Garden Railway Forum

Now to make a straight point into a curved point, using an article published by Railway Modeller in 2009.

A lefthand point alongside a piece of the six foot radius mainline in which it needs to fit.



First with Peco points you need to remove these tabs (ringed in red), which hold the rails from moving in the sleeper base.



A small bladed flat screwdriver easily levers them out.



These are what pop out, you don’t need them now.



Next lever off the tie bar spring cover.



With a small pair of pliers, remove the spring, put in a safe space with the cover, they need to be fitted at the end of the process.



The stock rails now slide out as do the switch blades and tie bar.



Using a set of rollers, I curved the rails.



They now match the mainline, but this was an error, I should have curved the inner rail more because it will be the switch line so needs to be tighter!



I pushed the rails in and just used small clamps to line it up with the mainline rail. To facilitate this, some of the sleeper web strips need to be cut and the ones on the inner curve need to be shortened, easy enough with a pair of snips, my Xuron's came in useful for this task.
Next I need to cut some timbers to screw the track down to hold the curve. Then apply a slight bend to the switch blades, check and shorten the inner one. Refit with spring and cover and move on to the next point to curve.



Martin

I planed down some support timbers on the thicknesser.



Printed out a guide to help with the curve and screwing to timber.



Trimmed back excess timber and added others. This will all need to be treated with creosote.



Then just had to shorten and fit the switch blades, but was a bit clumsy and broke the tiebar when trialing!



Found a suitable bit of brass bar to make a new one.

In the meantime, started taking another point apart, unfortunately the previous owner had painted it, so it was a bit harder to get apart.



Cover prised off showing the spring. Note the cover has a round peg and a square peg hole. Important to get the cover the right way round when re-fitting.



Much of the second curved point is now made.



A point tiebar was made and fitted, the 10BA bolts still need to be trimmed.





The brass tiebar fully fitted, pleased it works with the original spring and cover.



Martin

With a gap in the weather, I placed the two curved points and immediately realised, I had not thought this through fully.
The point switch timbers were just where the adjacent track will go!



I spread the two points apart to get around the switch stand problem. Started laying the curved points, it became apparent I need a third curve point, a straight lefthand point will not look right and won’t give the correct track route.



A start was made on the third point, here bending the rails.



In the meantime, my Strikalite battery pack and charger delivery arrived. I have ordered an Mtroniks ESC, my Viper loco one was not up to the voltage of the Accucraft Baguley.



Martin

WLR_CD wrote: ↑Mon Feb 24, 2025 8:57 pm Just for a bit of fun.



Martin

Momentous day. Looking forward to seeing that section finished. Already looking good.

Rik

I have been mainly fitting the curved points.









Martin

September 2024...

Having nice weather today, it was deemed prudent to ballast track already laid, rather than lay some more track.

Handy having the railway this high.



Ballast supplies dropped off.



Then off to get more ballast.



Ballast laid part way through Horton Junction station. The track to platform face areas have been left ballast free, these areas will be done once the platforms have been built.



Next door’s cat stopped by for a look.



Martin

I was wondering where we were (chronologically), September 2024..
We will soon be in 'real-time'..

Enjoying this thread.

Phil.P

Phil.P wrote: ↑Thu Feb 27, 2025 1:44 am I was wondering where we were (chronologically), September 2024..
We will soon be in 'real-time'..

Enjoying this thread.

Phil.P

Thank you, nearly there and things will slow down, unless the weather warms up.

Martin

I am pleased with how the curved points are working out. The hedge cuttings have done well and provide a nice backdrop.



Ran the first cattle van into the cattle dock siding.



Martin

Not had much time to work on the railway, but I did get the basic track route for the main line sorted.



The mainline is now screwed down onto timbers, now that I am happy with the route, I made a start on some of the sidings.



I have now screwed down all the support timbers and track in their final positions. Surprising how long it takes, my back is telling me it was a long time!

I am hoping to get the last two sidings (far left of photo) laid, that will then complete the main track laying apart from the bridge, which is yet to be installed.



Martin

Today the final tracks have been screwed down.

I made some changes to the last two sidings by flipping the location of the goods shed.

Next stage is to try it all out, if it works out fine, ballasting will be next.

It will be a a while before the line goes any further (bottom left corner mainline). A lifting bridge needs to be built to span the main path and some landscaping work needed in front of the main workshop, it would also help if I made my mind up for the final track layout to the shed!



Rough mock up goods shed.







Martin

At long last I have managed to do some work on the garden line.
This involved trimming the bushes.



That's better.



A light trim of the hedge and protective winter cover removed.



Cutting bits of felt to protect where platforms will eventually be and the surrounding landscape.



Platform area covered with felt.



An initial start on ballasting by using the old ballast I did not like, for the first level fill, before finishing off with Grano Dust.



Until rain stopped play!



Martin

​Life and the weather has got in the way of progress on the railway!

When the weather improved and I had time on my hands the base level ballast material was applied, this is basically taking up the space and not having to use the good stuff.



Then a start could be made on the layers of the better stuff. Here the coarser ballast takes up some of the volume, then covered with very fine ballast dust, this fills all the gaps and binds it together.
This is all tamped down with a 2 inch paint brush.



Then topped off with the final ballast grains, again tamped down with the brush.



The half nearest the camera is all topped off, the rear half is just at the fine ballast stage, awaiting the top ballast, then it can all be stuck down with SBR.
The siding in the foreground is not ballasted and will not be until the goods shed is built and I know precisely where the track should go.



From the other end, the grass bits are just to protect the under sheet from the sun and animals. Eventually I will get some more grass offcuts. The strips of stones (front left) are the site for the cattle dock.



When this is all glued in place, I need to make the platforms so that the final bits of ballast can be applied.

Gradually getting there.

I have made a start on clearing vegetation and soil on the other side of the path (behind the camera) where the line crosses it, to plot the route into the workshop and the indoor section.

My thoughts are moving more towards a simple single line rather than any roundy, roundy bit.

Martin

I finally got the ballast stuck down with SBR.



Ran a loco and had a bit of fun shunting.









Discovered some buffer stops have not faired well over the years!



Cut the hedge to start making way for a future bridge.




Martin

The final Horton Junction station crossover was lifted and taken into the workshop to fit the switch wires and cranks. Then it can finally be ballasted in place.



At last got around to making the path between the hedge and raised beds.
MoT type 1 compacted down. Filcris used for edging.



Slabs plonked in place.



Finished off with a sprinkling of gravel.





Martin

Made a start on ground clearance for the final outdoor section of the line to be built.
Dragged out of storage the trestle bridge which is to feature in this section, to assess the work needed. Initial look says not much to do, main thing is a fresh coat of creosote, no small task on the 12 foot long bridge.









Martin

Love the trestle. Not only good looking but presumably structurally sound...

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Sat Aug 16, 2025 8:11 am Love the trestle. Not only good looking but presumably structurally sound...

Rik

Yes Rik, construction is sound, just a few bits to fettle and a coat of preservative. Quite looking forward to doing it.

Martin

You're not doing things by halves, nice work.

Not done much on the railway for a while, I have been otherwise occupied exhibiting my 7mm layout 'The Yard' at the Bressingham and Farnham shows.

​Had a bit of spare time this week to make the bridge feet repairs.

These I cut from reclaimed hard wood window frames.



Rather than nail them, I choose screws which would put a bit less stress on the bridge when fixing.





All five done. A few cross braces to fix, then a light wire brush off and a coat of creosote.



Martin

​