The Garden Railway

[kes]

Since I have nearly completed my O gauge shunting layout, I have made a restart on my garden railway and its terminus in the shed. The layout consists of a double track loop around the bottom of the garden, 40' long and 12' wide, slightly compressed into a dumbbell.  At one end of this is a triangular junction which leads into a 16' shed up the side of the garden, which contains a island terminus and a goods yard. The layout was started three years ago and the outside section consists of galvanized scaffold poles driven down into the garden for 2', leaving 3' 6" sticking up. The track bed is cut from 3/4" shuttering ply and is assembled as an upside down trough. Further squares of ply have a hole bored through them and are screwed across the lower joins of two boards, centered over a scaffold pole. Two L shaped brackets screwed to these run parallel to the tube, and have jubilee clips slipped over them. This makes the levels infinitely adjustable. The pictures explain this better.

 

 

 

 

All the timber was given a good soaking in bitumastic paint before assembly, and after assembly, and once a year. There has been no deterioration in three years. The upper surface is good quality heavy duty roofing felt.  The track is Peco, drilled through each end of every 15th sleeper, countersunk, and screwed down. The outside points are operated by wire in tube consisting of 1mm nickel silver wire running in net curtain rail tube.

 

Keeps me busy!

 

Kev.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by kes
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[kes]

Inside the shed is an island platform with two passenger faces, and two sidings. These kick back into 3 more sidings on the operator side of the shed, and a further long siding on the wall side of the shed. There is no run round. A pilot loco is used to move passenger stock from incoming trains, and place it in the departure road. I was having a bit of fun running trains today, then it decided to rain!  Typical 

 

The LNWR station building, signal box, water tower and subway exit are all made out of laminated cereal packets. The flagstones on the platform are also cut out of cereal packet and glued down with PVA adhesive. As you can guess, I like using cereal packet card.

I suppose I must get around to ballasting it now I have finalised the track work. All the points are operated by wire in tube back to slide switches hidden under the water tower.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by kes
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[Jintyman]

Nice layout and welcome here to 7mm+

 

I too am going to be venturing into the garden with my Talyllyn layout, and I quite like your method of construction of the outside boards. Something I may shamelessly copy myself.

Keep up the good work, and we do like lots of pictures, especially with such a good run as you've got.

 

Jinty

[kes]

Thanks Jintyman, now the weather is improved I shall get a lot more running in. The Jinty in my photo was scratch built out of plasticard and white metal fittings, and modeled as one of the push/pull fitted engines so I can run it with a push/pull twin set from time to time.

 

 

 

The run around the garden is a scale 3/4 mile so it takes 45 seconds at a scale 60mph to complete a loop, or 90 seconds at 30mph, so a slow freight at 15mph can take 3 minutes to go around and reappear back in the shed. The controllers are on long wander leads so I can sit on the patio and watch the trains go around.

 

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by kes
missing

[JeffP]

Where's the "jealous" icon?

[t-b-g]

Lovely to see this project. I have something similar under serious consideration and seeing what you have achieved has spurred me to even more serious consideration.

 

My station design (or one of the possibilities) is very similar to what you have built. Out of interest, how wide are the boards for the station?

 

Tony G

[kes]

Hi Tony G, the maximum width of the station is 20". The other end with the sidings and the triangular junction widens to 30". The whole section is 16' long. The trick with a garden layout is to make everything adjustable, so as the ground moves, as it will, depending on rainfall, temperature etc, you can adjust as necessary. Each yard of track is laid with a 1mm gap between rails ends, and 10A fuse wire soldered around the fishplate allowing some slack for expansion. The track is laid by drilling the sleepers and using small screws. If you need to adjust the level or cross level, you can slacken a screw and insert plasticard strips under the sleepers. In the station, a great space saver is the double slip at the platform end. Also if you use a station pilot you don't need to use a run round loop, saving at least 3' in length for the loco release.

 

When we were viewing the house prior to purchase, the estate agent was very concerned that I was going around the garden with a 30 meter tape and pushing canes into the soil!

 

Kevin.

Edited May 21, 2016 by kes

[Ray H]

A colleague of mine is about to embark on an extension (into the garden) of his O gauge layout and wondering how to design/build the "baseboards". Your idea seems to work and looks to be a lot simpler than some ideas that we've been batting about.

 

Is there any chance you could post a close up of the underside of the boards to show how they're supported (and the adjustments) over the posts? What is the spacing between the posts and di you cut the plywood yourself or get the retailer to do it for you?

 

We were thinking of using servo operated points partly because we feared wire in tube would succumb to the weather. Presumably your arrangement hasn't given you any problems.

 

Thanks.

[BG John]

I'm glad my railway room is upstairs, so I'm not tempted out into the garden. Otherwise I'd have to make all my locos and rolling stock waterproof! I'd probably be broke too, after buying enough track to go round the garden, the field, and the wood!

[t-b-g]

Hi Tony G, the maximum width of the station is 20". The other end with the sidings and the triangular junction widens to 30". The whole section is 16' long. The trick with a garden layout is to make everything adjustable, so as the ground moves, as it will, depending on rainfall, temperature etc, you can adjust as necessary. Each yard of track is laid with a 1mm gap between rails ends, and 10A fuse wire soldered around the fishplate allowing some slack for expansion. The track is laid by drilling the sleepers and using small screws. If you need to adjust the level or cross level, you can slacken a screw and insert plasticard strips under the sleepers. In the station, a great space saver is the double slip at the platform end. Also if you use a station pilot you don't need to use a run round loop, saving at least 3' in length for the loco release.

 

When we were viewing the house prior to purchase, the estate agent was very concerned that I was going around the garden with a 30 meter tape and pushing canes into the soil!

 

Kevin.

 

Many thanks Kevin. My garage is 16ft long and I have room for a 2' x 16 station down one side. I have been drawing plans and reckon that I can get one platform (as an island) and 5 tracks or 2 platforms and 4 tracks in the available width. Mine will be GCR pre-grouping and I also like the idea of using a pilot to shunt the trains. An 8' platform will allow a 4-6-0 on 5 (short) bogie carriages leaving me 8' for the station throat.

 

I have built an EM gauge layout in a very similar style and it was good fun to operate.

 

You have pretty much confirmed my thoughts. I agree 100% about the construction. Adjustability of heights and levels and the facility to removed an individual part of the structure for replacement or repair are high on the list of features that I want to include.

 

Cheers,

 

Tony

[kes]

On 21/05/2016 at 16:57, Ray H said:

A colleague of mine is about to embark on an extension (into the garden) of his O gauge layout and wondering how to design/build the "baseboards". Your idea seems to work and looks to be a lot simpler than some ideas that we've been batting about.

 

Is there any chance you could post a close up of the underside of the boards to show how they're supported (and the adjustments) over the posts? What is the spacing between the posts and di you cut the plywood yourself or get the retailer to do it for you?

 

We were thinking of using servo operated points partly because we feared wire in tube would succumb to the weather. Presumably your arrangement hasn't given you any problems.

 

Thanks.

Hi Ray, the spacing I have used is 4 feet, because a standard sheet of ply is 8' x 4' so it cuts nicely into 8 sections 4' x 1' for the tops, or 24 sections 4" deep by 48" long to make the side members. Remember the maximum length doing this is 48" so your sections for doing the curves need to be 48" along the OUTSIDE and lesser on the INSIDE depending on your radius. A 12" wide board will accommodate two tracks quite easily around a bend with radii of 6' and 5'9". 

 

The dimensions of the boards are as follows:  Top, 12" x 48".  Side members 4" x 48" . Mounting blocks 6" square with a 2" hole to suit the scaffold tube. All screwed together.

 

I hope the diagram and pictures explain this a little better.

Joint between two boards centered over one of the 6" squares.

 

The angle brackets are screwed to the underside of the 6" blocks so one of the legs goes down along the scaffold tube, but it not connected to it.

 

The scaffold tubes do not go all the way inside the 4" side members and contact the top board. This allows you to move the boards DOWN the tubes, as well as up them.

 

The angle brackets are locked to the tubes by sliding two jubilee clips over them and the tube. By slackening these off, the boards can be moved up and down the tubes, and to a certain degree can be canted in case you need to correct a cross-level problem.

 

I attached additional 4" square blocks of ply at two points along the four feet runs at the bottom to increase stability. I do have one section 6' long, but I would avoid anything over 4' as it reduces the question of sag over time. This layout has been up for nearly 4 years and I don't have any major problems.

 

 

 

 

 

 

The channel formed by the side members forms a useful area for cables etc. Two of my outside points are controlled by wire in tube. This is 1mm nickel silver wire bought from jewelry suppliers online by the meter. I use net curtain wire as the outside of the tube. Two other points on a cross over use Fulgurex motors under the board with rodding up the the points. Both seem to have survived well.

 

Good luck with your friends planning.

 

Kevin.

Edited December 30, 2022 by kes
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[kes]

I cut all the timber myself, but if your wood yard is willing to slice it up for you, get them to do it! Or buy yourself a circular saw. It took me about 2 months of effort to make all the boards, and paint them, before I commenced assembly. The semi- circles at the ends of the layout was formed by driving a scaffold tube into the ground at the centre, then using a tape measure from this to locate accurately the tops of the scaffold tubes as they were driven into the ground. Be aware of cables/pipes/drains if your location is urban. My back garden adjoins a field so there are no concerns there.

[Ray H]

Kevin

 

Thank you ever so much for the detail you have gone to. I really appreciate it as does my colleague who has also seen your response.

 

Do you use a wired throttle in the garden? My colleague wants to have a few sidings and so will need to do a bit of shunting and need a throttle nearby.

 

We both use NCE PowerCabs - although he will be changing to an NCE SB5 - their 5 amp booster. I was thinking of running a flat ribbon cable down the garden and having the throttle socket panel - the NCE UTP - in a water tight box which can be opened and the throttle plugged into when the railway is operational. We could probably recover the UTP, water tight box and cable during the winter. I'd have one of the silica gel sachets in the box during the summer to minimise the damp.

[robertc]

Hi Kevin, good work with layout. Your construction method seems to have been successful. Some good ideas there.

Over here wood has proved very problematic for outdoor use so I have used a little as I could get away with. Our long hot summers are part of the problem and perhaps not having that roofing felt as a cover doesn't help either.

 

Ray, you might want to invest in radio conversions for your throttles. I use radio throttles on mine.

Worth every penny, even when back indoors. No getting in each others way with cables. :>)

 

regards

 Bob Comerford

Australia

[PatB]

I'm glad my railway room is upstairs, so I'm not tempted out into the garden. Otherwise I'd have to make all my locos and rolling stock waterproof! I'd probably be broke too, after buying enough track to go round the garden, the field, and the wood!

 

You're missing a golden opportunity to build a Brunel wooden viaduct .

[BG John]

You're missing a golden opportunity to build a Brunel wooden viaduct .

But the earthworks involved in bringing the line down from it to somewhere near ground level would be massive! The land rises away from the house, but by nowhere near enough.

[kes]

Kevin

 

Thank you ever so much for the detail you have gone to. I really appreciate it as does my colleague who has also seen your response.

 

Do you use a wired throttle in the garden? My colleague wants to have a few sidings and so will need to do a bit of shunting and need a throttle nearby.

 

We both use NCE PowerCabs - although he will be changing to an NCE SB5 - their 5 amp booster. I was thinking of running a flat ribbon cable down the garden and having the throttle socket panel - the NCE UTP - in a water tight box which can be opened and the throttle plugged into when the railway is operational. We could probably recover the UTP, water tight box and cable during the winter. I'd have one of the silica gel sachets in the box during the summer to minimise the damp.

HI Ray, I am still DC so I don't have Power Cabs. I would suggest soldering a dropper from each yard of track through the board and connecting this to a 2.5mm twin feeder cable under the track to reduce voltage drop over the distance. I would think conventional NCE equipment in suitable water tight containers would work out doors.

 

Where using wood is a problem, I have seen metal cable trays and 4" metal ducts used as supports, allowing for expansion of course.  Over here in Whitby I can get away with coating all the wood with a new coat of bitumastic every spring, and I have not seen any deterioration yet.

 

Kevin.

[t-b-g]

Many thanks for posting all those details of the construction. You have certainly set me thinking......

[Ray H]

Ray, you might want to invest in radio conversions for your throttles. I use radio throttles on mine.

Worth every penny, even when back indoors. No getting in each others way with cables. :>)

 

regards

 Bob Comerford

Australia

 

Bob

 

We have looked at radio control but we're talking around £500 based on the prices seen over here and that's £500 that could buy at least two Dapol Class 08's and a few wagons but thanks for the suggestion!

[robertc]

Bob

 

We have looked at radio control but we're talking around £500 based on the prices seen over here and that's £500 that could buy at least two Dapol Class 08's and a few wagons but thanks for the suggestion!

Fair enough. I would have thought on current exchange rates the throttle conversions would be about 65 pound ea and the base station 110 pound plus cost of postage. Me... I'll take a control upgrade over an extra loco any time. :>)

cheers

Bob

[Ray H]

Fair enough. I would have thought on current exchange rates the throttle conversions would be about 65 pound ea and the base station 110 pound plus cost of postage. Me... I'll take a control upgrade over an extra loco any time. :>)

cheers

Bob

 

I can't remember which way round it was, but either the throttle or the base transmitter cost around £100 and the other around £400. I gave up looking at that stage and have been tempted by the article in the latest Modeller which suggests using a mobile phone and a wi-fi router. I'll have to re-read the article.

[Ray H]

Apparently the NCE radio kit isn't legal in the UK so that rules that idea out.

[robertc]

Apparently the NCE radio kit isn't legal in the UK so that rules that idea out.

Yes, you are correct, I'm getting forgetful.

The wi-fi option would be a good alternative.

Once you ditch the leads you will wonder why you ever put up with them.

 

regards

 Bob

[kes]

I have just rediscovered a CCW cast metal kit of a J50 which I bought many years ago, and was hidden in the back of the wardrobe. I have built the chassis and started on the body. The footplate required a 100 Watt iron to get enough heat in to solder it together! Photos will follow.

What a lump of white metal! This could cause real damage if it gets up any speed.

 

 

I resorted to epoxy gluing the rest of the body together, having tacked the castings using solder.

 

Edited December 30, 2022 by kes
missing

[kes]

On checking the boiler I have discovered that the hole for the dome (which was pre-drilled) is in the wrong place!  I have moved the dome to the correct position. Always check such dimensions before you get far into a build. It is a very old kit after all.