Garden Railway Forum

The chuffer really does sound good when the engine is loaded up. I think the most appreciated feature of the engine when I brought it to work was the chuffing sound it made. People didn't seem to believe it was actually steam-powered until they heard the sound it made.

I've seen that video. That is amazing. I'm not about to try riding behind the locomotive, I agree with "other Keith" that it would probably damage the rails and definitely the little wagons. What was actually going through my head was how many little wagons the engine could handle around t...

Just wondering if anyone knows just how much a Roundhouse engine or one of similar size/boiler pressure will pull? My friend has a Mercer traction engine and has "youtubed" a video of it pulling his five year old daughter around on a little wagon. Yesterday I had my "Billy" set u...

I can't help you identify it, but I thought you would like to know that I spent 10 seconds or so looking at it trying to decide if it was real, or a model. Finally I realised it was sitting on brass rails with plastic sleepers, but that is an excellent photograph and a really good model, whatever it...

Indeed. At least the toys won't be set on fire. Oily is the least of their worries.

I would really like one of those VoR summer coaches, I think that might be next. I'm satisfied with the level of detail on the IP wagons, I don't want to over-do the "scale" aspect, because I am not really trying to "model" anything. I just want a little steam railway to enjoy in...

That looks quite nice. I will be adding lamp irons to them, I have a set of three of those little lamps from chuffed2bits which light up when the chimney is twisted. The locomotive and its little train have a job to do in the summer, which precludes putting any interior details in the wagons, but af...

I ordered a couple of IP four-plank wagons for my locomotive. I don't have a railway, but the locomotive looked a bit lonely on the shelf without something to pull, so I built these. They are so simple they aren't really worth boasting about, but I think they go along with the engine quite well. ./m...

Just slap on one of those plastic "high visibility" flaps everybody wears these days. They'll protect you from anything.

Maybe they've got other things to be interested in besides rivets. Like steam engines.

Pauly, when I was trying to find a way to paint my engine, I couldn't find any "etching primer" to use on the brass. While I was searching for some, I discovered there is a kind of "etching primer" for painting concrete. It's too thick to use on brass, but the point is, I learned...

Well, we'll see, I haven't tried anything yet... I appreciate all the advice though. I'm going to have to work up the nerve to do something though, I'm getting tired of chasing the locomotive to the end of the line so I can stop and reverse it before it runs off the rails. No crashes yet but it's a ...

I know what you mean, sometimes I like or dislike the way a locomotive looks without even being able to pinpoint what makes them different from each other. I've never seen the "real" version of Roundhouse's latest engine, but I think the new model looks really good. I would love to have on...

Rob, your post reminds me of how an artist or a boatbuilder will gladly point out all the flaws in their creation, but you can't really see them. I can't see the kinks you're talking about in your picture, but I certainly admire the beautiful curves. Sir Cap, you're right, I am not keen to permanent...

Just make sure she isn't pointing at something fragile or important the first time you open her up! You may be in for a surprise!

That's what I will do. Thanks.

Thanks, Rob. That's just what I was wondering. Do I need a bending jig with this track, though? It seems to actually be quite flexible on its own. I think it would curve into a circle without being permanently bent on a jig.

Two last little projects, and I guess the locomotive is now "finished", although I have some little items to clear up, like painting the heads of brass screws, but I think I'll save that for sometime when I'm bored; they don't bother me that much. The cylinder covers and little springy bit...

I have just put together 60 feet of "Sunset Valley" 45mm track for my engine to run on. I don't have a garden myself but I bought the track because a friend of my wife wants the engine to run around a temporary track in her garden for an event she is planning this summer. (How many people ...

What I would really like is if Roundhouse made or partnered with someone who made some wagons for their engines. Having to order everything from the internet, I find it difficult to see ahead of time which wagons will look nice with my engine, it would be easier if there were some that were built or...