Staple Hill Railway - New Line

[ge_rik]

If you were more local James I could bring mine along:



I can recommend them Rik, bullet proof - they just work

Now you're just putting temptation my way ........  :sad11:

Get thee behind me.  :twisted:

Rik

PS - Sorry - thread drift.......

[James from Devon]

OOO lovely Chaloner! If you are ever down this way, the kettle will be on, your both most welcome!

I promise to post some regner pics and video! I live in a tiny village and between me and Graham Wilkins there are at least 5 here! another couple up the road with another mate so plenty to choose from!

I have a Vincent and Konrad "Kotowska" and "Gulliver" respectively on my line. I did have a Chaloner but I sold it ...found it too tall, more 7/8th and didnt really run it often.

I can't recommend the Regner locos too highly, very reliable, powerful, great fun, don't need to chase them round the garden as they just chug away. Also, for the price, you get a lot of loco for your money and they are ripe for modifications!

[James from Devon]

Hi guys!

Another few dry days and I took a couple of extra days off work so got some more work done.

End of the loop with retaining wall and raised bed. It doesn't reach all the way round the loop as the tracks for the second loop will be built near the camera. (Sorry for the low quality pic, I got concrete dust on the camera lens!!)

Built the second platform...flagstones going in

Second platform done, this took significantly less time than the first one!

Track through station ballasted, dry stone wall and gate at the back of the bay and crossings between the platforms:

Black mortar screeding over the tracks in the yard, ready for coal stage and loco shed debris!

Not totally railway related but started on paving the rest of this side of garden

Overall shot of the station:

And to end with some, some trains!




Hope you like these and thanks so much for all the support!

Jim

[Peter Butler]

Own up now..... you've had the builders in haven't you? I can't believe how quickly, and superbly, you have achieved this work.
It looks good now but when it matures it will look just great!

[James from Devon]

Builders! Damn!, why didn't I think of that!  ;)

If I could afford builders, then that would be perfect!

Thanks Pete, really glad you like the work so far! I do like to get my hands dirty and work hard. When I work on the garden, I spend the 9-5 ish time on heavy building and then the nice fun railway detail work in the evening until it gets dark. I have a lovely wife who comes out planting the flowers and shrubs and keeping the tea topped up. She loves to sit and watch the trains!

I also have a steady stream of curious neighbours! Most of them say I should charge for entry. Funny, none of them left a cheque on the way out!



Cheers

Jim

[Peter Butler]

It is always encouraging to have support from a wife who takes an interest. My wife is good with flowers and a supply of drinks (usually Pimms) on warm days and when she feels she has time to waste on garden railways!
Neighbours? None, unless you count sheep.

[LNR]

The station with the bay road and general layout looks very prototypical Jim, I particularly like the dark screeding for the loco shed area. That will look good with some general junk laying around. Also good to have your wife's support, makes it that much more enjoyable. Your pace in getting this done could be a video, "how to build a garden railway in six easy steps". Well maybe leave out the "easy"!
Grant.

[Dwayne]

Impressive.

[robyholmes]

Very nice! Good work.

[James from Devon]

The station with the bay road and general layout looks very prototypical Jim, I particularly like the dark screeding for the loco shed area. That will look good with some general junk laying around. Also good to have your wife's support, makes it that much more enjoyable. Your pace in getting this done could be a video, "how to build a garden railway in six easy steps". Well maybe leave out the "easy"!
Grant.

Hi Grant. Thanks for the comments.

Not sure how to get across on video the pain in my shoulders and back following a couple of days of hard railway building!!

[Joe]

Really really impressive, im looking forward to seeing the plants develop over time; would be a great line for a big running session

[TTHLRMatt]

The station area looks stunning! Do you have any photographs of your dry stone wall at all? I am looking to put one in my station area and would be interested to see how it was done/made!

[tom_tom_go]

James , where is your off switch! You are making amazing progress...

[James from Devon]

The station area looks stunning!  :shock:  Do you have any photographs of your dry stone wall at all? I am looking to put one in my station area and would be interested to see how it was done/made!  

Hi Matt

Thanks for your lovely comments. I cheated with the dry stone wall, it came from Modeltown! very reasonably priced. I glued the sections together and did some filler and dremel work on the joints to hide them. Then a careful paint job!

Cheers

Jim

[James from Devon]

James , where is your off switch!  You are making amazing progress...

Hi Tom

My off switch happens automatically. About 3pm this afternoon during cuppa time at work.... things really start to hurt!! I have 4 days to recover before the weekend, then I'll be back at it!



Cheers

Jim

[James from Devon]

Hi There

Sorry for the delay since the last update... glad to report that Staple Hill Railway has taken some more steps forward!

I am also at a stage where I can enjoy a running session or two and I have made a couple of videos (my first attempt). Here are the links, I hope you like them.

Regner Vincent on a clay train:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-IuwDkm4sBw

Accucraft Ragleth "Lady Isabella" on a milk train - this loco is newly back from Mike Ousby this week where she was retrofitted with RC - thanks Mike...lovely job and glad to have her back.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=FK_BYjMgUEE

Here are some pictures of the latest progress:

IP Lister loco "Spanner" had an outing this week:



Site of second station "Ashbucket" with sidings laid:



First balloon loop ballasting and planting coming along:



Second bridge on the second balloon loop underway:



Last of the track in the station laid and ballasted:



Second balloon loop and siding trackwork laid:



My Son helping with the planting (with plants that he picked out himself I might add!)



Second balloon loop with raised beds and borders being built:



A final shot with Regner Vincent "Kotowska" on the second balloon loop:



Hope you like the update...more to come soon!

Happy steaming!

[Peter Butler]

All very impressive.... what incredible progress you have made since the end of March, just amazing.
It all fits together well and will no doubt mature (with a little help from your son) into a beautiful line.

[James from Devon]

Hi everyone.

Hope you are all enjoyng the (summer??) with plenty of train running!

Had a few days off work so in between rain showers some more progress has been made in the garden.

I could have done more but I keep getting distracted by the need to run the trains for an hour here and there!

Top level of the garden all but done now. I am happy with the paving but it is a nightmare to lay! this about completes the bulk of the work on this section with just a few cosmetic jobs to complete:

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Second bridge complete (Thanks Derek, another lovely bridge:)

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Steam up area with a Lady Isabella, Gulliver and the milk train in residence. I am making railing edges for this section which will also hold back the ballast here:

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Accucraft Baguley "Dr Sludge" on the completed and ballasted back straight:



Step for access to the return loops should it be needed:
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Considering this section was completed and planted in May, the plants have really established well:



Site of second station "Ashbucket" with concrete going in:



Top corner ballasted:



South balloon loop planted:



North balloon loop planted with the first signal:



To end with, here are a couple of trains in Staple Hill station:

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I have also made a couple more videos which can be seen here:

https://youtu.be/71rltzalhr4
https://youtu.be/ObqjO1xNi44



Thanks so much for following my progress, the support has been lovely and if any of you guys are in the west country do PM me, you are welcome to come for a visit or a run. We have a nice railway in progress but we also make a pretty damn good cuppa!

Happy steaming!

Jim

[Big Jim]

Wow, very impressive. It is great to see the younger generation getting involved. Have you tried him on a wagon or loco kit yet?

[planty]

Really impressive, makes me want to redo sections of mine!