Rob Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Hello everyone, my name is Rob and I am currently constructing a new garden railway (and a new website for it http://www.chiswick-valley.webs.com/''>http://www.chiswick-valley.webs.com/'>http://www.chiswick-valley.webs.com/).The garden is on a slope so the height of the line varies from ground level to 25cm and I am after some tips on how to make the higher level section blend in better with the garden. I would also appreciate some tips on electrical connections as want to be able to plug the cable from my controller into a socket connected directly to the track. I have been looking around and best solution I can find is to house the connection in a water proof sandwich box but I am not sure about the connection aspect, I have seen a few forums for and against using scart cables but would appreciate some advice on the subject Thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
willo Posted August 23, 2011 Share Posted August 23, 2011 Hi bobert just a welcome really this place is full or good sound advice, imp still picking up tips at the moment so I will leave the comments to the more experienced, but look forward to herein your progress Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted August 24, 2011 Author Share Posted August 24, 2011 Hello Willo, thanks for the reply, i have been looking at your garden railway and it is looking very impressive Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chris Posted August 24, 2011 Share Posted August 24, 2011 Hi Rob, Welcome aboard. I've had a quick look at your web site and noticed the peco side mounting point motors, i'll have to look in to those for use on Amblethorpe, I've got one point which I'm still unsure about how I'm going to power it. I also noticed on the photo that your track pins appear to be rusting, I've had that problem and have now switched to using Peco's brass pins, they are a little bit oversized so I drill a 1mm hole in the sleeper first to make sure it doesn't split. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
cleanerg6e Posted August 25, 2011 Share Posted August 25, 2011 Hi Rob I too have a slope in my back yard only a bit steeper than yours and my railway goes from almost ground level to 1.5m at it's highest point. I've almost finished the wooden part of my railway and will start soon on the ground level part. If the slope of you land is not too steep have you thought about an embankment to carry the line. That's about the only way I can think of to get the line to blend in with the garden and keep the domestic authorities happy. You would have to put in an agricultural plastic pipe at the foot of the embankment so as not to create a dam of water when it rains. Roy. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traingeekboy Posted August 29, 2011 Share Posted August 29, 2011 Nice looking loop of track you have there. I just have to ask if anything has dropped off the bridge yet? Now to go back and see if you have videos on the site. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted September 9, 2011 Author Share Posted September 9, 2011 Touch wood nothing has fallen off the bridge yet but there was one derailment on the bridge but luckily it was in the completed section but as result I am running the trains slower over the bridge till it is a 100% complete. I will hopefully be starting work on the completing the bridge this month and will keep you all and the chiswick valley website updated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 9, 2011 Share Posted September 9, 2011 Hi Rob Excuse my lack of input to date but I'm just catching up with all the more recent posts after struggling along trying to rectify the errors with the forum software. I had actually read your post previously but never got round to adding a reply Looking at the photos on your website the first thing that struck me was aren't garden railways a great idea! There must be countless enthusiasts who have left the hobby entirely simply because they never got the opportunity to construct their own layout due to lack of space. I was in that same position myself many years ago and ended up disposing of my entire collection. Fortunately I stumbled across YouTube and its collection of videos showing OO gauge in the garden and now the wife's gone but the railways back in town - oh yes! (okay, not entirely true.... ) Your layout's much the same as mine being 2 simple adjacent circuits, though I do spy a point close to the shed area - for a future extension indoors perhaps? Would that same shed be of any use for housing the electrics and your controller? As for the elevated sections it would look better if the gap between the trackbed and the ground was closed up somehow. Have you thought about using something like the garden log rolls? They come in several different sizes and can be stained to blend in with the garden. I've seen them used to good effect on an outdoor OO garden layout featured in a magazine. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted September 11, 2011 Author Share Posted September 11, 2011 The original plan was to house all the electrics in the shed but I have decided against this as a friend of my who is an electrician is going to install an outdoor socket for me so I can sit at the patio table and enjoy running the trains from the best vantage point. I have finally got a permanent solution to the electrical connections. I used 2 USB extension cables, 1 carrying the power to the track and the other used for the points. With this method all I have to do to start running train is connection the 2 connections (after a good clean of the tracks of course). All the connections are house in air tight sandwich boxes (the kind with lockable clips for extra protection) [album]520[/album] I have had a look into garden rolls and the wife isn’t to knee on but I am slowly working on changing her mind of them as I think I will help it blend a lot better. I have had a look at your railway and like the look of the viaduct for the extension I am planning but I have never attempt something like that before, have you got any good advice on the do’s and dont’s of constructing one, thanks in advance Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 11, 2011 Share Posted September 11, 2011 ...I have had a look at your railway and like the look of the viaduct for the extension I am planning but I have never attempt something like that before, have you got any good advice on the do’s and dont’s of constructing one, thanks in advance Probably the best advice I can give is never to do anything the way I do it My viaduct (soon to be demolished I might add) is made out of exterior grade plywood with sections of half-round plastic guttering forming the under arches. It was then covered in a layer of exterior grade 'Polyfilla'. I fitted wooden battens inside the structure to carry the track bed but as I failed to ensure the viaduct was absolutely level when placed in situ, I had to shave bits off the battens in order for the track bed to line up correctly at each end. That's the reason the track resembles something of a roller coaster along its length. As for it's durability, I may have given the impression that it's succumed to the weather but that's not entirely true - in fact it has withstood 2 winters very well indeed. My only problem, apart from the misalignment of the track and the resulting uneven running, is the fact that it's not weatherproof and needs to be covered up for protection against the rain. Even then it's almost impossible to keep out the damp penetrating from the ground. I want to be able to have a viaduct that can withstand the weather without covers, one that will weather naturally. Some of the earlier photos in my thread show the viaduct at various stages of completion and should give you an idea of how it was built. If built correctly and protected against bad weather then there's no reason they shouldn't last for several years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted September 15, 2011 Author Share Posted September 15, 2011 I have finally completed the bridge section today; the bridge is made from sections of 1cmx1cm wood and is based on a box girder bridge design Side Section Under construction Completed bridge http://www.oogardenrailway.co.uk/gallery/image.php?album_id=26&image_id=535' rel="external nofollow"> Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dave Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 Bridge is looking really good Nice to see a workmate in the wild, as well! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Jaybee Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I love the bridge, looks very easy to build. What with the Suspension Bridge that Dave is planning, and now this, you guys are certainly giving me food for thought!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
traingeekboy Posted September 15, 2011 Share Posted September 15, 2011 I like how simple the design is. I may have to steal it! There is only one flaw with your photos; where's the train? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Wow! I wasn't expecting that. I thought you were just going to complete adding the wooden strips along the sides of the bridge as per the adjoining sections but that girder bridge looks excellent and it makes a splendid feature over the water. Now, like traingeekboy, I'm looking forward to seeing some trains passing over it. Well done mate! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ba14eagle Posted September 16, 2011 Share Posted September 16, 2011 Ditto Mick's comments. Looks great! (and in my humble opinion, more appropriate than a suspension bridge ) Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted September 29, 2011 Author Share Posted September 29, 2011 Hello everyone Started on the branch line today, it will cross the garden path and then cross the patio area over 2 bridges which I am still designing and then eventually the branch will terminate at a station area at the far side of the garden Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
mick Posted September 29, 2011 Share Posted September 29, 2011 Good to see someone else making solid progress with their layout and clearly intent on adding some pointwork. There's been some recent discussion on the practical use of points outdoors so I'm interested in hearing what your plans are for their operation and also whether you are planning on installing any buildings at the location of the branch station or indeed at other locations around the layout. There appears to be a distinct lack of model buildings on many outdoor layouts - certainly mine is one of those. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Rob Posted October 2, 2011 Author Share Posted October 2, 2011 I am still not 100% sure about motorizing all the points as I have already motorized 2 sets and they seem to be holding up ok but I am waiting till after winter before motorizing the rest of them and the plan is to have some semi permanent building on the layout as the range of hornby Skaledale building look very sturdy. The plan is to leave the buildings setup during the running season and then take them up during the winter months. I was hoping to get out and carry on with the bridge as it was meant to be nice and sunny but it has started to rain here (another great weather prediction from the met office) Here are some pics of the work i managed to complete yesterday Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
bazzanoid Posted October 2, 2011 Share Posted October 2, 2011 Great progress, we're out in the garden this afternoon getting more track down and possibly test ballasting a small area. Skaledale are perfect for outside - they're cast in polyresin, the same stuff used for outdoor ornaments, so will stand up nicely. If they're in strong sunlight the paint may fade, but you can always apply a clear matt varnish coat to the buildings to put this off by a few years! Bachmann's Scenecraft range are made out of the same stuff so just as good too Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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