Danes Wood, a 00 railway in the garden.

[fungus]

I have completed phase 1 of the construction of Danes Wood, a 00 garden railway.This comprises about 20ft of double track, 20 ft of single track, a viaduct, a tunnel, and quarry sidings. More details and pictures can be found at http://www.fungusmodels.blogspot.com. The biggest construction problem to date has been to find a way of ballasting that is both weather-resistant and realistic. Any suggestions?

[willo]

hi fungus have a look at ians posts(kirkfield & warmthorpe) he seems to have good ideas on ballast

you have a nice set up there

[traingeekboy]

Wow! awesome layout there.

Yeah also look in the sections on how to do stuff. There is a discussion on ballast in there.

[fungus]

Thanks guys. I found that section after I had written my introduction, and I'm pleased to see that after some experiments I had settled on a method proven by others. I will try acrylic varnish though (or Klear polish), as it sounds even better than waterproof PVA.

[IanR]

Welcome Fungus!!

Excellent photos and very informative captions on the blogspot... excellent layout, well done!

Ian.

[Jaybee]

Very impressive indeed.

[ba14eagle]

Welcome to the forum Fungus / Ian

The forum seems to be becoming over run with Ian's! I think that makes at least 4 of us now....

Cracking looking railway, and even better, it has a very distinct Somerset & Dorset feel / look about it - the S&D was / is my favourite railway, despite me being born too late to have ever travelled over it. I have walked and visited a lot of its northern section as its pretty much on my doorstep. Im a life member of the S&DRHT at Midsomer Norton too.

I look forward to see more of your railway and video too.

regards

Iain

[traingeekboy]

It just came to my attention that, "There is a fungus among us!"

*Groan*

[fungus]

"Playing trains" again today, mainly for test and photographic purposes. The figure with a camera on the loco represents me as a teenager, having blagged a ride from Glastonbury to Highbridge. The only non-authentic aspect of the tableau is that in reality I was so terrified by the rolling and lurching of the engine that I held on firmly with both hands and didn't take a single photograph on the footplate!

 

[traingeekboy]

that is a nice looking loco. Is that a custom paint job, I really like the weathering because it is so subtle.

What type of engine is that?

hmmm... we just got more snow last night. Is that snow on your tracks too?

[mick]

I've not had chance to comment on this thread yet with being offline for a few days so firstly, welcome to the forum Ian and thank you for sharing Danes Wood with us all.

I managed to grab a brief view of your website a few days ago whilst collecting belongings from the old house (in the process of moving home) and then lost the Internet completely whilst my account was transferred. All I can say is that Danes Wood looks amazing!

Considering that you didn't start until July, you've made some excellent progress and to a level that James May could only dream about. I think you've captured exactly what a garden layout should be like and I'm looking forward to finding the time to take a closer look and perhaps gain some further ideas and inspiration for my new layout.

[fungus]

Traingeekboy: The engine was a toybox wreck bought on ebay. I cleaned off the food residue and replaced some broken details, than spent an hour dry-brushing with a magic mixture of paints to get the effect I wanted. No snow here yet, still 15 degrees and I haven't assembled my snowplough kit yet!

Mick: Thanks for the kind words. I look forward to seeing the result of your work - probably not until the spring now?

[traingeekboy]

I guess I need to be very specific when I say what is it. What is it a model of and who made. What line would it have been on and when was the model made or rather when were the molds put on the market. Not that you would know every detail on it, but just off the top of your head. I really have very little knowledge about British trains and am trying to get an idea of both real ones and model ones.

If it's just a toy it looks fantastic. Dry brushing is like adding detail, it really adds a velvety finish to the model.

I see smaller toy hornby engines on ebay for very little money and wasn't sure if any were worth the trouble. Now you've given me an idea about what can be done to easily spruce up and old clunker.

[fungus]

It's a Bachmann model of a Great Western 0-6-0 goods engine designed by Collett in the 1940s. I described it as a toybox wreck because, although it is quite an accurate model, it had clearly been knocked about as it would if it was thrown in a toybox after use. The model probably dates from between 2008 and 2010, so it's not very old. I knew the real engines when I lived in Somerset as a teenager. The branch line between Highbridge and Evercreech Junction used them in the early 1960s. Many lines were closing and local freight traffic was reducing, so many of these engines were being scrapped. If they were in working condition, they would be sent to a line like ours, and be used until they needed maintenance, when they would be sent for scrapping and be replaced by another. Hence the lack of cleaning, reflected in my model!

[mick]

Ian

Firstly, I'm truly envious at your opportunity to assist with operating Catcott Burtle at the weekend (recent post on Fungus in Model-Land). Before I even began building the Selby Garden Railway, myself and my partner Pam had marvelled at Chris' website and at the wealth of detail depicted on the three layouts detailed there. Catcott Burtle more than any other, was really a major inspiration behind my decision to go ahead with a layout - albeit outdoors. However, as envious as I am, that's not the main point of this post.

I've spent some time looking through your blog and followed many of the links listed and I've had a thoroughly enjoyable time. David Smith's A Model Railway was particularly entertaining even though my interests lie further north. I would urge other visitors here to visit your blog and follow some of the links as I did. You never know what you night find and what better way to spend these damp and miserable evenings.

You mention you are also working on your indoor layout - could I ask which one that is? I've followed so many links to pages by different authors or at least differing author names, that I'm not sure whether I've come across something about your indoor layout already or not. I would be interested to learn more.

[fungus]

Still unannounced as yet I'm afraid Mick. When I have some worthwhile progress, I'll start reporting on the blog. All I'll say at the moment is that it's a fairly compact end-to-end layout, more scenery than track, and based on an area of north Somerset where in my younger days I spent many weekends underground or holding a pint mug, both of which activities will be celebrated in the layout.

[cleanerg6e]

As far as I know only one is preserved No. 3205. They were known as the 2251 class and weren't built in consecutive order. Number 2251 was the first built. The 94xx 0-6-0 Pannier Tanks are the tank engine versions of the 2251 class. The 94xx is not available in an up to date model. The only one available is a ancient Graham Farish OO gauge model.

Roy.

[fungus]

Had an operating day today, to assess the need for any further corrective or preventive maintenance before the winter proper. Found the water had got in to the plywood tunnel portal, and it was delaminating. Also a mismatch in in one of the four rails at the west end of the viaduct due to superelevation difference (my error) was causing a jolt and occasional derailment. Easy to fix. So the tunnel liner and viaduct are now in the workshop.

I took the opportunity to invite along a few local children and give Thomas the Tank Engine an airing. Good fun was had by all.

For more details, see blog (link below).

[mick]

Problems can be frustrating but strangely I also find them exciting too. I enjoy the challenge of trying to work around the problems we encounter, after all, these small trains aren't designed to be used outdoors are they?

It is my experience that some sections of plywood can withstand the effects of water much better than others - even when they've come from the same sheet. However, there's no getting away from the fact that when used outdoors it does need sealing if it's to last more than one season.

Really like that embankment effect in the photo. Is it all solid masonry? It looks very realistic.

[fungus]

Yes, even marine ply needs protection. This was two layers of waterproof (not marine) ply glued with "wet grab" glue, treated with waterproof primer, undercoat and top coat and faced with embossed polystyrene sheet. It's the two layers that have come apart down one edge, but I haven't examined it yet to see how the water got in. Maybe a mouse gnawed it, there have been mice in the tunnel until I fitted removable covers at each end.

The embankment was made using dry-lay concrete. You lay it and adjust it to shape as a powder straight from the bag, then keep sprinkling it with a watering can until it sets. So the slope of the sides was formed naturally, I just flattened the top to the height and width I wanted, adding more dry mix where needed until it was right. Ideal for a low embankment. I still have the research to complete on how to make it look like 00 grass or undergrowth and stay that way! And I need something for the adjacent ground that looks better than earth and bark chips.

Edited November 20, 2011 by Guest