Newbie - IOM

[ScottyStitch]

Hi all,

I'm actually an N gauge transition era, indoor modeller, but I have an interest in building a garden railway, using live steam. This will be a future plan, beginning at least five years forward (based on the latest projection for my N gauge Glasgow North garage project).

My interest lies in the Isle of Man steam railway.

I understand that this would require 45mm gauge track and Accucraft loco stock. Is that correct? Is that 15mm scale? or 16mm scale? I am having trouble deciphering the information I have found. I see they have live steam locos, but what about rolling stock. I am not averse to building kits for rolling stock, but I'm not sure that applies to locomotives, at least to begin with.

Any further info would be gratefully received, both with IOM and with garden railways in general. For instance, what sort of gradients would be acceptable for 45mm gauge live steam? What books would one recommend for those starting out in garden railways, particularly with regard to foundations, walling, track bed, etc.

Thanks for reading

Best

Scott

[tom_tom_go]

Hi Scott and welcome.

If you fancy modelling live steamers then 15mm to 1ft scale allows modelling 3ft gauge Isle of Man railways using, for example, RTR 45mm gauge Peco track.

There is even an IoM 15mm online group:

https://sites.google.com/site/iom15milgroup/home

[philipy]

Hi Scott and welcome.
As well as the info that Tom has provided, the IOM is home to one of the best known suppliers of IOM railways models, called Trackshack (Google it).

[ScottyStitch]

Thanks both!

I shall have a look where directed.

Best

Scott

[Dwayne]

Scott, welcome to the forum. Can't help you with anything IoM as I'm on the west side of the Atlantic pond and not all that knowledgeable of prototype railways over on that side of the pond.

To model three foot gauge then yes, you would use 45mm wide track. Personally I've never used ready made track since I started playing with trains in the garden. I prefer the free flowing and smooth transition curves that hand laid track provides. As for gradients, my approach was to keep the track as level as possible to my starting benchmark and instead shape and form the topography of the landscape to give the illusion that the rails rise and fall. Growth and spreading of my plantings helps with the illusion. The primary reason I decided to keep the track level was that I discovered my electric locomotives don't handle downgrades smoothly and jerk erratically as the gears bind. My little live steamer Ida prefers flat track though it will handle the grades better than the sparkies.

I'm fortunate in that where I live I'm able to get away with laying the track directly on the dirt without the need to provide a more solid foundation. Frost isn't an issue for my rail though heat (up to 113°F or 45°C in 2012) can be. The best way for me to counter this is to keep the ground well watered during heat waves which helps keep the ground cooler. Some movement of the rail happens from time to time but as things cool the rail tends to pull back to it's original location. Since my track floats like the prototype I haven't experienced damage. Many of my fellow garden railroad modelers over here in the US tend to use clamps at the rail joints (many still operate with archaic track power) which causes problems. I make my own rail joiners from aluminum and because they slip onto the joint and aren't locked, the rail ends slip back and forth with contraction. My rail joiners simple keep the rail ends aligned side to side and keep the rail in gauge.

[IrishPeter]

There is quite a bit available for the Isle of Man Railway in 15mm scale/ 45 mm gauge. Accucraft produce one of the Donegal Railcars, and the 2-4-0T locomotive. DJB seems to do a selection of the small Fs, and the goods stock seems to have two or three different sources. The unusual vehicles, such as the early M wagons, will need scratch building.

Being a big IMR nut is the main reason I why I do not model it myself. I would rivet count. My own connection to the IMR goes back to 1977 when Douglas station was still complete, and there was a lot more surviving than there is today. I am also a left side of the ponder being based in Augusta Co., VA.

Peter in Virginia

[ScottyStitch]

Thanks everyone for the responses.

Any thoughts on maximum gradients for Live steam? I appreciate it depends on load, but any ball park figures with 4 or 5 coaches?

Level track throughout the garden isn't an option in view of the drop from front to rear; this is probably in the region of 4 or 5 feet. In addition, I'd like to have the whole railway 2ft 6ish from the floor for easier access, particularly in steaming up areas, etc. I'd imagine to make it work, i'd probably need at least one spiral plus a normal gradient.

I need to determine if the whole escapade is viable in the space I have....

I plan on using 45mm flexi track. 45mm Peco points appear to only come in one size. I assume it is possible/practical to hand build points compatible with Peco flexi, at whatever size required?

Best

Scott

[TonyW]

Any thoughts on maximum gradients for Live steam? I appreciate it depends on load, but any ball park figures with 4 or 5 coaches?

Going up a gradient with 4 or 5 coaches should not be a problem. Coming down a gradient with 4 or 5 carriages will likely end in a big and expensive derailment. Full-size trains have brakes, and it is unusual for models to have that luxury.

[ScottyStitch]

Ah yes, I see that now Tony.

I'm used to electric N-gauge where the issue is climbing (or lack of), not descending.

So the mantra is very gentle drops then. That changes things and requires a long think in that case.

[tom_tom_go]

You want to avoid rises and falls really unless you are going to have an inertia devce or wagon fitted to the train.

Roundhouse do a good FAQ section on live streamers:

http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/faqs.htm

[IrishPeter]

My general advice on gradients is keep it as flat as you can. My last line had to have some steep gradients, around 1 in 30, and it led to maintenance issues with the locomotives. I would suggest that you avoid anything steeper than 1 in 100, if you can, and probably 1 in 60 at the steepest. The South Line on the Isle of Man has a long 1 in 60 between Ballasalla and Santon, and this was the steepest gradient apart from the Foxdale branch. It is also best, if you are running manual locomotives, to introduce a few slight curves into the graded sections to avoid the 'hill of death' syndrome. The curves cause the flanges to bite the outer rail giving a wee bit of a braking effect.

Cheers,
Peter in VA

[ScottyStitch]

You want to avoid rises and falls really unless you are going to have an inertia devce or wagon fitted to the train.

Roundhouse do a good FAQ section on live streamers:

http://www.roundhouse-eng.com/faqs.htm

Thank you for the link. It has answered most if not all of my questions, even the ones I didn't know I had.....