just yet but it looks like I'll be restarting in no less than years time (lady luck smiling on us anyway) but for the moment he's some images of the the overall love now practically finished.

Syl
XXX
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bazzer42
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by bazzer42 » Mon Jun 12, 2017 8:11 am

Good luck Mr T. Some lovely shots there, love the glow in the signal box. We are big kids aren't we? It all looks magical at night lit up. A lovely railway in a short space of time.

All the best for the next few years I'm sure I'll still be here building crappy wagons and generally being a misery.

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Peter Butler
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Peter Butler » Tue Jun 13, 2017 10:50 am

Hi Syl, it's a shame to hear of another move but these things are sometimes unavoidable. You have proved to be determined and now have a good number of items to set in place when your new railway begins. Please keep us informed of progress and good luck with any changes.
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by ge_rik » Tue Jun 13, 2017 2:22 pm

Looking good!! A perfect overall feel to your railway now complemented with the signals.

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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by jim@NAL » Tue Jun 13, 2017 8:20 pm

great looking signals they look wonderful do like all the lights I love seeing buildings lit up at night

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Sun Sep 24, 2017 6:29 pm

Well, its been about six weeks since the last train ran and the line went all Lynton & Barnstaple on us. Yet, despite not having a railway of my own anymore. I managed to visit a friend's line, which is O gauge.
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I managed to get round only half the line and took out a bush along the way.

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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Big Jim » Sun Sep 24, 2017 7:39 pm

Bushes, who needs Bushes?
Nice to see you managed to get a run.
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Wed Oct 18, 2017 1:32 am

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I told you it'd return... :-P

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Peter Butler
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Peter Butler » Wed Oct 18, 2017 10:50 am

Good for you! Well done on your comeback.
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Big Jim » Wed Oct 18, 2017 6:32 pm

Like a Phoenix from the ashes.....
If at first you don't succeed, use a bigger hammer!

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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by bazzer42 » Wed Oct 18, 2017 9:50 pm

Welcome back Mr T. Do you have temporary or more permanent permission?

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markoteal
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by markoteal » Tue Oct 24, 2017 10:12 pm

Welcome back sir!
Where did I put that uncoupler?

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR continues.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Thu Jan 17, 2019 11:30 am

Well, where do I begin!

After moving out of my old house and up to newcastle with some friends which the intention of having a small railway in the yard (with their blessing) things took a wierd turn. irst of all, I struggled to get some materials to start that project up. Once nicely settled into Newcastle - I then found out my other half was having a little Baby! So back down I went, the added advantage of moving back to Teesside is that 've been given the run of a garden to look after.

At the moment we are literally just waiting for the little dear to pop out now (he's currently two days over due) so in this moment of apprehension I've started planning up the eventual ressurection oft he G&DLR. Understandably this has throw a few cogs into alot of works but having kept all my track, stock and buildings along with kits that are still unbuilt, there is not much in the way of infastructure to really get on the whole so I am free to plan away until dirty nappies and puke ridden t-shirts and late nights and early mornings come about.
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All i'll really say is (as before) watch this space. I've found a small patch of the garden to dig out (with her blessing) and there is a massive ammount of bricks in the garden going surplus which would prove to be a valuable asset. Some stuff will have to be restored, the buildings are looking a little forlorn and coming away at the seems, the level crossing gates are still useable but some new decking will have to be made and a few other bits will need to be made from new such as the signal box veranda. Overall it shouldn't necessarily take as long as the last night but with our bundle of joy on the way, work and running to and from places to live - it might take longer.

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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by FWLR » Thu Jan 17, 2019 4:59 pm

New Year, New Baby and even better a new line. Hope you have success in all three.... :thumbright:

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Thu Jan 17, 2019 5:25 pm

Thank you, will keep you posted on all fronts. Its going to be a very busy year indeed.

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Peter Butler
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Peter Butler » Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:17 pm

I wish you both good luck and hope you settle down to a completely new lifestyle. I look forward to seeing progress on your new line, but somehow have doubts it will be plain sailing!
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by tom_tom_go » Thu Jan 17, 2019 9:37 pm

That's a nice little plot for the line.

Potential for lot's of planting to blend the railway into the garden.

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Sylvian Tennant
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Re: The G&DLR begins.

Post by Sylvian Tennant » Sun Jun 16, 2019 11:24 pm

I've managed to get the ground work sorted out for the eventual track. Like before, I've taken a bunch of spare bricks that were left over and made the base for the track. Like before I'll replace ones strategically to allow the track to be screwed into a short wooden planks. Also like before, some of the previous foliage, weeds and trees has been left to grow and create some challenges which i have tried to negate by tasing the track and packing some spare drainage stocks beneath. This part of the garden has had some flooding issues so using the bricks was to be a a bit of a no brainer. There is a plank of wood which was used to give an indication of where the main station will be.

ImageIMG_20190616_181407

Unlike the previous arrangement, which was quite a basic arrangement of just a dodgy oval of track I have decided to try and spice things up by adding a small pond (with safety precautions considered due to a certain potential toddler) which will require a bridge and also a short tunnel to add operational interest.

ImageIMG_20190616_181447

As you can see all of what I have done seems very slapdash and basic. This is due in part to the same issues I have had before...firstly, lack of considerable sums of money and time, secondly I currently rent so the line must be semi permanent and easy to remove in the event of a house move and thirdly I do kind of enjoy to make do and mend with the materials at hand.

The good news is I already have all the track, stock, buildings and most line side items from before, all needing to be cleaned up, repaired or rebuilt. I addition to that i have managed to acquire some more bits (mainly track) to add some operational interest and allow me somewhere to steam up or store locos and stock without impending the main running line. There are some additions which I plan to add including a new coal stage after the last one basically fell apart after being left in a flooded container for the best part of a year. I have drew up some very basic and dodgy sketches of how I visualise some of the scenes on the line including....

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The signal box and level crossing just past the station.

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The bridge of the pond which I'm thinking of doing a girder bridge. I may change that to a truss bridge but that seems just a little over complicated and might run the serious risk of degrading with catastrophic results.

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A couple of line side huts with ballast bins.

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And the tunnel, which I apologies because I gave up with the plants so it looks a little bit like a gaping hedgehog.

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Again, I have sighted the issue of cost but I have managed to procure some of that lovely Foamex for free near where I work of which i've got 3mm and 5mm sizes so I'll be hopefully playing around with that in the near future.

The buildings will need new interiors as the original ones suffered in the same way as the coal stage. I'll be adding solar lights again but will be redesigning them as the first ones with unnecessarily cumbersom so I'll be adding the solar panels to the roof and added some weather protection to the joints. The level crossing gates survived mostly but again will need some reworking as will the signals to improve their performances but the full level crossing, again, didn't make it. A lot of the signage didn't make it but they won't be too hard to rebuild.

I'll be adding some other bits and pieces such as an extra wooden cabin to the station and will be making a goods shed and coal staithes to one of the sidings.

I've already started collecting plants for when i come to add the bedding of which it will need to be raised. Again, the plan is to raise it in the most affordable method as possible of which i have a good idea in mind - but watch their space.

I would like to ask what do people use for their ballast?

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