Garden Railway Forum

Well, I'm open to posting a few pictures but keep getting messages that the photo files are too large to attach - is that normal or am I doing something wrong? The FAQ section doesn't seem to cover it.

Pretty sure I've picked up that videos need to be linked from a YouTube account which I'm not really that keen on setting up.

It's probably my IT capability though!

This covers attaching photos:

https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 33&t=11543

Tom the blacksmith:
I have posted some pictures in a new thread at
https://gardenrails.org/forum/viewtopic ... 41&t=11905
Hope it's of interest, inspiration or possibly just a warning!

Tom_tom_go:
Thanks for the advice.

To continue the story with a re-post of a photo from my thread in Railways & Layouts, the approximate "natural stopping points" on my railway are as follows:

TRAIN RUNNING CLOCKWISE:
1. Loco nearly at exit from viaduct, whole train on viaduct.
2. Loco just past platform, some of train in station (sometimes it scores a direct hit with the train stopping in the station).

TRAIN RUNNING ANTI-CLOCKWISE:
1. Loco just off viaduct, train partly on viaduct.
2. Loco approaching station, usually near the solar light that is just about visible (this is where I think I should place an outer home signal!).

Obviously the exact locations are rather variable!

I originally laid out the railway thinking that the natural direction for running was anti-clockwise - the view of the train being best from the patio area (to the lower left of the photo); I had a risk-averse approach to facing points. However, it turns out that overspeed derailments - always a risk with manual steam, at least in my experience, and always on the viaduct curve - are most likely in this direction! And the facing point has never been a problem yet.

I've been thinking about this, in fact every time I run on my mates railway. I watch the loco comes to a halt, the momentum keeps the rake rolling for a bit and then they roll back slightly so all the chains are taut. The loco then has to raise enough pressure to not only move itself but whole rake, which I think causes the rocket effect. I wonder if you were going to do this on purpose it might be better to create a well leading to a peak (higher than overall track level) so the rake bunches up behind the loco if it stops. That way the loco has to move itself first and then each coach/wagon in turn which means it would require less pressure and the rake might brake the rocket effect.
I'm probably thinking about this far too much.

I think it must add to the interest though? Especially the unreliability of it so your never sure whether it will or won't pause.

On one of my mates lines my train nearly always stops outside a house with a little ol lady outside with a create of fish, it's now a running joke on running days where someone calls out that my driver has stopped to grab his tea.

Tom

Tom the blacksmith wrote: ↑Mon Jul 02, 2018 10:10 pm I've been thinking about this, in fact every time I run on my mates railway. I watch the loco comes to a halt, the momentum keeps the rake rolling for a bit and then they roll back slightly so all the chains are taught. The loco then has to raise enough pressure to not only move itself but whole rake, which I think causes the rocket effect.

On my line the drag is basically created by curves rather than gradients (still quite proud that I managed to get the track base as level as I did!) - hence the tendency for stopping places to be towards the ends of c.225 degree curves - so I don't see the taut couplings.

However, it is very obvious that the loco will usually start again if the weight (mass?) is momentarily taken off its coupler - sometimes by pushing just the rear vehicle up to the next one - and almost always then takes the whole train off again.

The other noticeable effect is that it usually won't stop on the next circuit, but it's wuite common to get into s cycle of pause - two circuits - pause - two circuits...