Garden Railway Forum

Peter, that sounds like an amazing plan. A folded figure of 8 could give a nice continuous run and plenty of scope for interesting features. Mind you the Dog Bone pattern does mean the possibility of double track mainline.

I would be more likely to put a station on that stretch and wangle it to look like a major junction than use it to fake a stretch of double track. Also, double track is a bit like two spikes in the Inquisition Sketch. The Scottish and Irish element does tend to steer me towards even pretended mainlines being single track.

Peter in AZ

Big Jim wrote: ↑Thu Nov 23, 2017 3:22 pm Peter, that sounds like an amazing plan. A folded figure of 8 could give a nice continuous run and plenty of scope for interesting features. Mind you the Dog Bone pattern does mean the possibility of double track mainline.

I had a nosy around outside with a tape measure yesterday despite it being somewhat brass monkeys. The available area without intensive negotiation appears to be about 15' by 32' but the domestic authority seems amenable to the idea of an extension across the rear of the kitchen provided she "does not have to look at toy town." Sounds like a very definite hint to keep buildings around the corner in the useless patio area, which I am keen on doing anyway, and that would tend to push me in the direction of some sort of distorted dog bone design, with the two parallel tracks in the middle of the loop separated by grade - one higher than the other. I am assuming the lack of adverse comment is down to the fact that the railway is intended to occupy a junky corner of the garden that neither of us has been in maintaining so far. Earlier proposals, such has looping it around the flower beds got the other sort of warm reception; the variety where one shouts "Incoming!" and takes cover.

The brain is now ticking over on issues such as minimum radii and maximum gradients. I see surveying work in the near future.

Cheers,
Peter in Va.