Learning Curve - a Garden Railway and Radio Control in O gauge

[dan_the_v8man]

So a couple of years ago I had a raised bed put in the garden with the intention of it forming a turning loop.

 

We hadn't done much with the garden since moving in a few years previously and having a second daughter put a hold on any further progress 

Edited August 30, 2020 by dan_the_v8man

[dan_the_v8man]

Fast forward to lock down and I had time to start again. First thing was a bit of landscaping and building a rockery for the middle of the loop.

 

Some rocks were acquired from a trench that was being dug and a trip to the garden centre was required. I'm fairly in experienced when it comes to gardening so this is a learning curve 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

A bit of digging and some hardboard shuttering and had a go at casting the concrete track base. 

 

I quickly found out I'd underestimated the dimensions for the loop and that infact I was limited to the set track curves

[dan_the_v8man]

So with some track on the concrete it was time for a test. I'd got a Dapol 08 still boxed up and ordered a Fosworks DCC RC set and a board from Fil Downs and rather quickly had a battery RC loco running. 

 

It was then I found out what I thought was level concrete was far from level but fortunately nothing a diamond wheel in the angle couldn't sort 

[dan_the_v8man]

Now with a level track bed attention turned to testing ballast. I screwed the track in place as a temporary method. I'd decided grano dust and SBR as a binder would be a good method that should stand up to toddler abuse! 

 

I screwed some lawn edging into the concrete to stop the soil migrating onto the track bed. I'm hoping with time it will dissapear into the plants.

 

I'd seived the grano dust to obtain a finer grade however it just resulted in a dust laden mess that was a nightmare to work into the track and was under scale which pushed me back to grano dust in its raw state.

 

I brushed it loosely into place and then watered it down into position.

 

I was quite happy with it till it dried and looked far too blue. So I'm now giving it a few days to weather, sprinkled some dried soil in place and hoping the colour calms down before I apply the SBR 

[dan_the_v8man]

Of course the second I got the SBR applied the sky turned grey and its poured it down for two days straight 

 

 

So out with the sheeting. 

[dan_the_v8man]

While it was raining I turned my attention to bench after the cranks slipped on my 08. This one's been boxed up since Dapol released the BR blue one so well out of warranty even though it's common problem with the first batch. I've contacted Dapol but so far they've been less than helpful.

 

 

Never mind, I'd got another Dapol 08 I'd won on eBay last year. Unboxed it for the first time to find nearly all the glazing loose. Stuck it on the test track and guess what, the cranks spun on that too! Grrr! So great sellers out there, kicking myself for not getting it out sooner. 

[dan_the_v8man]

Well with ballasting out of the window and no locos to play with, it only meant one thing.

 

Digging! 

 

Might as well make the best of the wet soil.

The straight run up the garden was initially going to go Infront of the fence but after my daughter took great interest in the trains they've been moved lawnside so she can follow them around the garden 

 

 

 

 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

Instead of the shuttering I used on the previous sections I'm using treated timber gravel boards made into a frame work which the are going to get filled with bricks, gravel and concreted up to the top sitting just higher than the lawn and flower beds

 

 

Edited August 25, 2020 by dan_the_v8man

[dan_the_v8man]

Better weather today so got some more shuttering in and laid some concrete. Found a small cement mixer on gum tree which was frankly a god send! 

 

14 x 20kg bags of ready mix later...

 

 

 

 

Edited August 26, 2020 by dan_the_v8man

[dan_the_v8man]

Short break in the rain gave be chance to do a bit more digging and get some shuttering in ready for more concrete 

 

 

My newest addition to the fleet arrived and unlike my Class 60, it can negotiate the tight 2nd radius curves of the loop with no issues 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

A quick run on the test track and I took the hacksaw to the 20 to make some room for the batteries and radio RX. 

 

The next 20 I do, I'll be doing on the milling machine instead

 

 

[Paul A Biro]

very nice!!

 

Thanks for posting 

 

Andrew

[Martino]

Well done.  Great job.

[dan_the_v8man]

So ordered a new set of wheels for my 08 and guess what, they spin before i've even got them on the loco! 

 

 

In other news I came across an old Lima 33 that's been repowered and although the body is a bit wide, its a robust loco for my daughter to drive 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by dan_the_v8man

[dan_the_v8man]

So the loop is now laid which means I can get on with the easy run up the garden as soon as the SBR has dried.

 

Once the sun has dropped down a bit I'll get the laser out to get the track nice and straight before easing into some nice big sweeping curves around the top of the garden 

 

 

Edited September 3, 2020 by dan_the_v8man

[dan_the_v8man]

I got track placed on the concrete up to the top of the garden which meant for the first time I could run down the garden, round the loop and back up

 

 

However before the inevitable autumnal wet weather arrives I want to get the ballast down which means the track needs securing. Rather than screws again I decided to bond the track in a few places with SBR so the brick express had to come out 

 

 

The other running line has been moved over while the SBR goes off then i'll align it to the first track using wooden spacers before bonding it also

 

 

 

 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

My lipo batteries arrived this morning of which I'd ordered a selection of various sizes to try. 

 

For my Class 20 RC conversion i've used a 4s 850mAh battery. The 14.8V should be more than enough to get a realistic top speed and with the Heljans low current draw, 850mAh should give a good run time.

 

[dan_the_v8man]

Bit more work on the Heljan 20

 

Started off with a board from Fil Downs which gives a track/remote switch which doubles as battery isolation, built in overload protection, connection for charging and a JST connector for the Radio RX and DCC decoder 

 

While the glue was going off I flashed the Loksound V5 with a Legomanbiffo project 

 

 

It ain't the prettiest install but it's all in and working, learnt a few lessons for the next 20

 

 

And she's out and running!

 

[dan_the_v8man]

The second track is glued down awaiting the ballast

 

But it does mean I can now have a decent test run on the first part of the track 

 

(Excuse the Sunday league football match on the field behind our garden)

 

Light engine climbing the bank and then coasting into the loop

 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

A bit of 08 testing was required as it turns out the gearing varies between the models 

 

 

Then it was back onto ballasting - just need to wait for it fully cure, tidy the excess up and weather it a bit 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

 

[dan_the_v8man]

Not really done anything more in the garden yet other than buy some ply to make the shuttering for the sweeping curves in the next track section.

 

Though I've been converting a Heljan 03 to remote control using the Fosworks gear and Legomanbiffo sounds 

 

 

Just need to weather it and add the amber beacon as per the prototype 

 

 

 

 

[dan_the_v8man]

Found some nice cylindrical orange LEDs that make a convincing functional Amber Beacon. Tested various light options on the Loksound V5 and although it has a rotating beacon setting I found the oscillating lamp setting more convincing

 

 

 

 

 

[37114]

Looks a great setup you have, it doesn't help me resist doing a garden layout though!