andyram

I certainly would prefer battery or live steam but they are quite costly. The Playmobil is on my shopping list, it would certainly be appropriate for works trains and winter running.

Really think they enjoy a curry like everybody else.

Priests always want to get involved!

Thanks for the link. The set shown is not one I have seen before. EBay regularly has a Playmobil RC set available with a yellow diesel type loco with a centre cab. I have seen a video of this set in action and it certainly looks like the sort of thing I could go for the little one to play with. The railway will be laid with brass rail throughout. This allows flexibility of operation as I can use track power, radio control battery or live steam. I think the RC and live steam would be great all year round whilst track power would work better in the summer months when there is time to keep the rails clean. Otto certainly would be a summer loco.

Thanks for the advice. I have seen some open type carriages which I think are by LGB. These would fit well with Otto and would also fit with the idea that the railway is a tourist line. It would also allow plenty of characters to be taken for a ride. The concrete blocks are not cheap but seem to do the trick. They are easy to lay and the track fits well. How it will stand up to a winter remains to be seen.

Indeed. Fun is most important. My original plan was to start the garden railway with a Bachmann G scale Thomas train set to provide fun for my daughter. I have not found one at a reasonable price and raided EBay for the track and loco. I have since read that the track in the Bachmann sets is quite poor so I have abandoned this plan. I would still like to get a Thomas or Percy because she would love to have one to drive. For myself I would like something radio controlled and / or live steam but that will need some serious saving up. Perhaps when the circuit is completed I can more seriously think of such a loco. Now we are in September I very much doubt there will be much opportunity to further develop the railway until next spring. If the weather holds I would still like to extend the track so that the South West corner is complete before things stop for the winter. To do this I need to get some more concrete blocks and find time on a day where there is good weather. Fingers crossed that I can report more progress soon.

With my return to work things there has been no progress on the Keeper's Grange Light Railway. A spare hour and some decent weather tempted me into the garden for some more test running. Otto was a bit stiff at first after so little action but, after a bit of help, it ran smoothly. Not that I got much driving time as my young daughter took charge hence the interesting character on the footplate. The gradient through the south west corner is quite steep as can be seen in this shot from the permanent way crew.

That would be a first!

Such a surprise

Erm you sss seem to have ddd developed an Arrrk wright stammer. G G G Granville f f f fetch your cloth

There is a reason for your underwhelming feeling towards the new football season of course. It comes in the form of a clueless, arrogant individual who cannot see that his style of play does not suit the talented players at his disposal. This reason is summed up in two words - Nigel Pearson.

Kindly remember that Doombar is a poor excuse for a real ale. Much prefer Hobgoblin, Old Peculiar, Dark Island, Bateman's Mocha of Adnams Broadside.

Doombar is a poor excuse for an ale.

English cousin is called Wayne

Was somebody talking?

Erm teenage boys often enjoy battering their own sausage!

I encounter many of them in school but some of them turn out to be the parents! Morning and generic greetings to you all. Did not have much chance to post yesterday due to a very long, eventful but enjoyable day out at the North Yorkshire Moors Railway. In order to make the most of the day my alarm was set for 5am. I awoke early, washed and dressed in the dark to avoid waking the rest of the house and crept downstairs for breakfast. I was ready to leave just before 5 when I heard Amber's bedroom door open and her coming downstairs to look for me. Thankfully I managed to get her back to bed and she drifted back off so I was away within about half an hour. I had only been driving for about ten minutes when I felt something crawling on my neck. Instinctively I reached up to see what it was to find a crumpled wasp in my hand and a sharp pain in my neck where it had stung me. Not a good start to the day! Despite some early traffic problems I managed to reach Grosmont in plenty of time for the first train of the day and enjoyed a decent run up to Whitby and back behind the B1. Amazing how they managed to depart five minutes late in both directions despite it being the first train! Departure from Grosmont for Pickering was about ten minutes down with a diesel banker all the way to Goathland. This meant little noise from the B1 which was a bit disappointing. This was more than made up for later in the day. The second return trip also left about ten minutes late, again banked all the way to Goathland as all services were. At Goathland we were held for over twenty minutes due to a problem with one of the trains ahead. Not sure whether it was the Q6 on the dining train that caused the problem or the class 26 hauled service. The latter did return top and tailed with the 26 on the rear and the S160 hauling so it could have been that. By this time our train was more than thirty minutes down. This was a train that would form a Whitby service from Pickering. The railway were clearly on a mission to avoid delaying trains on the Esk Valley line. The return train was ready to leave in ten minutes and made a spirited departure from Pickering with rapid and noisy progress to Levisham. The train, travelling in the opposite direction should have been passed at Levisham, but was held at Goathland so we could depart within a minute. What followed was the best run I have ever had on the line. I have never known so much noise and speed through the scenic Newtondale section. The whole experience was breathtaking. The result was a thirty minute deficit was turned into an on time arrival at Grosmont. The day was concluded with some photography of the last Pickering bound service at Moorgates and a meal in the "Inn on the Moor" at Goathland. The drive home was fairly clear although I realised as I headed back down the M1 that I had lost a headlight bulb so a trip to the garage beckons today after I have been into school to sort the classroom. Back to reality!

Sausages wrapped in bacon, only bettered if you add beer batter.

That surely should be pooh and piglet?

Evening. I survived Alton Towers which was not too busy thankfully. We spent much of the day in the CBeebies Land area where the sedate nature of the rides did not challenge the hangover too much. The effects dispersed before we went on the roller coaster. Queues were not too bad with the longest being thirty minutes. Most importantly Amber enjoyed it. Tomorrow I am hoping to get up to the North Yorkshire Moors for a final steam fix. The alarm is set for an early start. Fingers crossed all goes well.

There is also hook and eye

That sounds more like an unconnecting word.

Some might say that telephone is a good connecting word.

Morning all. Condolences Duncan what dreadful news my thoughts are with you. A quick check in before what could be a very long day. Alton Towers for CBeebies Land with a hangover. Not the best combination! Last night's catch up with an old friend was enjoyable - an evening in Derby Brewing Company's "Brewery Tap" pub in the city centre., Have a good day.

Great to see this section has been moved into the new Garden Railway area of the site. It is also good to see garden railways getting a larger section on RMWeb. Here at the Keepers Grange Light Railway plans are being formed for the next phase of the line's development. The garden shed is due to be erected later today; once complete it will allow the route onward behind Amber house to be finalised. At present I am not sure whether the line will curve inwards across the front of the new shed to reach the Eastern side of the garden, or whether it will run around the back of the shed before curving back into the Eastern side. This depends on how much space there us once the building work is completed. On the Western side the plan is already clear. The line will continue down the gradient for another length of straight track before curving to run along the Western boundary. Some ground work has been undertaken, but more concrete blocks are needed to allow the track to be laid. There is enough track to complete the whole of the Western straight and also to take the track behind Amber House. Hopefully I can report more progress soon. It would be great if the Western side could be completed before the nights draw in and the weather makes progress impossible.