First track laid

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 9:33 pm

Heres a pic of the first track laid on my currently un named garden railway, the track is nailed onto wooden planks which float on large ballast. The wood is covered in damp proof material and also nailed onto the wood. Large nails go through the wood and into the ballast for stability. At the moment ive done about 4 meters but the whole line will stretch for at least 24! I let the track over hang the wooden planks at each end as ballast will support it anyway but t allows me to change the direction of the next wood plank. I am currently awaiting a Y point to go at the end nearest the camera so i can have a island terminus station.

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:20 pm

Great start - the fence and scenics should look really good once the plants take hold. Are you going to put a run around loop at each end?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:33 pm

Yeah its just a case of watering and getting the right scale ballast to go on top-any suggestions?. In answer to your question i will have a 2 track platform at the end nearest the camera (sadly I wont have room for a run round) but at the far end i will have a loop which connects to a double track station with run round loop, sidings and goods loop so it will be good to get started with that but i need to finish the straight section along the fence first.

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Sun Apr 12, 2015 10:57 pm

If you don't have room for a round round loop its good to include a short spur facing in the other direction as well. You can hide a battery electric on there so that when the service train comes into the station (say, platform 1) you can bring the "station pilot" off the spur down onto the back of the train, remove the carriages from the read end and put them on the other track (platform 2). Your station pilot now goes back onto its little siding and your service loco can run out of platform 1 and onto the front of the carriages in platform 2 and you are ready to go! No propelling or hand shunting required!

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 9:22 pm

Mr. Bond of the DVLR:110077 wrote:If you don't have room for a round round loop its good to include a short spur facing in the other direction as well. You can hide a battery electric on there so that when the service train comes into the station (say, platform 1) you can bring the "station pilot" off the spur down onto the back of the train, remove the carriages from the read end and put them on the other track (platform 2). Your station pilot now goes back onto its little siding and your service loco can run out of platform 1 and onto the front of the carriages in platform 2 and you are ready to go! No propelling or hand shunting required!

Known on the 'big job' as a 'shunt release'. a not unheard of arrangement although in some places gravity was used instead of a second loco!

It's looking good Joe, that's a flexible and relatively cheap form of construction and it looks good in the pictures. The scenery is going to be lovely, keep up with the watering, even a couple of dry days can really damage young plants, especially at this time when things are probably at their most vigorous period of growth.

Andrew

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Mon Apr 13, 2015 10:07 pm

I've often wondered about using a winch arrangement. Pop the carriages at the station throat then using the loco traveling along platform 1 towards them to pull the carriages into platform two. Two pullies at the ends of the sidings and a very long piece of chain...

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 5:30 pm

Just did some measuring and I doubt will have room for a platform so this may give me extra space to squeeze a headshunt in for a run round - may have to settle for a thin platform on only one of the tracks

Post by **Andrew** » Tue Apr 14, 2015 9:43 pm

Joe:110135 wrote:Just did some measuring and I doubt will have room for a platform so this may give me extra space to squeeze a headshunt in for a run round - may have to settle for a thin platform on only one of the tracks

I reckon a run-round will be more useful - a lot of NG lines didn't have platforms anyway...

Congratulations on getting some track down - looking forward to the first train pics!

Andrew.

McRuss · Post by **McRuss** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 10:08 am

Hello Joe,

maybe you could use a homemade turntable instead of a headshunt and turnout.

Markus

Post by **Andrew** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 11:38 am

Just thought! If space is a bit tight you could arrange it so that the run-round loop is a train-length from the end of the line with the platform beyond it on the "headshunt" - incoming trains would run-round and then propel back in to the platform ready for the next departure. I believe there are loads of examples of that - Robertsbridge (K&ESR) and Wantage Town (on the Wantage tramway) spring to mind, but I think there were NG ones too.

Cheers,

Andrew.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 5:34 pm

Thanks guys , I like those ideas , will add pics of what I do

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 6:26 pm

If there is no room to fit a turntable in then a sector plate takes up even less space.

pippindoo · Post by **pippindoo** » Wed Apr 15, 2015 7:23 pm

No extra space at all required for a push-pull service!..... Plenty of prototypes too.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Thu May 21, 2015 2:08 pm

Hi, everyone time for an update! I decided to go with a similar arrangement to what Andrew suggested and have started on building a run round loop and headshunt (have the track for it) and hope to start building the platform shortly (any suggestions on what material to use?) meanwhile in the other direction the line has tripled in length with a junction at the far end ready for the more ambitious top loop section. I havent got round to ballasting yet so plan to do so soon-not sure what method would be best to go on top of wood though? may use this method: http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftopic6418-165.php -on the top section i will be using breeze blocks with probably a cement grit for ballast. Anyway heres a video of my Andel model Ffion going up and down (missing an exhaust pipe at the moment) It roughly takes around 1 and a half minuets for a return trip due to slight inclines in each direction with a slightly lower section in the middle. I will soon have my steamers in operation so will be good to see how they handle the trackwork. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WM8UlibaOoY

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sat Aug 01, 2015 8:46 pm

Time for an update.......to start with the line now has 3 steamers (2 working) and 1 diesel as well as about 10 wagons (but no coaches at the mo!) also me and a friend are starting the rather ambitious plan of incorporating the Ddault loop and station area.
Here is the view at the moment with the pile of earth starting to form the embankment for the spiral-the station area (where the wagon is) wont be at ground level though so earth will be built up to that to. At the back behind the buddlea there is a tunnel to prevent branches overhanging onto the track. It is my intention to design the layout so a train can continuously run around the loop at the lower level and then choose to go of down either side of the garden (one spur has already been completed and the other which is up the spiral is just being constructed). You can also see where the bridge is going to go and i have postcreated slabs upright for the bridge sides

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Sun Aug 02, 2015 10:13 am

Do you have a track plan you can post please?

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 4:56 pm

Heres the track plan, looking at your railway thread Tom the ballast looks quite good, would you mind sending me the link for it please?

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Mon Aug 03, 2015 9:25 pm

I would put some bends in the long straights to slow live steamers down.

Interesting layout though with plenty to do.

The small shingle on my line is not currently stocked at the fish shop I use so Google 3mm Dorset pea shingle for alternatives. Make sure you box your track in well as the rain will wash it away otherwise!

SpudUk · Post by **SpudUk** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:32 pm

End-to-end and continuous running, love it!

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Aug 04, 2015 4:45 pm

Thats the idea

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First track laid

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