I’ve enjoyed pouring over the threads on here detailing the life, times and progress of some of the railways built and operated by other forum members. These have been an inspiration to me to begin serious feasibility studies for my own railways construction. I thought it might be of interest to begin posting reports at this early stage, detailing the planning process rather than starting with construction reports. I have the outline of a premise for the railway and some idea of where it might run. I have no photo's at present I'm afraid but will try and take some of the proposed route as soon as I’m at home when there is sufficient daylight!
The plan at present is to develop a short railway (The Soar Valley Light Railway). This will be an undertaking set up by a local landowner to assist with the running of the estate. It is an experimental venture and will be monitored to see if investment in a permanent railway is considered desirable. The experimental line will be constructed mainly on the surface of the land using contractors track. (Thanks Mamod!)
To enable this, the owner is transferring the stored assets of a previous (failed and almost unused) undertaking from North Nottinghamshire (The Hartshay Gardens Light Railway), which has been in store for over twenty years. This comprises a single loco and some track. The desirability of a second engine has already been recognised and a second hand one, identical to the original bought for the HGLR has been purchased. Some stock has also been acquired and more is being sought, in particular, flat bolster wagons.
The main purpose of the line will be the transportation of timber, mainly firewood, from the estates wood yard to the storage and distribution facilities near the main house. There may be a small amount of domestic coal traffic too. Serious consideration is being given to the transportation of the estates fruit crop up to the Jam factory located near the fuel storage and distribution yard. Serious planning has to be undertaken to prove the feasibility of this however, as there may be significant level problems. No public passenger traffic is envisaged although passenger carrying stock has been acquired for use in workman’s trains to transport staff from the estate depot out to their various workplaces.
It's not yet clear what the layout of the track will be. Consideration is being given to the practicalities of laying return loops at either end to avoid the need for running round or extensive propelling. However, this IS only a feasibility study and so no significant earthworks will be undertaken and no major reconstruction of the estates existing facilities will be undertaken for these works.
Further reports will follow as and when there is progress to report or I need to pick your brains!
The Life and Times of the Soar Valley Light Railway
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Soar Valley Light
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- Location: North West Leicestershire
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Peter Butler
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This is a great way to start!
If it can be made full scale it can be made 16mm
My line: http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about7200.html
My line: http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/about7200.html
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Soar Valley Light
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- Location: North West Leicestershire
Photo's of the proposed formation
Time for some serious surveying methinks!
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Peter Butler
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That view of the garden reminds me so much of our previous house in the West Midlands. A well built and spacious Edwardian semi with average size garden. Even the substantial surrounding wall and fencing are similar and give you ample opportunity to use it for support. It seems flat and with no natural obstacles to avoid(trees etc), you have a blank canvas to work with.
Do you have running rights over the whole area or will it be shared?
Do you have running rights over the whole area or will it be shared?
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Soar Valley Light
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- Location: North West Leicestershire
Hi Peter,
It's a fair size, I can't complain. It's the 18" to 2' drop at the end of the house that's a bit of a pain. The rest of the garden has a slope of no more than about 1' at worst. I'm going to level it after Christmas to prove what's what.
I'm fortunate that my partner leaves the great outdoors to me on the whole, so long as there's a bit of colour. More limiting is my need to maintain some of it as fruit beds. That said, there should be little difficulty in getting a railway past the strawberries! I need to re-organise the fruit beds anyway and so this is a fitting time to introduce the railway. The biggest job will be clearing the firewood pile! I'm afraid the final demise of the fence between us and next door in the last two days wind means money allocated for the railway will have to go on a new fence. At least that will give me more thinking and planning time.
I'm currently turning over in my mind whether to go for ground level or to build things up to about 2'-6". I really fancy having a significant part of the line winding through rockery hills. It's likely to confine me to one side of the garden or the other though as I don't really fancy having removable bridges over the paths. Maybe the paths need to move! That may be more difficult to square with the estate management though!
All the best,
Andrew
It's a fair size, I can't complain. It's the 18" to 2' drop at the end of the house that's a bit of a pain. The rest of the garden has a slope of no more than about 1' at worst. I'm going to level it after Christmas to prove what's what.
I'm fortunate that my partner leaves the great outdoors to me on the whole, so long as there's a bit of colour. More limiting is my need to maintain some of it as fruit beds. That said, there should be little difficulty in getting a railway past the strawberries! I need to re-organise the fruit beds anyway and so this is a fitting time to introduce the railway. The biggest job will be clearing the firewood pile! I'm afraid the final demise of the fence between us and next door in the last two days wind means money allocated for the railway will have to go on a new fence. At least that will give me more thinking and planning time.
I'm currently turning over in my mind whether to go for ground level or to build things up to about 2'-6". I really fancy having a significant part of the line winding through rockery hills. It's likely to confine me to one side of the garden or the other though as I don't really fancy having removable bridges over the paths. Maybe the paths need to move! That may be more difficult to square with the estate management though!
All the best,
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Soar Valley Light
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- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Physical progress - just!
The Soar Valley Estates works department manager finally got round to some field trials with the railway equipment acquired for use on the estate. As previously mentioned, this equipment is second hand contractors plant, bought with the intention of proving the feasability (or otherwise) of using a narrow gauge railway around the estate.
Some of the contractors jubilee type track was laid out in the estate yard and the most recently acquired loco was wheeled out. (The original loco has still not been recovered from storage in Nottinghamshire). The boiler was washed out and the loco cleaned and lubricated. Steam was then raised for the first time!
It has to be said that the trial was of only limited success. No.2 is a solid fuel tablet fired loco, the day was cold and there was a strong breeze blowing through the estate yard from the grounds. Sufficient steam was raised to prove the safety valve lifted and a couple of circuits of the roughly laid test track were made in fits and starts. The weather prevent sufficient steam being maintained for more. Speed wasn't too frantic although one of the two derailments was probably due to a sudden leap forward. The other venture onto Olde Englande was, without doubt, due to the shonky track laying. Unfortunately the runs were of such short length as to make filming almost impossible, one short clip was captured and will be posted below this if I have mastered the technology(!) together with a couple of still shots.
Cold as it was out there, and severely limited as the test was, it was great fun and has only encouraged me to repeat the trials in more favourable conditions. Meanwhile the planning of a more permanent railway to serve the whole of the estate grounds continues steadily.
[/img]
Click to download file
The test train
I knew those old TSR stencils would find a better use than cold frame lids! One provided enough shelter from the draft to raise steam.
[/img]
Some of the contractors jubilee type track was laid out in the estate yard and the most recently acquired loco was wheeled out. (The original loco has still not been recovered from storage in Nottinghamshire). The boiler was washed out and the loco cleaned and lubricated. Steam was then raised for the first time!
It has to be said that the trial was of only limited success. No.2 is a solid fuel tablet fired loco, the day was cold and there was a strong breeze blowing through the estate yard from the grounds. Sufficient steam was raised to prove the safety valve lifted and a couple of circuits of the roughly laid test track were made in fits and starts. The weather prevent sufficient steam being maintained for more. Speed wasn't too frantic although one of the two derailments was probably due to a sudden leap forward. The other venture onto Olde Englande was, without doubt, due to the shonky track laying. Unfortunately the runs were of such short length as to make filming almost impossible, one short clip was captured and will be posted below this if I have mastered the technology(!) together with a couple of still shots.
Cold as it was out there, and severely limited as the test was, it was great fun and has only encouraged me to repeat the trials in more favourable conditions. Meanwhile the planning of a more permanent railway to serve the whole of the estate grounds continues steadily.
[/img]
Click to download file
The test train
I knew those old TSR stencils would find a better use than cold frame lids! One provided enough shelter from the draft to raise steam.
[/img]
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Just a brief update on progress (such as it is).
The planning continues apace with many ideas batted back and forth in the empty space between my ears! I keep reading more and more about peoples construction techniques and am slowly formulating what I think will be the best of all worlds for my circumstances.
More importantly though, I'm slowly getting to grips with just what those circumstances are! I still can't decide whether to build at or above ground level, where to put sidings and how many, how to cross the garden path (twice) without moving a massive honeysuckle and the iron arch it lives on, where to store the ladders that currently live along one side of the garden and how best to protect the railway from the 'bombing' it's likely to get from next doors youngest little darlings football!
Today the nice man from the courier firm launched a couple of parcels over the back gate. One contained this years seed potatoes and the other a 360 degree laser level. The Chief Civil Engineer has been awaiting this delivery with eager anticipation (although he had hoped for a less energetic delivery method). Unfortunately the power supply will not be acquired until this weeks visit to the power supply division of the Central England Co-operative Society's Glenfield establishment (at the end of the home and garden isle!). Once the beast is powered up (and tested to ensure being bounced on at least two corners has caused it no ill), levels can be taken to support, mould and develop plans for the railway.
It seems the task of landscaping is growing however. The household authorities have decreed that it is necessary to use the new equipment to determine a course of action for the backyard of the main house. There has been a degree of settlement resulting in water flowing toward the buildings rather than away with the potential to run back into the cellar, where it's presence would prove highly detrimental to the vintage electric mice! The remedial work likely to be required will unfortunately be a drain on funds intended for the estate railway so progress may be a little slower than had been hoped.
Spring is coming though and hope springs eternal at this time of year, there is plenty of will to start construction so it is hoped that the Chief Engineer will be able to submit a positive report in the near future.
The planning continues apace with many ideas batted back and forth in the empty space between my ears! I keep reading more and more about peoples construction techniques and am slowly formulating what I think will be the best of all worlds for my circumstances.
More importantly though, I'm slowly getting to grips with just what those circumstances are! I still can't decide whether to build at or above ground level, where to put sidings and how many, how to cross the garden path (twice) without moving a massive honeysuckle and the iron arch it lives on, where to store the ladders that currently live along one side of the garden and how best to protect the railway from the 'bombing' it's likely to get from next doors youngest little darlings football!
Today the nice man from the courier firm launched a couple of parcels over the back gate. One contained this years seed potatoes and the other a 360 degree laser level. The Chief Civil Engineer has been awaiting this delivery with eager anticipation (although he had hoped for a less energetic delivery method). Unfortunately the power supply will not be acquired until this weeks visit to the power supply division of the Central England Co-operative Society's Glenfield establishment (at the end of the home and garden isle!). Once the beast is powered up (and tested to ensure being bounced on at least two corners has caused it no ill), levels can be taken to support, mould and develop plans for the railway.
It seems the task of landscaping is growing however. The household authorities have decreed that it is necessary to use the new equipment to determine a course of action for the backyard of the main house. There has been a degree of settlement resulting in water flowing toward the buildings rather than away with the potential to run back into the cellar, where it's presence would prove highly detrimental to the vintage electric mice! The remedial work likely to be required will unfortunately be a drain on funds intended for the estate railway so progress may be a little slower than had been hoped.
Spring is coming though and hope springs eternal at this time of year, there is plenty of will to start construction so it is hoped that the Chief Engineer will be able to submit a positive report in the near future.
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Inspired somewhat by yesterdays exhibition and the lovely sunshine today the Soar Valley Light Railways manager decided that it was time to dig out the contractors railways equipment to assist with some outstanding work.
Progress on the permanent railway is still at the drawing board stage (but making progress) so temporary railways remain the way forward for now. Recently there was an enormous timber cutting session which resulted in an enormous quantity of sawdust being stockpiled at the sawmill. This needed moving up the valley and up into the Charnwood Hills where the Estate yard is situated.
Track was duly dropped into place along the Estate roads and the rolling stock wheeled out. The loco was a reluctant steamer today. I'm not too sure why, it was a bit breezy but even when shielded from it it was difficult to make enough for a circuit of the line. THat said it is a primitive MSS beast which still feeds on solid tablets. THe water was nice dehumidifier stuff but when in the boiler cold so I doubt that helped!
Any how the job was done and some pictures taken to illustrate the event. It wasn't a long session today as it had to be squeezed in between working on the two allotments.
[/img]
Progress on the permanent railway is still at the drawing board stage (but making progress) so temporary railways remain the way forward for now. Recently there was an enormous timber cutting session which resulted in an enormous quantity of sawdust being stockpiled at the sawmill. This needed moving up the valley and up into the Charnwood Hills where the Estate yard is situated.
Track was duly dropped into place along the Estate roads and the rolling stock wheeled out. The loco was a reluctant steamer today. I'm not too sure why, it was a bit breezy but even when shielded from it it was difficult to make enough for a circuit of the line. THat said it is a primitive MSS beast which still feeds on solid tablets. THe water was nice dehumidifier stuff but when in the boiler cold so I doubt that helped!
Any how the job was done and some pictures taken to illustrate the event. It wasn't a long session today as it had to be squeezed in between working on the two allotments.
[/img]"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Late Spring in the Soar Valley
I read other peoples railway construction progress reports with fascination and am greatly encouraged to get on and do something myself. Planning continues apace and I intend to carry this on to exhaust as many possibilities as I can think of. That's one thing I've learnt from reading other peoples experiences - an hours planning can save days of abortive work on the ground.
One of the reasons for slow progress is the need to incorporate a fairly extensive redesign of the garden, a design which needs to accommodate the existing strawberry beds, raspberry canes and gooseberry bushes, not to mention extensive firewood drying stacks. I also need more shed space and some form of greenhouse too, all in a garden no more than 17 yards by 7 yards!
Anyway, in the best traditions of railway construction the first step is to erect the boundary fences, in this case the garden fences rather than the railway perimeter fences. The contract was let yesterday for the replacement of both boundaries, that will mean sheds can be erected, timber stacked and paths laid out. Then we might finally get to some terra-forming to accommodate the Soar Valley Light!
I have to say that as the plans develop so does the original premise for the railways existence, but more of this another time!
One of the reasons for slow progress is the need to incorporate a fairly extensive redesign of the garden, a design which needs to accommodate the existing strawberry beds, raspberry canes and gooseberry bushes, not to mention extensive firewood drying stacks. I also need more shed space and some form of greenhouse too, all in a garden no more than 17 yards by 7 yards!
Anyway, in the best traditions of railway construction the first step is to erect the boundary fences, in this case the garden fences rather than the railway perimeter fences. The contract was let yesterday for the replacement of both boundaries, that will mean sheds can be erected, timber stacked and paths laid out. Then we might finally get to some terra-forming to accommodate the Soar Valley Light!
I have to say that as the plans develop so does the original premise for the railways existence, but more of this another time!
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Fired with enthusiasm from a local meeting yesterday, where my confidence to steam one of my 'proper' engines was boosted by practical advice and demonstration, I decided to get out there and have a go today.
It's been a good season for fruit in the Soar Valley and the Soar Valley Jams, Preserves and Pickles Company has had a huge backlog of strawberries for processing. This lead to some Sunday morning overtime for the factory workers this morning. The extra production resulted in a large quantity of pulp and fruit trimmings for disposal. There was also a heavy raspberry crop to get back up to the processing plant. This resulted in the factory foreman making arrangements to get the maintenance department staff to lay out the contractors track previously used for rail transport trials. One of the new locos bought for the permanent railway was steamed and a couple of vans used to haul the bagged pulp and trimmings to the tip and bring back some raspberries for processing. This resulted in a fair bit of shunting about in the yard, although the temporary nature of the permanent way led to some excursions along 'Olde England'!
The weather forecast said it would be dry this afternoon. So the wet stuff falling out of the sky can't have been rain! I tried to capture some of the operations but trying to film on a mobile phone, whilst holding a remote control unit and dodging the wet stuff in the air, as well as coping with my first gas fired steaming meant that the results weren't good. Oh, that and the fact that I'm a total dunce with technology of any sort!
Anyway, I shall try and attach the results of my efforts such as they are. One thing is certain, if ever I needed anything to convince me that building a garden railway is the right thing for me to do, this was it! I'm hooked for sure!
Andrew
OK, any suggestions why I can't upload my video clips? (told you I was a technological dunce!) I took them on my mobile, emailed them to myself, grouped them into a zip file in my downloads folder but don't seem to be able to attach them to this post![/url]
It's been a good season for fruit in the Soar Valley and the Soar Valley Jams, Preserves and Pickles Company has had a huge backlog of strawberries for processing. This lead to some Sunday morning overtime for the factory workers this morning. The extra production resulted in a large quantity of pulp and fruit trimmings for disposal. There was also a heavy raspberry crop to get back up to the processing plant. This resulted in the factory foreman making arrangements to get the maintenance department staff to lay out the contractors track previously used for rail transport trials. One of the new locos bought for the permanent railway was steamed and a couple of vans used to haul the bagged pulp and trimmings to the tip and bring back some raspberries for processing. This resulted in a fair bit of shunting about in the yard, although the temporary nature of the permanent way led to some excursions along 'Olde England'!
The weather forecast said it would be dry this afternoon. So the wet stuff falling out of the sky can't have been rain! I tried to capture some of the operations but trying to film on a mobile phone, whilst holding a remote control unit and dodging the wet stuff in the air, as well as coping with my first gas fired steaming meant that the results weren't good. Oh, that and the fact that I'm a total dunce with technology of any sort!
Anyway, I shall try and attach the results of my efforts such as they are. One thing is certain, if ever I needed anything to convince me that building a garden railway is the right thing for me to do, this was it! I'm hooked for sure!
Andrew
OK, any suggestions why I can't upload my video clips? (told you I was a technological dunce!) I took them on my mobile, emailed them to myself, grouped them into a zip file in my downloads folder but don't seem to be able to attach them to this post![/url]
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
Right, your videos would almost certainly be too big, My Free Forums has an attachment limit of 2Mgb, which is actually not that big. My camera outputs still photographs of around 3-4Mgb, and video of considerably greater size then that! Even with phone quality, I expect it was probably too big. What would be better would be putting them on a video sharing site like youtube, and posting a link (if you don't want the world to see your video, make it unlisted and post the link on here, only those who click the link will be able to get to it).
"What the hell is that?"
"It's a model icebreaker sir."
"It's a bit big isn't it?"
"It's a full scale model sir....."
"It's a model icebreaker sir."
"It's a bit big isn't it?"
"It's a full scale model sir....."
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Soar Valley Light
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- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Thanks Laalratty, you were spot on. I said the clips were short and indeed, three of them are less than 2mb. I hope they are showing and accessible below. The other two were only just over the limit so it might not be worth me faffing about to upload them to Youtube this time (another scary new venture for me to try!)
I really must make the effort to master this technology, my Dad is 83 and he's got more idea than I have about most of this!
I hope these work,
Andrew
Click to download file
[/img]
Click to download file
Click to download file
I really must make the effort to master this technology, my Dad is 83 and he's got more idea than I have about most of this!
I hope these work,
Andrew
Click to download file
[/img]
Click to download file
Click to download file
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
[quote="Soar Valley Light:102194"]Thanks Laalratty, you were spot on. I said the clips were short and indeed, three of them are less than 2mb. I hope they are showing and accessible below. The other two were only just over the limit so it might not be worth me faffing about to upload them to Youtube this time (another scary new venture for me to try!)
I really must make the effort to master this technology, my Dad is 83 and he's got more idea than I have about most of this!
I hope these work,
Andrew
/quote]
Was the camera upside down, possibly. Happens to me all the time.
I really must make the effort to master this technology, my Dad is 83 and he's got more idea than I have about most of this!
I hope these work,
Andrew
/quote]
Was the camera upside down, possibly. Happens to me all the time.
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
I know what you mean. It's too much of a pain having to go elsewhere to view things.
Lets see if this works then....
http://youtu.be/8AlhMkzYzS0
http://youtu.be/0JcsHY-3WFI
http://youtu.be/ZqIg2W0ZOWc
http://youtu.be/7Gll760NDgQ
http://youtu.be/aB8i0loUrvo
Almost certainly not worth the wait. I need to improve my photography skills too!
Andrew
Lets see if this works then....
http://youtu.be/8AlhMkzYzS0
http://youtu.be/0JcsHY-3WFI
http://youtu.be/ZqIg2W0ZOWc
http://youtu.be/7Gll760NDgQ
http://youtu.be/aB8i0loUrvo
Almost certainly not worth the wait. I need to improve my photography skills too!
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
Well done, Andrew, you've mastered technology !
They may be short but it's always worth seeing what others are doing in their gardens - at least of a railway related nature ! Every little helps when, like me, things are going slowly with your own line and you're looking for ideas and inspiration.
Brian
They may be short but it's always worth seeing what others are doing in their gardens - at least of a railway related nature ! Every little helps when, like me, things are going slowly with your own line and you're looking for ideas and inspiration.
Brian
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