GRR - Light Railway Extension

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Andrew
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Apr 06, 2020 12:58 pm

This is looking great - it's going to be a really characterful little line I think, with loads of operational interest, which the children will love. I used to set mine shunting puzzles - take the logs to the sawmill and the coal to the docks (both imaginary!) but make sure the guards van stays on the back and the gunpowder van doesn't end up next to the engine, etc etc...

Cheers,

Andrew

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sjrixon
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 06, 2020 1:58 pm

Oh, I love that Andrew! I'll have to think up some things to do and move, also, start to get some wagon loads sorted.

Ordered a few kits over the weekend, so there will be some more variety coming.

Need to get on with the turntable, can't site it properly until the base is finished.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Mon Apr 06, 2020 2:49 pm

Yep, it was fun!

It's a fairly narrow window though - My kids were interested in it for a year or two, and then it passed. They loved it while it lasted though and would play for ages sometimes, with one taking the role of driver and another being a shunter/signalman. What I'm glad I realised was that the railway didn't need to be complete for them to enjoy it - if I'd have waited until I'd laid all the track and made all the buildings I'd have missed the boat completely, in fact I'd still be waiting!

I have a very happy memory of Daisy, aged about 9, loading up a train with Sylvanian Families characters and taking them for a picnic by rail. I'd gone in for a cuppa, but looking out the window I saw that she was carefully shunting the train to re-position the guards van at the rear for the return run - that's my girl!

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 06, 2020 3:03 pm

It's always a small window, just mostly a moving one!

The playmobile gang have been on the railway a lot, but even with huge amount of bluetac they tend to make a bid for freedom half way around. I've some tippers that get filled with mud and the mud moved around, I then have to clean it all off the track for me to enjoy what I want to.

That's part of the reason for the turntable, just adds a little something else.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Tue Apr 07, 2020 10:16 am

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Bit of track went down last night and we had a little test run. I need to decide how I'm going to fix the turntable in next. Wondering on a solid base to attach it and then add then to bed it in.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:28 am

It was a busy last couple of days for the pw gang on the GRR. The management had been pondering for weeks on the best way to set the turntable into the station area, also setting it in would be the final decision on where it was staying. They had been pondering over track plans for weeks, moving things around, deciding what would be best, but finally a decision was made.

The back line will be where the new station will be built, leaving plenty of room at the front of the sidings. Easier to reach to uncouple trucks if the yard is at the front.

A larger hole was dug out where the table is to be sighted, then a brick placed into the hole on a bed of sand. Then the painful process of levelling the table.
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Finally once the team were happy a quick mortar mix was made to set the brick into the ground.
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That was it, the table position is set! To move it now would involve more ground work, so it's not going far!

That was left overnight to set. The following day the table was attached to the brick, with a couple of drain holes added on each side into the ground to let the water out. Then the area was levelled in the same manner as the rest of the track area. It's actually looking quite good now!
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Then 2 mixes of concreate to set the whole area in and we have a completed track bed! Finally.
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The final push was challenging work, needed a couple of medicinal pints of ale to help with the aches and pains. Next job will be a little bit of a tidy up. I want to set a couple of paving slabs into the ground next both stations as these are well trodden areas that now don't get much grass, I've also got some edging to put back. Then maybe chuck some grass seed down and see if the area will grow again! It's come a long way from the sandpit. Just need a garden centre to open so I can plant a few flowers!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by philipy » Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 am

It is coming on well and it's nice to watch, the steady progress.
sjrixon wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:28 am Just need a garden centre to open so I can plant a few flowers!
Might be worth looking on-line at your local ones. We have a small independant not too far from us who don't normally do web sales or delivery but have started doing it for the duration and are now snowed under with orders!
Philip

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:20 am

Thanks, but nothing that I've found around Reading. I'm trying to grow a few seeds, you never know!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by invicta280 » Sat Apr 11, 2020 9:16 pm

philipy wrote: Sat Apr 11, 2020 8:39 am

Might be worth looking on-line at your local ones. We have a small independant not too far from us who don't normally do web sales or delivery but have started doing it for the duration and are now snowed under with orders!
We have one of those, and very handy they are too.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Fri Apr 17, 2020 8:45 am

I need to go out into the world today to get some supplies. I hope that one of the shops might have some odd plants to try and dress up the garden a bit. Due some nice rain today, so be good to get out with the kids tomorrow and do some more garden work.

Back to the railway.

The turntable went quite well! We left it a couple of days for the concrete to set, then ran some tracks onto it as planned.
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I took a step back and realised this wasn't going to work! I wanted the station to sit at the back by the shed, hiding it a little. Clearly the rear track had drifted to far back. I lifted it and tried again with the track going into the middle of the table. Maybe the table should have been further forward? Too late now.
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Looked pretty good at the second attempt.
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My new loco under build sat on the new table.. But that's another story!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Dwayne » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:29 pm

:thumbright:

Btw... who made the turntable? And what are it's dimensions?

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Andrew » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:35 pm

That's looking very good, and I reckon the layout you've come up with will work just fine. You've certainly made yourself a large, flexible space to try out some ideas on. Love the turntable - and the loco that's sitting on it looks rather nice too.

Cheers,

Andrew.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:57 pm

Thanks all.. The table is swiftsixteen..

https://www.swiftsixteen.co.uk/product-page/turntable - sizes and everything on there.

I hope to do a little gardening tomorrow and get the two goods sidings in..

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Dwayne » Fri Apr 17, 2020 10:11 pm

sjrixon wrote: Fri Apr 17, 2020 6:57 pm Thanks all.. The table is swiftsixteen..

https://www.swiftsixteen.co.uk/product-page/turntable - sizes and everything on there.

I hope to do a little gardening tomorrow and get the two goods sidings in..
Thanks.

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by big-ted » Sat Apr 18, 2020 3:59 am

I reckon if you wanted you could still fit a nice 'low relief' station between the furthest track & your shed with your original layout if you wanted. Looks like you're not short of space though so your second plan looks good!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Sat Apr 18, 2020 7:55 am

I thought about a low relief one, but the room is there to do full and then leave some space for something else. No idea what the something else is!

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by Jimmyb » Sat Apr 18, 2020 9:57 am

Yes, very impressive, I want one, but where to put it, and more importantly when will I get time :)

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:12 pm

We got the 2 sidings in a the weekend! Nothing is quite secure yet, but it meant that we could have a play!

It a seems to work as we want, quite pleased with the turntable, but I need to build a lid to cover it when not in use, just to keep a little more rubbish out of it!
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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by ge_rik » Mon Apr 20, 2020 12:47 pm

Looking good! Hopefully, the turntable well has a drain hole. ..... 🤔😏

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Re: GRR - Light Railway Extension

Post by sjrixon » Mon Apr 20, 2020 1:47 pm

It has a drain hole.. But it's not that big! Had to fish rubbish out at the weekend to unplug it! Hence the need for a lid, to at least keep the big stuff out and let the rain drain.

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