UK Rolling Stock in G - Project not yet started

[philipy]

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?

I wasn't so much thinking of protection, as in fence/barrier, more a question of widening the track bed. So you have a horizontal surface ideally the same width as your track gauge, both sides of the running rails. That way you stand a chance of things staying in the vicinity of the track if you get a derailment.

I've not used Filcris myslf ( too expensive) but I have seen at least one layout on here (sorry, can't remember who) where there are 6" long filcris battens laid across the ladder to achieve the widening effect.

[stevenfitch]

The reason for the height in the first place is as follows.

The railway is an 'out and back' configuration, starting in the garage running up and around the garden edge, loop in a raised bed and back to the garage, loop and repeat.

At the top end of the garden the raised bed stands at 45cm above ground and ground level in the garage is approx 30cm below this so a total of 75cm height change in the 25m run out (then back).
This would give me a gradient of 1 in 33 (3%).
To avoid this and to allow for some flat sections i have opted to go from 45cm at the raised bed down to 20cm for the rest of the garden (zero being the ground height at the raised bed)

Heights and gradients are on the plan below.

The third option may be to go all to (very nearly) ground level at the top of the garden, be approx 15cm raised into the garage and just not run through the raised bed - this does also make sense in some more areas. The raised vegetable patch bottom left near the green track hasn't been built yet.

[stevenfitch]

... ignoring the heights and gradients on the below, this would be option 3.

Damn it.. i like option 3 now!

[philipy]

The reason for the height in the first place is as follows....

Steven,
It isn't the height itself which bothers me and your reasons are perfectly valid and understandable, but immaterial, tbh - my own line is at ground level near the house and at waist height at the bottom of the garden, because of the slope on my garden. However the track bed O/A width is nowhere less than 120mm and in most areas its 150mm or more (for 32mm track), plus outside of that Lonicera, or similar shrubbery, to hopefully cushion any major accidents.

I know that most of your experience has been in N Gauge, but that is light years different to 45mm in the garden - been there, done that....

In the past,
I've had a whole train of N Gauge coal wagons ( 28 from memory) hit the floor from layout height at an exhibition, picked it all up, put it back on the track and run it again straight away with no damage.
I've also accidentally dropped a 4mm white metal loco from layout height and that survived, albeit with some major dents.
I had a derailment of a small 16mm 0-4-0 diesel outline loco, kitbuilt, which I had bought 2nd hand. It was fortunately running light, but the derailment happened behind a shed ( doesn't it always?) and on the narrowest section of track bed ( doesn't it always?) where there was no additional protection ( doesn't it always?). When I realised that it wasn't going to reappear I went to look and found the loco on the bare earth 2ft below, pretty much returned to the original kit of parts!

All I am saying is prepare for the worst and hope for the best. As Maxi-model said on this thread a few weeks back "even a small twig can derail a Mikado".

[LNR]

I hope Philip doesn't mind Steven, but I think what he is getting at, might be more like the pic. on the right in cross section. As opposed to that on the left, which if I'm reading things correctly is what you are intending. Something of a base extending either side of the track.



Grant.

[philipy]

I hope Philip doesn't mind Steven, but I think what he is getting at, might be more like the pic. on the right in cross section. As opposed to that on the left, which if I'm reading things correctly is what you are intending. Something of a base extending either side of the track.



Grant.

Exactly right, Grant. Thanks for clarifying.

[stevenfitch]

Thanks for the advice guys, i'm going to have a re-measure of the heights through the week and get an idea of what it would be like at (just above) ground level.

I've actually already got a few length of the Filcris material which im sure was for chopping up and making these top boards and putting lip on either side to hold ballast.

This would solve an as yet unresolved issue of 'how do you get the humans over the track at height between where it has "BBQ" & "Heights + 11" at the top centre of the plan.

[philipy]

Steven,
Take a look at this thread, it shows exactly what I'm talking about with Filcris track base:
http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftopic10256-15.php

As for your operator access question, the normal way to deal with that problem is either a completely removable, or a hinged lift up bridge.

[stevenfitch]

Steven,
Take a look at this thread, it shows exactly what I'm talking about with Filcris track base:
http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftopic10256-15.php

As for your operator access question, the normal way to deal with that problem is either a completely removable, or a hinged lift up bridge.

Yes that was the original idea for the finished ladder rack, i think i got a bit ahead of myself and missed a step putting the track on straight away for the photos. After reading that i've ordered some 'UPVC Cloaked Profile' in black from Wickes.

A Lower height has been decided upon as it ten gets rid of the need for the lift up sections.

[stevenfitch]

Progress with with some of the 'pre-railway' works.
The doors are in the back of the garage / 'engine shed'

[stoker]

Some useful hardcore left there!

[stevenfitch]

Black paving booked in for early may, cant really do much else outisde until that's in so trackwork inside the garage and computer / electronics to be installed next

[stoker]

Black paving booked in for early may, cant really do much else outisde until that's in so trackwork inside the garage and computer / electronics to be installed next

Block paving guys prefer to work in warm,dry weather!

But I am a little suprised that you are farming the work out,if you can set a level for your railway,then paving would be a walk in the park...

[stevenfitch]

Black paving booked in for early may, cant really do much else outisde until that's in so trackwork inside the garage and computer / electronics to be installed next

Block paving guys prefer to work in warm,dry weather!

But I am a little suprised that you are farming the work out,if you can set a level for your railway,then paving would be a walk in the park...

I can level the plastic ladder rack but a whole area of paving with steps and drainage is beyond me! Getting the front of the house done at the same time (although I am told no trains are allowed at the front)

[stevenfitch]

Work continues inside the garage, IP rated housings for the electronics of power and control system and the network connection to the main house has been completed.

Following advice from another (non-railway) forum re: electronics and computers in a workshop / garage environment there is to be an anti-condensation heater fitted in the bottom of both to keep the temperature inside at least 10 deg c.

[tom_tom_go]

Did they tell you to fit CAT6 cabling plus wall sockets?

[stevenfitch]

Did they tell you to fit CAT6 cabling plus wall sockets?

Data cabling is part of what my company does so i may have gone a bit OTT but as a channel was cut across the drive for the power cable to be run in anyway i thought 'why not' - didnt want to just rely on the WiFi

[merlin2]

A bit late in the thread, as the discussion has moved on a bit, but I have been using Filcris for several years now, not just for the track-bed but as gravel boards and border edging, and I am very pleased with the results.
However, i did make a few mistakes, one of which Steven seems to have avoided, which is insufficient vertical support; too long a space between verticals allows the ladder rack to sag. I have overcome this by retrofitting additional verticals or by using i" square steel tubing, which I happened to have lurking in the come-in-handy store, as a longitudinal stiffener This method of stiffening was particularly useful in the station and yard area.
The other thing to be aware of is the effect of temperature; the plastic expands quite considerably when it warms up which manifested itself in two ways. The first was broken sleepers caused by the securing screws being moved sideways in relation to the sleepers. This can be avoided by reducing the number of physical attachments between track and track-bed to an absolute minimum or by using a method which I have seen elsewhere but have not yet tried myself, which is basically a block between the sleepers, which is sleeper height, and something like a piece of aluminum strip laid across the two adjacent sleepers and screwed through the block into the track-bed. Keep the block about 1/8" clear of the sleepers on each side and ensure that the retaining strip allows movement of the track. The other problem arose with two lift-out sections which were constructed and installed when the temperature was high. When the weather cooled quite large gaps appeared where these sections mated with the fixed sections. Having said all that, I still swear by the material. (The pictures show how I have used it) Sorry, no pictures; for some reason I keep getting upload error messages. There are additional longitudinal 'rails' on the edges of the track-bed which helps to stiffen the track-bed, provide retention of loose ballast, which is not yet done due to a round tuit failure, and also helps to keep anything leaving the straight and narrow from succumbing to gravitational attraction.

[stevenfitch]

I'd read plenty of warning about the plastic expanding with heat and pulling rail joints apart (the opposite of what happens indoors where the rails expand)

My current plan is to use cable ties to hold the track in place to the Filcris plastic base - outcome will be in a later post.

I only plan to have one "lift out" section which will be in the garage and was going to build this and the rest of the indoor track support structure out of softwood anyway.

On the subject of expansion, i was wondering if a few strategically placed "LGB 10090 Adjustable Track" may help. Not too sure if these can just be left to move of their own accord with expansion pressure from either end. Some research needed, they are also NOT cheap at all!

http://www.gaugemaster.com/item_details ... e=LGB10090[/url]

[stevenfitch]

Ive finally got round to adding some track (in the garage)
Now just awaiting the arrival of some points and pneumatic stuff for the control.

2 sidings and the running line at the rear under the bench in the garage.





Hole in the wall will be at the rear most track here