Building Anew

[Nigel B]

Hi all
I'm rebuilding the FeckHallBahn in our new home's garden on the Isle of Gigha.
I want to raise it slightly on something that will look natural and grow moss; ideally I'd float the track on ballast with minimal pinning. I just KNOW there's some kind of very light block that can be cut with a handsaw but I can't for the life of me remember what it's called. All the blocks I can find online are quite dense and heavy. There's also the fact that getting stuff onto the island isn't all that easy.
I'm determined not to use plastic of any kind if at all possible.
Help appreciated

[philipy]

Hi Nigel,
Good to see you planning trains again!
I think what you are talking about are Celcon / Thermalite Aerated Blocks 100mm 3.6N - do a search for suppliers to your far flung part of the world! Those are the 'big brand' versions but I know for a fact that Wickes do an own label version so probably there are others as well.

I must admit that I'd never heard of Gigha until now, it looks to be quite an adventure you've set yourself on, in a beautiful setting..

[Nigel B]

Thanking you - I thought it might be those. Can get them ordered in to Jewsons on the mainland. Thanks

[philipy]

I'd be surprised if Jewson's didn't have them in stock already.

[Nigel B]

They have the heavier ones as pictured, I need to order the lightweight ones.
The heavy ones are ok but we can only get them onto the island 10 at a time and I reckon I need 100. So that would be £300 just in ferry fares!!

[ge_rik]

Welcome back, Nigel. Wow, a virgin plot. Looks like you're going to have fun setting up Feckhallbahn II.
I too hadn't heard of Gigha, but I must have seen it when we had a holiday on the Mull of Kintyre,

You're certainly getting away from it all. Hopefully you'll be sheltered from storms rolling in from the Atlantic.

Keep us posted as to progress. Really looking forward to seeing the first train running.

Rik

[Nigel B]

Hi Rik
First train has run. I'm going to need to rethink my construction plan though - nobody stocks the ultra lightweight thermalite blocks around here! They aren't robust or heavy enough for building work in the area... Might have to be actual earthworks

[LNR]

Hi Nigel, welcome back.
Don't know if it's relevant to your part of the world, down here the blocks are technically Autoclaved Aerated Concrete and one brand is Hebel. Very light and you cut them with an old hand saw. My mill with waterwheel was made of them.
Grant.
PS looks like you have a nice long run there.

[Nigel B]

Thanks Grant
I'm searching without much luck!

[philipy]

Following Grant's recommendations a few years ago I used these blocks when I built my stream bridge. Hebal isn't a brand available here afaik but the Celcon/ Thermalite are the same thing and as i said Wickes and, I think, Jewsons have an generic version..
I'm sure you've already done it but I had a quick look at Jewsons down here and they do seem to stock them, so then I looked at your local one in Cambeltown and it said "out of stock". That presumably suggests they can supply them but as you said, you'd have to order them and no idea what the min order might be.

[Nigel B]

Cheers Philip
Campbeltown can get them but I'd have to order and transport a whole pallet full. Nearest in stock is Stirling.
However. I have found several buried in undergrowth and stacked up alongside the barn so, in combination with a bit of scavenging, leftovers from a building project in the village and some square section guttering I think I'm sorted. I will be using some wood but it's a) free, b) here and c) construction grade treated. It's definitely going to have a narrow gauge shoestring vibe. Not going to compromise where there are points though!

[Phil.P]

Most the lightweight blocks were made from power station fly-ash..

Closing coal-fired power stations, has removed the source of the (cheap?) raw material. - Which can't help availability?

I do hope you are pretty self-sufficient? I guess you all have to muck-in, with things?

Phil.P

[Nigel B]

It's an amazingly make do and mend place - getting stuff off the island faces the same challenges as bringing it on.
The community is fabulous. I'm trying to find the right words which probably says it all.
The railway is going to be elevated with various materials including some chunks of full size sleepers I've found with the track itself floating on ballast constrained by square section guttering. Some of this will be exposed and uptarted to look like viaducts/bridges and some will be hidden by piled up turf from a couple of places where I need to do some digging out angway flower/veg beds and the area in front of my barn which has gone to grass in the years since it had cattle going in and out. I know wood isn't great but it's available and - most importantly - free!!
The fictional business of the line will be sand quarrying - not far from the truth as it's on a raised beach -, dairy traffic and building material imports. And whisky of course! We're about 5 miles from Islay...

[philipy]

I've heard of lightweight track construction, but that is taking things a bit far!!

( BTW, my SWMBO is demanding that we upsticks and move to your idyllic isle at once!!)

[LNR]

in combination with a bit of scavenging

A true garden railway builders attitude, good luck.
When you mentioned a raised beach, I thought oh! same situation as myself (on sandy soil, which has advantages and disadvantages) but your soil doesn't look sandy.
Grant.

[Nigel B]

It's actually fairly sandy; centuries of cattle farming though. Mud brushes off without a trace which is completely unlike the Worcestershire clay I'm used to.

[BertieB]

Oooh, I’m keen to see what you come up with. I’m scratching my head regarding rebuild materials too (and, more generally, how it should look) — I’ll want to steal your best ideas. Good luck!