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Killarney Junction


Marcus
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Hi All, just thought I'd share my new project from Sunny (well actually it's been raining all day) Sydney. Still in the planning/build stage. Im using an existing retaining timber wall for most of the track bed. it's a simple single loop of track with a relief section for the station. I've got all my OO British Rail rolling stock, plus lots of German Swiss HO stock, so will run them all.

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Thanks John, Yes, the Warship is one of my old locos from when I was (much) younger!! I spent yesterday doing the return loop under the conifer trees, so I'm making progress. I'm trying to make the layout quite generic so I can run UK, European and even North American and Australian stock with subtle changes in buildings etc.

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Nice to see the photo of your Warship and to hear that it's still in use.

I was just looking back over some of my older videos taken on my previous garden layout 10 years ago and only then did it dawn on me just how long I'd had some of the loco's I still regard as relatively 'new'. It's such a shame when you look at adverts for used models, not just on auction sites but also on sale from some major online retailers, and see the damage they've sustained often within just a few months of release. If you take care and look after them they can last and perform for many years as you've shown.

It's good to see you making progress with your own layout and will be interested in seeing what other stock you have in your collection. I take it you've had an interest in model railways for a number of years?

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On 10/09/2020 at 03:10, mick said:

Nice to see the photo of your Warship and to hear that it's still in use.

I was just looking back over some of my older videos taken on my previous garden layout 10 years ago and only then did it dawn on me just how long I'd had some of the loco's I still regard as relatively 'new'. It's such a shame when you look at adverts for used models, not just on auction sites but also on sale from some major online retailers, and see the damage they've sustained often within just a few months of release. If you take care and look after them they can last and perform for many years as you've shown.

It's good to see you making progress with your own layout and will be interested in seeing what other stock you have in your collection. I take it you've had an interest in model railways for a number of years?

Hi, and thanks for your comments. The Warship is actually a really good runner, considering its age, although I did modify the bodywork when I was a kid, as it didn't come with Yellow ends! And yes, I have been into model railways since childhood, although this is my first foray into an outdoor railway.

As far as stock is concerned I've got a collection of British - Hornby, Lima, Bachmann, and even an old Airfix Royal Scots Fusiliers 4-6-0 loco plus a large collection European (Brawa, Roco, Trix, Jouef etc.). I'll try to post some more pics soon.

Also, I was wondering if Its ok to just pin the tracks directly onto the timber, or use roofing felt as an underlay (if my wife approves!). Any advice most welcome.

I'll hopefully be finishing off the other return loop this weekend!

Cheers, Marcus 

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19 minutes ago, Marcus Doling said:

....Also, I was wondering if Its ok to just pin the tracks directly onto the timber, or use roofing felt as an underlay (if my wife approves!). Any advice most welcome....

I guess it all depends on the suitability of the timber you're using and how long you want the layout to remain useable. Here in the UK we tend to use roofing felt not as an underlay but primarily to protect the timber from the weather. The bonus being that it does also slightly resemble ballast. I believe @Andrew and his Dorking Garden Railway has track laid directly onto timber so perhaps he'll be able to offer his experiences and advice.

As I've used exterior plywood for my elevated boards it was necessary to cover them with roofing felt - and that was after the plywood had had several coats of preservative. In my experience the majority of timber we use outdoors has a limited lifespan so it's best to do all you can to prolong it for as long as possible.

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Hi Mick,

Thanks for the advice. Much appreciated.

I've used a mixture of Treated pine fence palling (screwed directly onto the timber retaining wall) and Exterior Plywood for certain sections, painted in good quality undercoat and a top coat. I've decided to cover the whole track in Roofing felt (very inexpensive) which should look better and hopefully keep a lot of the water off the timber. 

I'll try to upload some more pics tomorrow.

Cheers,

Marcus

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Hi Marcus

My ground level section running between the two viaducts was initially on a base of exterior plywood screwed to concrete footings with a layer of roofing felt in-between which I hoped would keep some of the moisture rising from below. The plywood actually warped between the spots I had screwed down leading to slight humps and hollows in the track which I found really annoying when looking back over video captures. Hopefully yours will be better screwed directly to a timber base rather than my perhaps not so level footings. 

A garden layout is a continual learning process and while people can offer their advice there's no substitute for your own personal experience. I listened to the advice I received early on but still went about it more or less my own way but that's how we all tend to be. You have to try these things as it's all part of the learning process and it's also a part of the overall enjoyment. 

Once you get something up and running you can attend to any problems you might encounter and change things about if need be.  Only you can determine what you want your layout to offer you. I want smooth running, large radius curves and uninterrupted operation along with the ability to run lengthy trains that look and feel as if they're actually going somewhere. I also want to be able to sit back safe in the knowledge that even when it rains I don't have to worry about covering up the layout. A lot of people are quite happy with far less than that so it's all down to what you want from your own layout.

The main thing is it's your layout so enjoy it!

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I fully endorse Mick's second and third paras above.

After eight years of sterling service my creocoated timber track base is starting to show its age, suffering from rot in some places where it's been resting on the earth and warping on some curves where it wasn't adequately braced.

I shall replace it on the same basis.  Treated timber is by far the simplest medium to use and I prefer its weathered appearance to that of uniform grey roofing felt.  It has good qualities in service and, if it lasts for 8-10 years, offers a reasonable lifespan.

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A quick update on the layout. I finished the reverse loop at the far end last weekend, and I've started to lay the bitumen felt as a track bed.

I'm hoping to get the track Layed in the next couple of weeks, but it seems that track pins are hard to source at the moment!!

I'll be using the sandstone tiles for the station platform area, which will look pretty realistic. The German station can be swapped for a UK station depending on what trains I'm running, and I'm looking to get some more buildings in the future.

'till next post.

Cheers,

Marcus

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I like the look of the sandstone platform area Marcus and they appear to be just about the correct height. Natural materials go really well with a garden railway. I like to keep any decayed wood and rusted wire work along the line side because it just looks so at home and adds to the sense of realism in my view.

I like the style of the station building too - very grand, though anything like that would be totally out of keeping on my layout. Was it kit built?

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Hi Mick, Many thanks for your comments. The Station Kit is a Faller one (plastic) which I built. I'd like to get a few more buildings and try to create a mini town scene, although they are not cheap.

I'm also looking to get a nice British Station building and building which I can use when running my British trains. I think Ratio make a few plastic kits if I'm not mistaken.

I've got some Superquick buildings and a Station, but being card, they won't last long in a shower!!

Regards,

 

Marcus

 

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And I though I might share some pics of my indoor railway I had (unfortunately now dismantled).

Maybe this should go into another separate post, if so, please advise!

The overhead catenary was scratch built and used finishing line!!! It was an absolute labour of love!!

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6 hours ago, Marcus Doling said:

And I though I might share some pics of my indoor railway I had (unfortunately now dismantled)....

Such a shame that it had to be dismantled Marcus. I can see you'd put many hours of work into it. I assume by dismantled that you mean it has gone forever? Was it a house move or space required for something else? Sorry if that's a bit personal in anyway - you don't need to answer but it's clear that your interest in model railways remains.

I had to dismantle my first garden railway due to an unexpected house move but I knew I'd be building another one soon afterwards so it wasn't such a painful experience. I felt more gutted about having to break up a small indoor layout I began around the same time and that was still at the bare boards stage with very little track in place!

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9 hours ago, mick said:

Such a shame that it had to be dismantled Marcus. I can see you'd put many hours of work into it. I assume by dismantled that you mean it has gone forever? Was it a house move or space required for something else? Sorry if that's a bit personal in anyway - you don't need to answer but it's clear that your interest in model railways remains.

I had to dismantle my first garden railway due to an unexpected house move but I knew I'd be building another one soon afterwards so it wasn't such a painful experience. I felt more gutted about having to break up a small indoor layout I began around the same time and that was still at the bare boards stage with very little track in place!

Hi Mick, let's just say, it wasn't very popular with my lovely wife (of 27 years today!), and to be honest it was starting to take over the spare room in our new extension we had just built. So I decided to dismantle it. I've kept everything though, even some of the scenery, baseboards etc. Luckily only a few sections of my track were ballasted, so I have a good supply for my Garden railway project. Suprisingly though, my wife half doesn't mind the garden railway at all!!

Cheers,

 

Marcus

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Well congratulations to you both on your anniversary today!

Model railway layouts can take up an awful lot of room and not just the layout itself - there's all the boxes and boxes of stock to go with it. Integrating your layout into the garden is a good compromise. Even with the two viaducts on my layout visitors rarely notice it's actually a model railway running round the garden. It adheres to the perimeter more or less and you don't need to step over it to access the garden itself. I believe a large majority of modellers look upon a garden railway as a last resort after discovering there's insufficient room indoors but in my view it's a location worthy of serious consideration whatever the case.

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Hi Mick,

 

Thanks for the congrats!

You're definitely right about space (or lack of it). The nice think about my garden railway (Work in progress) is that it's also very hard to see it's there, and I also get a full 26 metre loop of track, much more than I had in my spare room. It will be interesting to see what challenges I have to look forward to (track cleaning, good electrical current etc.) But that's all part of the fun!

Also, I was thinking of using very small screws to fix the track (as opposed to track pins). Any thoughts on this?
I'll also be leaving some small gaps in the rail joints to allow for the hot summer temperatures.

Best regards,

 

Marcus

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  • 3 weeks later...

Congratulations Marcus - that's great to hear.

It all looks nice and smooth and the Turbostar looks to be performing really well. I have two in my collection, both in Scotrail liveries, but they need fitting with DCC decoders and I'm waiting until I have the courage to have a go at it. Something else for the winter months.

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Thanks Mick, Many thanks for your comment, 

It was a great moment to have the loop completed! I've got loads of stock to play with (lots of European and BR stock). I just hope the track work holds up well in our harsh Australian Summer!! I'll be covering the exposed track to keep the sun an UV from doing too much damage. Luckily most of the track is in shade from the conifer trees.

Regards,

 

Marcus

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