Ringbalin Light Railway

A place for the discussion of garden railways and any garden style/scale portable and/or indoor layouts
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GAP
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 23, 2020 1:57 am

As can be seen in a couple of pictures above, the high trestle developed a low spot centered on 1 bent, initial investigations suggested that the dodgy method of skew screwing the support board had failed.
Further investigations revealed that 2 of the 4 screws at the end of the baseboard and one on the bent support had been sheared possibly by something heavy landing on the trestle.
I suspect either next doors moggy or "old poss" the possum using the trestle as a pathway after jumping off the fence.
This has now been repaired so work is scheduled for the low trestle work to recommence.

Blatant blog advert; https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -page.html
The blog has been updated to include descriptions of 2 more locos ( Side Rod and Sugar Cane), these ones have sound cards and motor delay so that the sound "Revs" build before the loco begins to move.
The delay is provided by running the throttle signal through a "Picaxe" microcontroller, sound input passes straight through but motor is delayed.
The sound cards are of a design dating back to the 1970's using discrete IC Shift Registers, these days the same could be achieved by microcontrollers.
Graeme
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LNR
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by LNR » Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:20 am

I had the same problem with cats and possums, but an electric fence energizer from the farm has fixed that. I don't know if anything has received a boot from it, but as much as anything I think the click click sound as it discharges is keeping things away. As you sound like an electronics person, would an electronic clicker be worth a try.
Grant.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 23, 2020 9:11 pm

LNR wrote: Mon Mar 23, 2020 2:20 am I had the same problem with cats and possums, but an electric fence energizer from the farm has fixed that. I don't know if anything has received a boot from it, but as much as anything I think the click click sound as it discharges is keeping things away. As you sound like an electronics person, would an electronic clicker be worth a try.
Grant.
The biggest problem with "old Poss" is that she and bub live in my roof space and I cannot get anyone to come and get them out.
Even if they are out of the roof they can't be relocated more than 50 Metres away (protected species).
My solution is to get a carpet python and shove it into the roof space but SWMBO has given an emphatic "NO!!!" to that suggestion. :(
There are a large number of fruiting palm trees on either side that provide year round food, but one neighbour is going to cut all his down sometime this year. :thumbup:
The electric fence idea may work near the railway but probably won't work anywhere else as "old Poss" jumps from the roof into the trees. El Moggo hopefully may get a zap which should deter it.
There are sonic devices that are used to keep possums away from garden beds, according to an expert I contacted, but who was to far away to help remove it, won't get them to move That may be an option as well.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Mar 24, 2020 10:12 am

The "Low" Trestle has been finished and baseboard either side installed.
Low Trestle Lengthwise.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise.JPG (193.55 KiB) Viewed 12669 times
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in.JPG (188.47 KiB) Viewed 12669 times
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in 1.JPG
Low Trestle Lengthwise Track Roughed in 1.JPG (125.53 KiB) Viewed 12669 times
Baseboard Side Fence Lower.JPG
Baseboard Side Fence Lower.JPG (82.2 KiB) Viewed 12669 times
Baseboard Back Fence Lower.JPG
Baseboard Back Fence Lower.JPG (81.2 KiB) Viewed 12669 times
Blog will be updated later
Graeme
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philipy
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by philipy » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:03 am

Coming on well, it's a great feeling when you get on a roll!

Just a thought, if it were mine, I would be sooo tempted to fill in the triangle between the RH corner at the end of the low level section and the first angled board joint on the brown boards, just to make it 'flow' visually.
Philip

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:06 am

Having built a raised railway gaps are good for drainage.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by philipy » Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:45 pm

tom_tom_go wrote: Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:06 am Having built a raised railway gaps are good for drainage.
Agreed, but I was referring to the front tringle not the rear gap.
Philip

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Mar 24, 2020 9:25 pm

philipy wrote: Tue Mar 24, 2020 1:45 pm
tom_tom_go wrote: Tue Mar 24, 2020 11:06 am Having built a raised railway gaps are good for drainage.
Agreed, but I was referring to the front tringle not the rear gap.
If you are referring to the brown board at the front that was put in at the last minute because one of the trestle bents was sitting right on the edge.
It is still brown because that is the colour of the old deck that the boards came from and I could not paint it last night because it was going to rain.
The intention is to fill in the corner area with turf (the rocks that are there were just dumped there while I repaired the sunken bent and have not been returned to their place.
To add some interest I have a water tank that I am considering using in the upper area with a water bore, a pump house and a water spout in the lower area. The pump house will explain how the water got up to the upper level.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Wed Mar 25, 2020 8:27 am

The blog for the low trestle has been updated
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Sun Mar 29, 2020 7:39 am

Work has progressed quite quickly thanks to COVID-19 isolation
The line on both the high and low trestle have been screwed down and the scenery underneath both has been finished.
I am still contemplating whether to put an edge on the high trestle or not, plus I am thinking about some sort of safety rail at the back to catch any rolling stock that may derail.
I am leaning toward the safety rail at the back but leaving the front as it is, a check rail is in the mix as well.
Trestles w-scenery.JPG
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Trestles w-scenery (2).JPG
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Rocky gully.JPG
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Rocky gully w trestle.JPG
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Rocky gully and paddock.JPG
Rocky gully and paddock.JPG (199.46 KiB) Viewed 12479 times
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:00 am

Work continued on laying baseboards across the back fence on the lower level and down the side fence on both levels, the upper level across the bridge and along the back fence is next cab off the rank.

I am considering a temporary switchback so I can run a loco and a few wagons to do some testing/playing.
At the end of baseboards the track will loop back and do some sort of "S" to take it to a "Town" area to be built on table which of course has to be constructed.
After that getting a line back to the upper level from the "Town" is going to be an engineering challenge and there is of course the spur that will run into the shed leading to storage yards.

Across the back fence
Baseboard back fence.JPG
Baseboard back fence.JPG (171.9 KiB) Viewed 12478 times
Down the side fence
Baseboard down hill side fence.JPG
Baseboard down hill side fence.JPG (192.82 KiB) Viewed 12478 times
Baseboard down hill side fence (2).JPG
Baseboard down hill side fence (2).JPG (182.55 KiB) Viewed 12478 times
What to do about disguising the level change to make it less visually obvious, possibly a stone cutting face?
Any thoughts welcome on that.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by Jimmyb » Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:58 am

GAP wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:00 am
What to do about disguising the level change to make it less visually obvious, possibly a stone cutting face?
Any thoughts welcome on that.
What about slate, vertically it will hide the gap and should whether nicely.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:06 pm

Jimmyb wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:58 am
GAP wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 8:00 am
What to do about disguising the level change to make it less visually obvious, possibly a stone cutting face?
Any thoughts welcome on that.
What about slate, vertically it will hide the gap and should whether nicely.
Worth a thought
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:40 pm

You could always try Bob Treat's approach to casting rock faces in concrete. That way you can tailor them to the location and being facades they would weigh considerably less than real rockwork.
https://familygardentrains.com/primer/r ... cliffs.htm
rocks_n_cliffs_big (1).jpg
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.
mystic_stairs (1).jpg
mystic_stairs (1).jpg (386.93 KiB) Viewed 12426 times
.
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:50 pm

There's a link to two downloadable .pdf documents on the site. One is all about concrete rock making and the other, by coincidence, is about trestles.....
http://tjstrains.com/request-pdfs/

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Mar 30, 2020 7:55 am

ge_rik wrote: Sun Mar 29, 2020 10:50 pm There's a link to two downloadable .pdf documents on the site. One is all about concrete rock making and the other, by coincidence, is about trestles.....
http://tjstrains.com/request-pdfs/

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Your timing is impeccable only this morning I bought a bag of acrylic render to try on the area if I can do half as good a job as those pictures I will very happy.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Mon Apr 06, 2020 9:41 am

I have reached a point where I can call Stage1 complete.
The track has been laid and the line across the high trestle (my biggest worry) has been tested, my largest locos and a train have been run across it, both forward and backwards with no problems at all.
P1050580.JPG
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P1050584.JPG
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The low trestle has been tested as well and no issues presented themselves, looks like my pedantic attention to both trestle constructions has paid off.
P1050587.JPG
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Meanwhile a drama has unfolded between the trestles.
Drama under the trestle.JPG
Drama under the trestle.JPG (177.07 KiB) Viewed 13154 times
Skippy looks on at the unfolding drama.
Skippy watches on.JPG
Skippy watches on.JPG (142.34 KiB) Viewed 13154 times

Blog will be updated in due course.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by Andrew » Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:06 pm

That's shaping up very nicely, and at an impressive pace too, well done! The two trestles look great, especially once they've got a train on them...

Andrew.

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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Tue Apr 07, 2020 7:04 am

I have now updated my Blog so it reflects the work from the start to the completion of Stage 1
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -page.html

Edit;
I used my lock down time to re organise the presentation a bit better by grouping the older posts under 2 new tabs of G and HO Construction Logs which consist of sub headings of Stage1,2 etc plus a brief explanation of where the construction is headed. This will hopefully will make it more user friendly.
I intend to only have a maximum of 5 posts under the G and HO posts tabs so they will be the latest ones; a type of "What's new" feature.

Please have a look and comment if you wish.
Graeme
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Re: Ringbalin Light Railway

Post by GAP » Sat May 02, 2020 11:39 pm

Stage 2 has begun it involves bringing the 2 tracks around a series of curves to run across the yard into the "town area.
As there are no fence posts to attach to I have had to cut my own and concrete them in, they are made of galvanized "C" purlin (used to build sheds etc).
I have also used a piece of lattice screening that was on my back deck before it was renovated, it provides a finished edge to the railway when it is viewed from the house. As my wife likes Coleus plants and the lattice provides a shady spot that is what will be planted there thus giving area the name of 'Coleus Corner'.
Pictures of progress so far.
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P1050669.JPG
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Access to inside the loop will be via a lift up bridge hinged at one end.

In the centre of the layout design of a garden area has begun.
SWMBO wanted a firepit but we could not decide where to put one then I had a flash of brilliance and suggested we put it inside the railway that way we could sit by the fire in winter and watch a train or 2 trundle around.
Now this project has snowballed to me laying "Cracker Dust" (made of crushed rock which when mixed with cement acts like concrete) paths following the track and planting out and mulching the area so I do not have to mow grass inside the loop.
Picture shows the firepit in place, there will be another circle constructed and filled with "Cracker Dust", this thing could end up bigger than Stonehenge.
P1050668.JPG
P1050668.JPG (203.27 KiB) Viewed 13045 times
Graeme
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