Garden Railway Forum

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.

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.

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.
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.

The "Low" Trestle has been finished and baseboard either side installed.
Blog will be updated later

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.

Having built a raised railway gaps are good for drainage.

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.

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.

The blog for the low trestle has been updated

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.

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 Down the side fence What to do about disguising the level change to make it less visually obvious, possibly a stone cutting face?
Any thoughts welcome on that.

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.

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

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
. .
Rik

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/

Rik

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/

Rik

Rik
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.

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. 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. Meanwhile a drama has unfolded between the trestles. Skippy looks on at the unfolding drama.
Blog will be updated in due course.

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.

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.

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. 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.