Andrew

Nice photo, Craig. The large structure behind the train makes a good approximation to a power station cooling tower - just the sort of thing you'd expect to see a Class 66 loco passing in front of in South Yorkshire.

Glad you're getting that big hole in front of your house filled in at last, Griff. We look forward to you getting over that distraction and being able to get some (multicoloured) trains running again as soon as possible. Good luck.

That's impressive progress, Mick. well done. The diesels and the ballast look good, and your track foundations look promising - as do those girder bridges. I'm not quite sure how far you are from having a joined-up circuit, but once you get to that stage it's a sort of milestone as things can then be left to run themselves while you concentrate on the viewing! So good luck finding the time (and weather) to complete the work, which we look forward to seeing.

Geoff, I would agree with others - do your darnedest to avoid any gradients. Unless you're a civil engineer by profession, you'll end up with gradients even if you try to build a completely level track, so you certainly don't want to be designing them into your layout. I originally wanted to connect my garden railway into the garage, but it was going to involve 20 metres of track at 1 in 25 so I'm glad I decided against it (not just because I'd have had to have built a layout in the garage at the same time!). So once you have a layout plan based on level track, you can think about a quick way of getting the rolling stock out onto the railway when the sun is shining. Using a portable sector plate or sidings on a plank (with sides and end-stops) may be OK, but does carry the risk of rolling stock being rocked off the track when being carried. Some people manage to use a strategically-sited shed for storage. I have my sets of coaches in bubblewrap in big cardboard boxes, which is fairly quick to set up. The locos get carried out individually - a Peco LocoLift is useful. Good luck with your planning!

Mick, Your brickwork and paving look great. The pointing is really neat - most impressive. It'll look really good when you get the tunnel mouths on, although I fear that as tunnels are always dark and damp, you may have to spend time before each running session removing slimy interlopers. Your log rolls really enhance the grand sweep of the curve of the railway tracks, and I like the terracing/tiered effect that seems to be emerging. Yes, your new bits of greenery make a big difference, and we look forward to some authentic looking summer photos in due course. Keep up the good work.

I thought I'd make a point of mentioning my new points. The DGR since its beginning has been comprised of a single oval of track, which is fine for tail-chasing and one-train videos, but the time has come to branch out. Stage 1 is to install a pair of points that will initially provide a headshunt and siding, then add another point to make two sidings. This will allow two operators to run independently. The plan is to work towards double-tracking the entire oval, moving outwards from the crossover, with the sidings eventually becoming passing loops to enable each track to have two trains. Here's the first part of stage 1: the new point: The main line has been slewed slightly to get an easier reverse curve. The jumpers still need to be given their rust paint, but that has to await the installation of the second point. There are no jumpers on the branch of the point because that joint will have insulated fishplates. Once the second point is in, I'll have to see if I can emulate those clever people who use angle cranks and bike cables and change both sets of points from a single lever (lolly-stick or otherwise). Hhmmm. I'll need some proper signals soon...

Having a few recent video clips waiting to be edited together, I decided to try adding a soundtrack. The excellent Steamsounds website provides lots of material. You can judge the potential from the half-minute video here:

My new 'Australian' video release appears in the Recent Uploads on the Dorkingian page at the link shown below. Thanks for the inspiration, Jon! I hope you enjoy it.

I had to do real gardening this fine weekend, so didn't get any trains running. However, I did manage to relocate the bird nesting box which last year led the blue tits to close down DGR operations for a month. I noticed one of the rail-end bonds I'd carefully done a week ago (to make sure that the whole circuit was bonded) has duly popped off - Sod's Law strikes again. Still, I need to crack on and edit my Australian video. There's a bit of artistic licence involved because my so-called Aussie lightweight aluminium train includes this distinctly alien vehicle: It's a Brazilian Frateschi model of an RFFSA Brasil coach which I found in a model shop in Santiago, Chile. Let's hope the masquerade works once the video hits the streets...

Great videos, Jon. There'll be no stopping you, or the trains, now. Nice to see those BHP locos have individual numbers. And a very fetching selfie with the cold drink in the first vid!

It's worth getting that health problem sorted ASAP, Ian, as you'll be a new man afterwards and find lots of things easier. Nothing to be anxious about - should all be pretty routine. I hope the procedure goes well and you bounce back quickly. As for your family news, it sounds like a stroke of luck to have another set of hands occasionally working on your layout. Better make good use of the fellow while he's around!

Isn't that neat! In my view it's hard to beat a good joined-up railway... Enjoy.

Thanks, Jon. Over on the other thread you surprised me by saying "At the moment I only run American equipment ,but that will change as funds are found." I was assuming that your two impressive BHP-liveried diesels are Australian outline. Have I got that wrong?

Jon, My tribute to your progress so far is over on the Dorking Garden Railway thread at http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=445&p=10915#p10915'>http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=445&p=10915#p10915.

In honour of Jon in Sydney finally moving on from posts(!) and achieving his first garden track laid and trains operating (congratulations, Jon!) (see http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/viewtopic.php?f=6&t=705&start=80#p10909 ), I decided to help him celebrate by running my Australian rolling stock in today's afternoon sun. My stuff, probably like me, dates from an earlier period than Jon's. The three Lima heritage coaches with six wheel bogies were acquired when visiting Australia in the 1980s, and the other bits and pieces were picked up piecemeal over the years in the UK. Some of the silver coaches which appear in the forthcoming video aren't actually from Down Under (one is a Frateshi model of a Brazilian RFFSA coach, and the other is a European TEE coach), so don't look too closely! Likewise the green Alco diesel (apologies to Australian railfans). We start with shots of the New South Wales Government Railways 44-class diesel no. 4469. Leon Oberg's book "Locomotives of Australia" (1975) says that a hundred of this Alco-powered class were built in Australia between 1957 and 1968 for use on the NSWGR standard gauge system. The model is by Lima: Here's the cab at the blunt end: Here is the loco hauling a short train of older coaches through the Blue Mountains: And a close-up of the timber-bodied sleeping car showing a six wheel bogie: The train running out of the mountains and past the daffodils: Finally, an appetiser for the video in the form of a Lima aluminium coach: Now that's two sets of video clips I've committed to edit. Anyone know where you can get HO scale kangaroos or crocs? I'll be back later...

Well done, Jon. A great leap forward. Those videos are exciting, especially the second one which looks most realistic. Great to see your hitherto indoor locos literally blinking in the sunshine, and the sound system makes a big impact. I like the authentic-looking concrete sleepers. No doubt you'll be spending a lot of time on the railway in the next few weeks getting more track down. Keep up the excellent work. One query which I can't answer from a quick scan of previous posts is: How is the villa board fixed to the angle steel, as you don't mention screw holes other than those to anchor the steel? Perhaps you can screw into the board from underneath, maybe using large washers to increase the contact area on the steel. All this may even encourage me to dig out my long neglected Aussie rolling stock...

Today's fine weather was ideal for the first running session of the year, which featured a BR Standard Class 4MT 4-6-0 on an inter-regional passenger train in the 1950s (as usual). The video will be along later.

It's looking good, Jon. There shouldn't be anything sagging there, then. I can almost visualise the trains sailing round. As I may have said before, perhaps your trackbase surface will be able to have some curved edges to disguise the precise angles of the steelwork underneath. Keep up the good work!

"Feeding the Birds by Train" is a great video, Crepello. Thanks for sharing it. I particularly like the original story-line; perhaps it will spark a whole genre ("Taking out the rubbish by Train", or more likely with this lot, "Delivering the cold drinks by Train"). You have one particularly attractive shot of the five arch viaduct which seems to show a very effective view of rolling countryside beyond. Perhaps you can exploit that more in future. As for your lighthouse, given the proclivities of some others on this forum, we should perhaps assume that it is just a windmill which hasn't yet had its sails fitted! Keep up the good work.

Another of your fine photos, Ian. And the vegetation looks impressive, being just the right scale. I seem to recall that the quarry floor may have involved some cement, so you've done well (or been fortunate) to get correctly scaled moss to appear.

It all seems very promising, Jon. I'm looking forward to seeing what your trackbed will be like (and hoping it will have some graceful curves, not just straight sections). Can't recall what you have treated the posts with, but I hope it's enough to deter the white ants. And like everyone, I'm looking forward to seeing the track going down and some trains running - and will be fascinated to see what rolling stock you have. All the very best as you keep us posted about the contruction.

Mick and IanR, Thanks for the helpful comments, folks. Winter isn't the best time for our hobby, so it's useful to keep an eye out for those occasional days even at this time of year when a combination of fine weather and personal circumstances enable trains to be run. And thanks, Mick, for slotting links to my recent videos into your main video page. Wishing you both a much better time in 2014 (and equally to all our mates on the forum!). A.

On the Fifth Day of Christmas we were between storms and the winter sun shone so I was able to run some of the new rolling stock. The video has a festive flavour (but no snow yet) and the link is in the footer to this message...

Many thanks for your cheerful Christmas greetings, Griff. Great to hear from you. All good wishes to you and yours for the rest of the Christmas season, and peace and prosperity, health and happiness in the New Year, from the Dorking Garden Railway - and hope you get some trains running soon. I thought you might like to see a photo from today's running session in Dorking, featuring the Christmas coach (Hornby) given by my daughter. Video to follow. Warm regards, Andrew

Not a lot seems to have happened recently, but do you remember when it was warm and the sun shone? Here's another view of the 2.30 weekdays Glenwhatsit to Inversomewhere with a BR Standard 2-6-4T: