UK Rolling Stock in G - Project not yet started

Post by **ge_rik** » Mon Jun 01, 2015 9:19 am

stevenfitch:109120 wrote: Thanks, i've seen your videos a few times and had a good read of some of your blog articles - i like the river which i may have to copy down the side of my phase two!

Best of luck with that. A water feature certainly increases interest from the non-railway orientated visitors - and actually from many railway-keen visitors too. You'll see my modelling aims to achieve carefully nurtured neglect ..... well that's my excuse

Rik

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:19 am

Progress in a way.... we now own the property and as work on the inside is coming to an end i've had a few spare days to start sorting the garden out.

The current plan is (with a water feature added)

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Some images of the area top centre of the plan before, during and after. Not bad for a day and a half work with a saw, spade and barrow i think.

Before:

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During:

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After:

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stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 2:29 am

...and a panorama of the whole area.

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The run down behind the greenhouse, originally i though a single track only but it turns out a double will fit, even better!

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The area around where the raised veg beds will be built, the railway will be raised around the edges approx 2ft high.

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The area that will be raised up approx 2ft to include the pond and return loop.

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Post by **Andrew** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 7:33 am

Congratulations on taking ownership - looking forward to seeing the progress on your impressive plans...

Good luck with it all,

Andrew.

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 5:22 pm

That is a great space to work in Steve.

I enjoyed DCC when I use to run OO scale and like you when I moved house there was no where to build a decent size layout so I branched out into the garden instead.

What are your plans for track maintenance and cleaning?

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 12:00 am

tom_tom_go:112380 wrote:....What are your plans for track maintenance and cleaning?

Access for cleaning shouldn't be an issue as nothing will really be out of arms reach.

I'm assuming with it being DCC it will need to be pretty clean for reliable operation so i'd be giving it a clean before every running session.

Method of cleaning - i'm open to suggestions, comments and experimentation!

I'm quite happy to spend 10-15 mins removing debris and rubbing track with a sanding block before every session rather than spend £400 on a track cleaning loco - unless anyone has any experience or wisdom to the contrary.

maxi-model · Post by **maxi-model** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:38 am

stevenfitch:112485 wrote: I'm assuming with it being DCC it will need to be pretty clean for reliable operation so I'd be giving it a clean before every running session.

Although I don't run DCC myself I understand the opposite may be true of what you say. I think you are going to be in for an easier life than you think. Possibly down to the full voltage always being fed into the track at all times and the TX/on board RX loco accessory decoders doing the rest.

Dirty tracks always cause most problems when pulling away on DC as you are going from 0 volts to 18 + and a dirty track is contributing to random voltage drop outs around a layout. Apparently not so with DCC for the above reason and as a result is less sensitive to this problem . Or is this an "urban myth" I've been fed ? Max.

Post by **ge_rik** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 9:09 am

stevenfitch:112485 wrote: I'm quite happy to spend 10-15 mins removing debris and rubbing track with a sanding block before every session rather than spend £400 on a track cleaning loco - unless anyone has any experience or wisdom to the contrary.

In my DCC days, I invested in a track cleaning loco but actually found that the sanding block was more effective. The TCL was OK for giving the rails a final polish but not that effective if the railway hadn't been run for a while (I have a lot of overhanging trees some of which deposit sap on the rails).

Of course, since I've gone over to battery r/c I haven't had to do any track cleaning - just clearing of debris, twigs and overgrowth.

Rik

maxi-model · Post by **maxi-model** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 10:45 am

LGB track cleaning locos don't like don't like damp conditions on overhung shaded track they are not much use. Track cleaning pad on a stick (Vic !) and one of those LGB springy leg things on a 4 wheel wagon mixed in a consist do it foe me. Max.

Post by **ge_rik** » Wed Aug 05, 2015 7:47 pm

maxi-model:112490 wrote:Track cleaning pad on a stick.

Quite!

Rik

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:08 pm

Track cleaning pad on a stick it will be then, probably fit a set of the LGB track cleaner pads (part number 5005 i believe)

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:13 pm

After re-watching the first few episodes of 'Mark Found - The Garden Railway' i decided it was time to start setting a level on the first outdoor section that will be built.

The garden is on a slight slope uphill away from the house.

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stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Aug 07, 2015 10:30 pm

Next on my list is to decide how the raised beds in/on which the track will sit are to be constructed. I've seen the following in a youtube video (sorry i can't remember which video) and i like the finished look, there wont be grass behind mine, just a breeze block retaining wall then a small gap to the fence.

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And (sort of) mocked up the idea here i photoshop.

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The question is what do i fill the space with the ??? question marks in the below.

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maxi-model · Post by **maxi-model** » Sat Aug 08, 2015 8:13 am

Earth. hardcore. Leave a bit at the top for a weed membrane and a 2-3 inch layer of granite chippings ( for ballast). Don't forget somewhere for the water to exit, seep out. Max.

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:48 pm

After looking round a bit i've come across building a ladder rack support system from recycled plastic (doesn't rot, doesn't need painting)

So i'm using some stuff from this lot - http://www.filcris.co.uk/products/garde ... y-products

Ive got the materials to build a ladder rack but first ive made a raised bed which one end of the track will run through and also gets rid of the soil excavated from elsewhere.

The bed is the grey block with trees etc in at the bottom of the plan.

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Thu Dec 24, 2015 2:58 pm

Also some progress in the garage, there are now work benches, lights etc - The track is going to come through approx 6 bricks above garage floor level and run under the bench.

I need to work out how to make the track highlighted in red removable to it can be stored where the track in blue is when not in use.

The rear of the garage has been dug down to just below garage floor level, paving slabs, steps up, more paving slabs then a (full size) door being put in that wall along with two portals for the train tracks.

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Mar 04, 2016 7:19 pm

Some progress in the garage / storage yard side of things.
Ladder trusses constructed for the track as pictured, these will sit on top of some 2by2 cross pieces fitted beneath the benches once the exact height from the floor has been calculated.

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Mar 04, 2016 7:23 pm

and outside, first set of recycled plastic truss is in..

lessons learnt, 6m is too long to handle at once on your own! and bedding the posts in need some improvement.

Post by **philipy** » Fri Mar 04, 2016 8:13 pm

Steven,
It's looking impressive but I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but are you really proposing to fit the track on the filcris ladder as you are showing it in these pictures?
You've got absolutely no leeway for derailments and at that height off the ground it is likely to get VERY expensive.

stevenfitch · Post by **stevenfitch** » Fri Mar 04, 2016 11:04 pm

philipy:116590 wrote:Steven,
It's looking impressive but I'm not sure if I'm missing something, but are you really proposing to fit the track on the filcris ladder as you are showing it in these pictures?
You've got absolutely no leeway for derailments and at that height off the ground it is likely to get VERY expensive.

A fair point!

The ground at that point is likely to be raised some more to form a raised bed with the track level approx 30cm above and that would be the highest point (the garden slopes uphill away from the garage)

From what i've seen of other raised railways there doesn't seem to be any protection provided, some even running over paved areas. What would you suggest?

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UK Rolling Stock in G - Project not yet started

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