Garden Railway Forum

What do you get when you tell an Australian pensioner with way too much time on his hands "I do not care what you do inside your train area just keep out of my part of the garden!!!" (quote SWMBO);

Answer he sits in the train area drinks some beers and starts to think (got a headache from that but..)

I have been looking at how to incorporate a sugar mill complex into my existing layout then I had this bright idea; why incorporate an industry when I can just create a layout around one and interface the other one into it.

The end result of this deliberation (brain cells oiled by aforementioned beer) was this little idea; take a large amount of code 250 track sitting around doing nothing (rest of the layout is code 332) and make a sugar cane layout; then connect a line between the two because it is not too far from how cane lines and mainline interact.

I have roughly laid out the run from the mill to the "farms" which is a basic single track with a return loop about 17M (56Ft) long; the point will switch by itself as a train pushes through it; ie train goes around the loop one way and changes the point on the return leg and the next train sets the point in the other direction.

I don't quite follow the idea. Will this be totally stand alone and not connected to your main, raised line?

GAP wrote: ↑Mon Feb 08, 2021 7:46 am I have been looking at how to incorporate a sugar mill complex into my existing layout then I had this bright idea; why incorporate an industry when I can just create a layout around one and interface the other one into it.

That's classic railway modeller logic - invent a "problem", then "solve" it by building another layout! I approve! Looking forward to seeing your plans develop...

Andrew.

gregh wrote: ↑Tue Feb 09, 2021 7:58 am I don't quite follow the idea. Will this be totally stand alone and not connected to your main, raised line?

It will be stand alone with a line that will connect it to the main layout(interchange); both will be at the same height.
The track at the moment is "roughed in" to get an idea of where I can run the "farms" line and how many posts I will need.
I was originally planning on making a peninsula for the sugar mill area but that put some of the tracks out of reach if there was a derailment. So I have come up with the idea of having the mill on an island so I can walk around it.
In real life cane lines and the mainlines never connect to each other because of the different guages, cane 2ft main in QLD 3ft 6 inches, the mainlines do run spurs into the mills to load the bulk raw sugar this is the logic behind the plan. I will run a spur into the mill from the mainline via a drop down bridge.
The end loop of the "farms run" will have a Y point that has no centering so a loco can push the blade to change it. I used this idea with 2 points at each end of the line when I first started in Bomaderry. The way it worked was a train entered on the LH leg and exited on the RH leg changing the point; the next train will enteron the RH leg and exit on the LH leg and so on, each alternate train travels around the loop in opposite directions.
So I can have a train running around the loop do some shunting collecting the bulk sugar.

Hopefully that explains my thinking and what I am up to.

I think that's going to look great, please do keep us updated with any progress.

Gotcha. Looks like fun operating.

gregh wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:02 am Gotcha. Looks like fun operating.

It does, doesn't it? Looking forward to seeing it progress...

This is a basic idea of what will be built at the mill end (green hose gives some indication of track layout), with an extra loop outside for the interchange; I have 2 LGB 3 Way points that are just asking for a job.
The interchange bridge could get more complicated because of it being on the outer loop.
Consultation with the local population about land usage was involved.
I don't think I mentioned that the track I an using for the cane railway is "Code 250" as opposed to the Code 332 for the mainline.

gregh wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 2:02 am Gotcha. Looks like fun operating.

I am thinking of 2 set and forget trains on the mainline, probably going in different directions, and just relaxing by sitting and operating the mill layout in the afternoon cool.

GAP wrote: ↑Wed Feb 10, 2021 8:14 am
I don't think I mentioned that the track I an using for the cane railway is "Code 250" as opposed to the Code 332 for the mainline.

I like that idea, a really nice touch...

Cheers,

Andrew.

A layout within a layout, with provision for shunting and interchange. Doesn't usually happen in the larger scales, great to see it.

Construction has started on the "Cane Line" hence the renaming of the thread so it can all be kept in one place and not scattered about.

I have updated my blog showing the progress so far.
I think it will be easier if I just post links to the blog as I progress, so I do not clog up the site with all the photos that I will take and I only have to write a description only once.

So here we go;
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... ction.html

You sure do a lot of work. That circular baseboard will be a feature.
Winter coming should give you more time outside.

gregh wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 10:30 am You sure do a lot of work. That circular baseboard will be a feature.
Winter coming should give you more time outside.

The weather over Easter has wash out play as far as work outside is concerned, but has let me go full steam ahead on the construction of the mill in the shed.
The main mill building size covers 800mm x 600 mm x 400mm so it is a big area.
Added to this I have to build an offloading shed and add a molasses tank plus other scenery items.
No wonder I had to build a separate layout just to fit it in.
Blog update with progress pictures is being done.

I still marvel at how your winter is the best time for you to get things done out in the garden. Even with sunshine here today, the temperature outside is only 6C! But what can we expect, it is only spring here.....

Rik

ge_rik wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:18 pm I still marvel at how your winter is the best time for you to get things done out in the garden.

I thought exactly the same when I read that

ge_rik wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:18 pm Even with sunshine here today, the temperature outside is only 6C! But what can we expect, it is only spring here.....

Sun, whats that? We had snow flurries here all morning.

philipy wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 5:08 pm

ge_rik wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:18 pm I still marvel at how your winter is the best time for you to get things done out in the garden.

I thought exactly the same when I read that

ge_rik wrote: ↑Mon Apr 05, 2021 1:18 pm Even with sunshine here today, the temperature outside is only 6C! But what can we expect, it is only spring here.....

Sun, whats that? We had snow flurries here all morning.

Summer is just to hot to go out average of 32C, that is why I have the HO in the shed, winter goes down to around 20C on average.

I have now started construction of the sugar mill with the main building being the first to be started.
I have updated my blog with a description and some pictures to give an idea of what I am doing.
Enjoy;
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... st%20Posts

Your "center-outward" construction sounds the way to go. The corrugated iron in particular looks brilliant; and it'll oxidise perfectly in the weather. I wish one could achieve such a good result with paint! Really looking forward to seeing the mill come together - I need ideas for the mill on my next tramway.

Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Tue Apr 06, 2021 7:22 am Your "center-outward" construction sounds the way to go. The corrugated iron in particular looks brilliant; and it'll oxidise perfectly in the weather. I wish one could achieve such a good result with paint! Really looking forward to seeing the mill come together - I need ideas for the mill on my next tramway.

Aaron
I was/am lucky in that I grew up in Cairns, moved to Babinda then finally finished up in Bundaberg plus visited my dad in Gordonvale so I have been around sugar mills since the 1960's.
If I want to get some more detail I can drive just down the road to the Millaquin mill and get some ideas. Plus the Rum Distillery is right next door.
This is a freelance mill and I am thinking of calling it the "Backa Thocka Binda Sugar Company mill (BATSCO) unless someone can come up with another suggestion (always open to suggestions just not ones that tell me where to go ).
Picture of molasses tank added to blog post No 2
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... ction.html