Garden Railway Forum

Danker Than Clanker wrote: ↑Sun Sep 01, 2019 5:12 am *The uprated safety valve I bought has RUSTED

Mine too. Bit of a theme here, isn't there? And is it telling that the starter loco comparison in the latest 16mm Today did not feature anything MSS...?

Though, at this point, I think I may just get some Roy Wood wheels. Anyone got experience with them? Are they worth it? Yes. And... Yes. It's the MSS ones that are cheap, not the RWM ones that are pricey. (But remember they're differently quartered than the Mamod/MSS ones, so even if you think you ...

To be honest, I'm not too surprised. The MSS wheels I initially got looked ropey once I'd realised what was going wrong (at first I thought I'd bent the frames and caused the wheels to bind on them) and made me wonder about production quality at MSS. Replacements didn't improve things either. Looks ...

You will have a nice scenic line which will get finished in time for you to run trains before summer is out. I can guarantee there's absolutely no chance of that timescale, but thanks for the encouragement! (The failure even to do some measuring over a whole weekend is a clue.) But I do have the ex...

Thank you for all the suggestions and tips so far, everyone.

Still thinking (and open to ideas). Didn't even get the chance to look at the "site" over the weekend...

MRail - really impressed with that scissors crossover!

[Just make sure you leave the rail head a couple of mm proud of the surface. I can't help thinking that this sounds risky for embedded track which is subjected to wheeled garden equipment (and children...) The rail obviously cannot be supported by concrete on the flangeway side, and as it protrudes...

I used embedded treated timber for fixing track in my original build (not crossing any paths), so I think I'll carry on with that then. I was wondering if it was seen as a shortcut method, but if you use it...!

Some great ideas and pictures coming through here - exactly why I posted - thanks. Are there any pictures of pemanent track with temporary walkways laid over it, as has been suggested at least a couple of times? I can't quite picture it. Could you move the top (RH) turnout to the right and the botto...

Even if it is still available, Dexion has to be one of the most unattractive construction devices ever conceived. As a temporary support for your track it would be an eyesore and one which you would not be proud to show I'm sure. Fair enough, but in my mind's eye the only visible part would be the ...

I'm with the "leave the track in place and raise the path" brigade. You wouldn't need to raise the path that much, only the height of rails plus thickness of slab and a small air gap, which you would remove at running times. You could even use a steel walkplate to make it even lower and e...

Cut grooves into the concrete, you don't need rails then. Have I got the right mental image from this? I'm picturing a train with its wheels rolling on two edges milled out of the concrete slab - which would (a) crumble over time and (b) damage the wheels (especially the plastic ones!)... Is this a...

Do you have a track plan because all I see is a crossing that doesn't require points? I went for the low-tech approach! 20190711_212918-01.jpeg Hopefully you can see that including the points in that awkward position: 1. Creates a reversing triangle. 2. Enables trains to change direction round the ...

Do you have a track plan because all I see is a crossing that doesn't require points? I wouldn't remove the slab just cut directly into it, you don't need to add rails either. I'll sketch a track plan when I have a moment - it's all in my head! But trust me - the points would be good (they weren't ...

tom_tom_go wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2019 5:50 pm Do you need to have points?

What about cutting into the concrete tracks with a diamond crossing?

The points would be sooooo good for operational variety!

Cutting the slabs is possible but is basically the same as option 1 - or have I missed something?

"...a removable section of path instead of removing the track..."

I had discounted that on the basis of the full wheelie bin and lawnmower, but I'm starting to think of it again. Any thoughts of how it could be built?

Peter Butler wrote: ↑Thu Jul 11, 2019 5:34 pm As I see it you couldn't have points in a worse position than that!

True, true. But it's no more than exhibition layouts have to put up with. I'm not giving up yet! (Well, I haven't started yet.)

Any advice for construction of the Northcastle extension gratefully received!

I have started threads in the Help and Advice subforum:

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 29&t=12481

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 29&t=12472

So, the extension is partly planned and the first challenge will hopefully be clear from these photos... 20190709_211855-01.jpeg 20190709_212419-01.jpeg The existing line might just be visible to the right of the photos. The new section needs to cross a path which is in regular use for accessing the...

A worthy winner!

Wonder if I can fit something to the next theme...?

Yes, I rather thought the inner edge of a 3-foot curve might be bending it too far. The purpose of the edging would be to retain ballast and/or hold back vegetation, so would go higher than the concrete - although I didn't do it last tine round I was thinking that maybe the concreting would end up n...