Sometimes, I wonder if I take this hobby seriously enough!

[Sylvian Tennant]

Well, this is my first "adult" venture into garden railways. (I had previous tried as a child but it came to limited success.

I say adult... I mean "look what I bought!"



Anyway, Teddy Bears and trying to appease the missus I though tis would be a good way to initially get into garden railways. It's cheap enough (though a friend who is a former railway enthusiast thinks otherwise...pfft!) and simple enough to work.

Click to see full size image



I am still looking towards some more serious 16mm stuff (as to the gauge... well I've bought 45mm but 32mm is still my fav) but witohut a railway to run it at the moment (and a possible flat move) I'm going to have to have a deep think, though I ahve been saving up for 8 months to get into a financial positions to afford some stuff. Anyway, enough of my ramblings, please enjoy.

[MDLR]

It's a start, and you'd be surprised how much something like this can be "improved" - even a coat of paint will change it out of all recognition!

[Catweasel]

Most of us start with the "bear" minimum.

[hussra]

Running on the grass can be great fun, in a temporary sort of way. This is four years ago, at our previous house...

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[Sir Clothem Cap]

it's your railway you can take it as seriously as you like

[sstjc]

I thought the attraction of this hobby is that it isn't taken too seriously so i'd say you are doing exactly the right thing...

Barry

[benchmark]

I particularly love the wagon, i wont mind a rake of 10 of those.

[Sylvian Tennant]

Phew!!! cheers guys. They are nice wagons I must admit, I like the look of the BP train as well something I would like to do is incorporate some of the Aristo stuff into 16mm which is ballywell easy if you ask me.

On a slight tangent I do alot of smaller scale modelling espcially 00 and N and I find that although it is full of eccentrics who don't take the hobby entirely seriously there is a massive number who do to a really anal point which is a shame.

Out of curiosity, I'm led to believe that Peco, Aristocraft and Accurcraft (AMS) have all the same codes of rail for their track, can I ask are they all compatible, just because my local shop has offer to order some of the peco G45 setrack but the way this is wired up makes it a little complicated to wire directly to peco track.

Also I've got my eye on an Accucraft Mortimer, providing costs and things go all to plan so please watch this space.

[IrishPeter]

An awful lot of rather toy looking stuff can be transformed by a paint job, and a few well chosen accessories. For example, with a little work on the smoke box door and the cab followed by a coat of black paint and lettering indicating that it belongs to the "Three Bears Lumber Co." your "toy" loco would look like a little Baldwin or ALCO Saddle Tank. The open wagon looks like something the local lumber railroads would have used, as does the bobber (4-wh) caboose.

Rail weights can be a bit tricky. I think PECO uses Code 215, rather than the Code 332 used by Aristocraft, AMS, LGB, et omnes. I am rather fond of SVRR track which is code 250, but he sells rail clamps to join it to elephan (code 332) rail. I am sure someone will be able to supply same or similar item in your neck of the woods.

Peter in AZ

[Johnnie2sheds]

Love the teddy driver!

look for "Rule 8"

[Sylvian Tennant]

My girlfriend wanted the guards... but I blatantly refused that suggestion