The burning question... is it just lay and play?

[bazzanoid]

Afternoon......

Love the website, been very interesting following your progress.

I have to ask...

I'm considering a 00 Gauge garden railway myself, since O Gauge is too expensive and more suited to a garden larger than mine!!!

Do you have to coat the tracks with anything to help protect them from the weather, or is it just a case of lay and play, and keep the tops of the rails free from rust (after a couple of months inactivity over winter, for example)?

Thanks!

Baz

[mick]

Hi Baz, In short yes.

Track should be nickel silver (Peco is fine and what I would recommend) and believe me, it's worth taking additional time to ensure track is level both along its length as much as possible but also across the 2 adjacent rails. Even outdoors, gradients should be kept to a minimum, especially if you are intending running long/heavy trains.

Unlike ordinary steel track, Nickel Silver track resists rust and corrosion and should last many years outdoors however, it does accumulate a sheen over its surface which reduces electical conductivity but this can be removed easily by gentle use of a good quality track rubber. They say that the Peco track rubber, (and track rubbers are actully like a small abrasive pad), is too abrasive, but it's what I use. Just a gentle wipe along the whole track soon puts a nice shine back on the rail tops and takes no more than a few minutes to accomplish. This need not be done every day if the railway is in frequent and regular use but certainly after a few weeks inactivity it will be beneficial and perhaps necessary to restore the rail shine.

As opposed to an indoor layout, it's more important outdoors that joins between rail sections are electrically bonded. It won't take long for normal rail joiners to fail outdoors and when they do, electrical continuity between adjoining rail sections is lost. A short length of wire soldered across the rail joins will ensure that if/when the rail joiner fails, continuity wont be affected. It takes longer but it will repay you many times over in the future and it's easier to do before whole sections are laid in their final positions.

On the subject of scale, I would say that in the average sized garden, OO gauge is ideal, It allows long trains meandering around the garden and flower beds and while few aspects of the hobby can be considered 'cheap' financially, you can get a lot more for your money with OO gauge in comparison to the larger scales.

OO gauge in the garden is certainly worthy of serious consideration and if you do ultimately decide to give it a go then please keep us informed of your progress. Likewise, if there is anything else you would like to know then just get back in touch. There aren't many of us here at the moment but we are OO gauge garden railway enthusiasts with some experience of running trains outdoors and you'll be more than welcome to join us.

Mick

[bazzanoid]

Thanks Mick, that was extremely helpful. I'll definitely stick with Peco rail, i always did for my N gauge indoor layout when i had it (had to downsize accommodation a year or two ago, out went the railway...).

Presumably electric track cleaners are a no-go because of the issues of rain etc outdoors? How about something like the Dapol B800?

My garden is a good 40ft long by 15ft wide - our bunny cages occupy the patio and there's a shed at the bottom so i've got the full width and about 30ft to play with - i'm working on the idea of cutting a hole or two in the shed to provide a drive-through railway depot / store for when the rolling stock when not in use.

I do love a good scene though - the skaledale range from hornby looks excellent (practically every building on my N layout was Lyddle End, so i'm familiar with the build and finish quality) and i'm planning on a few features, but will need to coat them with a matt exterior varnish first to help protect them from the elements. As they're cast in a polyresin they will stand up well outside with a little help. It also means that lighting will be good as well since they're hollow, so i can have a proper twilight town at night to play with hehe.

[IanR]

Hi Baz and welcome,

I agree with all that Mick has said, in particular spending some time ensuring that the track is as level as possible, I get the feeling that Mick wishes that he'd spent more time over this! I find that some locos run on dirty track better than others but a quick clean round with a track rubber is all that's required. I use an extrafine "Garryflex" block. Track rubbers do sometimes leave particles behind on the track surface so I follow with a wipe with a damp car windscreen demister pad.

Track to use outdoors is Peco streamline code 100, it is robust and will not rust.

Ian.

[mick]

I agree with all that Mick has said, in particular spending some time ensuring that the track is as level as possible, I get the feeling that Mick wishes that he'd spent more time over this!

Ian.

Too right Ian, although it is only in the area of the temporary curve where I have any sort of problem. It's bound to be a bit out of sorts there as its a mixture of track supported on scrap bits of wood but zooming in with the video camera does highlight other areas where improvements to the running capabilities could be made and I intend to remedy them over the winter. I also follow the track rubber with a damp cloth and find this a necessity when the rails are damp to start with as the fine abrasive particles quickly accumlate on the rail surface.

Mick

[mick]

Baz, I've got no experience of electric track cleaners (I presume you mean something along the lines of a Relco?) so I'm unable to comment on them. I also use DCC with which system I believe they aren't compatible. As for the Dapol B800 I have considered this myself as it would make things a whole lot easier if I could be sure it would work well enough outdoors. I've seen photographs of the accumulated fluff and dirt that they can collect simply by vacuuming your indoor track as they make their way round and I can just imagine the amount of leaves and decaying vegetation, dead insects, slugs etc.. and so on that it would find rambling round the garden! Perhaps it would just need the spit and polish pads!

Have to agree with your comments regarding some of the Skaledale range. I have a fair collection of items but no plans yet as to what to do with them. Lighting of individual items out in the garden will be amazing. Your plans for a hole or two in the shed are highly recommended as I think you'll find that storage tracks will be a necessity in the long term. I'm already sick of taking stock out of boxes and having to put it all away again at the end of the running session.

By the way, you will be able to post immediately from now on as your posts will not require moderating so my apologies for any delays in the past. It is better than having the forum overflowing with unwanted spam postings. Look forward to hearing more.

Mick

[IanR]

I have a Dapol B800 track cleaning machine but I haven't really tried it thoroughly yet. I have used it on its suction setting and it does remove a fair amount of debris from the track. I did try an electronic track cleaner but couldn't get it to work correctly although I have read that some people have had success with them on outdoor layouts. Gaugemaster don't recommend theirs on outdoor layouts.

As regards Skaledale buildings I have a few on my layout although I do give them an extra coat of outdoor matt varnish for added protection. I also have plastic kits from the likes of Dapol and Wills and they have been fine.

Ian.

[bazzanoid]

Thanks Ian,

I'll definitely coat them with a bit of varnish inside and out just to be sure! As i'm going to install lighting on the buildings where possible i'll probably coat the inside with matt black and then the varnish after - one thing i found with indoor layouts is the light tends to show through the parts where the buildings are thinly cast, and a coat of black absorbs any stray light, making sure only the windows etc are illuminated. This would be even more important outdoors at night when the intention is to run the railway with only the railway lights on and no garden lighting.

I'm still stuck in the planning phase at the moment - we recently moved all our rabbits over from our parent's places having completed the patio, and annoyingly they don't quite fit, so i've got to build a couple of odd-sized cages to house them so i can get my garden back to push ahead!

I've now decided i'm going to construct a pond and shallow waterfall at the shed end, from a scenic point of view it will provide an excellent excuse for a bridge over the water, and from a practical point of view it can hide one of the holes in the shed, which means i should be able to effectively create a tunnel as well that disappears behind the water feature, giving the illusion of the line being longer than it is, along with a station stop module installed on the through track in the shed will further help as the delay in the train re-emerging at the other end will be more than a quick drive through.

The tunnel will be well and truly integrated into the landscape, so i intend it to be dead straight to avoid any potential rescue issues should there have been a derailment. I'll make a shut-off for the exposed end to keep the tunnel clear when not in use, and just in case, a push-board and handle to give any stuck stock a shove out the other end!!!!