4mm Finescale in the Garden

[clecklewyke]

One of Barry Norman's designs in his Wild Swan "Designing a Layout" book - Tiviot Dale - calls for hidden trackwork running outside the shed in weatherproof boxes. It looks as though I might need to have my layout in a shed when we move house and I am wondering whether Barry Norman's proposal is a workable way if getting more space. *

 

I've seen such solutions working in 7mm scale and I know that the old Sundown and Sprawling railway was OO Peco Streamline in the garden but I model in P4 and the effects of distortion of the trackbed due to dampness in timbers and variations in temperature will be much more critical with P4 track and wheels.

 

I would like to hear if anyone has any experience of this sort of thing and can advise whether I should try it?

 

Ian

 

*  (I am not sure I trust Barry Norman's designs - in many cases he is over-optimistic about how much track he can squeeze into the space available. Run-round loops etc. are often too short and he does not think through the needs for effective fiddle yards, so I suspect that this might be one of his over-ambitious ideas.)

[Guest oldlugger]

Hello Ian,

 

I would say that wood that had been well treated with creosote or some other water retardant would be fine for any gauge, including P4. Occasional re-covering with creosote might be advisable. Concrete is another possibility but very ugly. I can't see why P4 track would be any different to OO in this respect, apart from nickel silver flexi track with thin sleepers (warping causing gauge narrowing), which would need to be held flat by some means or other. I've found that P4 is surprisingly forgiving even over slightly uneven track; gauge narrowing, however, is your biggest headache in the garden. Expansion breaks in the rails might be wise too if you get very hot or cold weather.

 

All the best

Simon

[artizen]

If the box holding the track is open to the inside of the shed, it might even out the temperature differences, particularly if you heat the shed in winter. Is there any reason (such as council rules) which stops you from having an "extension" to the shed such as a covered shelf on the outside?

[Suddaby]

John Brighton had this arrangement originally for his Millhouses layout, but eventually replaced it with a shed, due to issues with condensation in the tunnels.

 

Kevin.