'The Oakdale Valley' Garden Railway:

[sykarost]

Hi Everyone & welcome to my new thread & The Oakdale Valley Railway (under construction). For prior information on this project see my previous thread 'Planning Permission Granted' on the Planning Stages page. In just a few short weeks since obtaining said 'permission' from the Head Gardener, progress has been quite rapid. So much so that I thought I should move on & create this new thread & perhaps just convey a little bit of the information as to the origins of 'Oakdale Valley'!!

I already have a 90% complete 00 garage layout called 'Oakdale Jct' which is an 'end to end' of approx 20' & 20" wide & 4' above floor level. It's an interesting layout to operate & is demanding enough for me to operate with three controllers... (Not into DCC etc) but has it's limitations. The main one being that the Loco's don't travel too far before coming back so don't get chance to 'stretch their legs' or even get run in properly. Solution Why not go into the garden.......... Well, acquiring the proper authority has already been well documented so I will move on to explain my 'plan'!

A simple 'dumbell' layout which will run from my newly built small shed at about 4' high, running level up my sloping garden until reaching ground level & taking a 'pear shape' return loop to travel back to the shed, a total running distance of about 90' with at least one & maybe two passing loops. I just want to run scale length trains or give my loco's a chance to run as free as nature intended so have no desire to over complicate things. I will do a drawing eventually but photo's exist on the other thread which show my available scope so no point in covering old ground.

The obvious thing to do would have been to knock a hole in the garage wall & extend into the garden.......Not quite so simple as I have a 'Two Storey Garage' & the level difference is something like 12'. despite all the 'help' & 'advice' from certain other members of this Forum (no names... ) on how to achieve a link, I decided to follow my instincts & go with a totally independent layout which can still utilise all my stock. Although not very original in the end, I decided to continue the 'Oakdale' theme outside because the first is loosely (very) based on the Midland Line in Derbyshire (Anywhere between Derby & Chesterfield etc) & it made sense to continue the idea to include the 'Hope Valley Line' between Dore & Totley (Sheffield) to Chinley & Manchester as the 'scenery' in our garden is almost as good as the High Peaks route.

This is meant as a brief introduction to my project which has only been under construction for a short while & is far more advanced than even I could anticipate. My Wife is even taking an interest & looking forward to seeing it up & running however she did mention today that when it's completed, what would be my NEXT project.......... My reply " Well, the size of the lawn would make a reasonable AIRPORT !!

I'm....Brian

[cleanerg6e]

Hi Brian, welcome to the forum (sorry Mick) glad to see to you've started a thread on your developing garden railway. A must on this forum is PHOTOS!!!!! so if you can get your camera out and give us all loads of photos to have a look at your progress as your line develops that would be much appreciated by all who view your thread.

Pop over to the gallery and have a look at my recent uploads and although not English many of the steam locos we have here were built in England. (end of plug)

Roy.

[sykarost]

Hi Roy & thanks for the 'Aussie Welcome' !! Here a a few pic's for starters, I have today fixed my level point so I can now progress towards the shed but first the boards have to be treated & waterproofed & building work will continue. I will construct a bridge eventually but no point yet as I know I will fall over it as I access the work site

[traingeekboy]

If I squint I can already see the lines coming toward the shed.

[sykarost]

Yes Griff, I see what you mean ....... really looking forward to that day for sure!

In the meantime, I managed a few more hours today before rain stopped play..... put all my tools away & it stopped!!

On the subject of rain... Last weekend when I was erecting my shed (was it really only last week?) I packed my stuff away for the night all prepared to complete the job

next morning. Over breakfast my Wife said " Are you planning to do any drilling today"? ... Of course I am my dear, I have a shed to build (I drill & coach bolt - 3 per corner).

To which she replied... " Well you won't be using that drill (the powerful mains one) as you left it outside all night in the rain"!! The good news is that I finished the job with

my neighbors drill & after a week of hot air & sitting under a radiator (the drill not me ) I finally plucked up the courage to try my luck, fully expecting my credit card would have to come into action yet again but lo & behold it fired up & is roaring away on all cylinders. Now I can consider drilling those concrete posts for my support brackets!!

These pictures were taken before I had finished work so not totally 'up to date' but this is becoming a bit like 'spinning plates' (If anyone knows what I'm referring to ) as one minute its bricks & cement then painting wood, moving soil, cup of tea & back to the building site.

[sykarost]

For those of you with time on your hands, how about this for a 'Garden Railway'.......

">

" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

I never expected to get this far with it but I'm quite pleased with the result !

This railway is only 15minutes from me & one of my interests is videoing trains of any description (or size). If I can unashamedly 'plug'

my YouTube channel http://www.youtube.com/user/SYKAROST?feature=mhee" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; (Where I have the same 'user name') I would be happy

for you to drop by & take a look during these upcoming long winter evenings if such things interest you.......

You will also find my indoor 'Oakdale Jct' featured.

Thanks,

Brian.

[mick]

The return loop area, previously known as 'Compost Corner', is coming along very nicely. It's amazing what a difference a couple of weeks or so can make. You're already in a position where you can begin looking back at how it used to be before the railways came! From the view from your 'control room' it appears that some vegetation has been cut back from alongside the fence compared to a previous photo of that area.

I've just spent a good few minutes looking at the YouTube video of Echills Wood Railway. Must be great having something like that close by. We have a similar nature reserve just down the road from us but alas no miniature railway. I'll have to pop back and watch the rest of the video later and have a browse round the rest of your channel.

[sykarost]

Yes Mick, I'm very pleased to have reached this stage so quickly as I did not quite realise just how much 'landscaping' I would actually be doing in this quite small area (neither did my Wife!). I wanted to get the heavy work done before the onset of those darker,colder,frostier nights & have pretty much achieved it. I have had some ideal days weather wise & have been able to put in the time. Now, I think the woodwork/painting etc will be taking up more of my time & once the boards are installed to the shed, the interior can be fitted out so I think it's all coming together. As for the plants, my Wife decided to re-locate some of the low plants as they were at risk of being trampled to death (by me) but I still have to negotiate a route past the 'tree type thingy's' (I have no idea what they are... but they are in my way) but that's manageable. In fact my boards are wider than I actually need so that any cut outs will still allow for some gradual bends in the track as against dead straight.

Speaking of bends..... rather curves! I have 'created' my return loop curve today in my chosen method which even includes a 'cant' (pictures next time) which was not built to any scientific formula so hope I've got it right or unless I go flat out my stock will be toppling from the rails .

Glad you liked the EWR video, those Loco's are such 'works of art' & a real pleasure to watch their owners/builders having a fun day out with them, you have enough experience now Mick....Offer to build one for them !!

Brian.

[sykarost]

A few pictures just uploaded from today

[george356]

Excellent work, all we need now is a viaduct and a windmill

[Rossi]

We'll forgive you George on the misplacement of the "Helix and Funicular" projects...for now.

Excellent progress being made on the groundwork, although I'm a little bit worried about the "cant" you've put in. It looks very permanent without a real testing.

I laid return bends (all in tunnels) and left them all flat and I must say I had a few derails as the locos wanted to carry on forward, so I ended up placing small cork pieces in the relative places thus obviating the problem and introducing a sort of "cant.". So I fully accept the concept of the "cant," just wondering about the concrete.

But anyway, it looks like a "cunning plan" coming together well!

[traingeekboy]

Your comment about the flexi being forgiving, requires some comment about my flexi being cruel and heartless.

So about flexi and radius. It's easy to put kinks in your curves where small sections actually become really tight radius. I have a place I just reset that was doing just that. Fortunately all of my stock is toy train grade so it can easily go down to a 15 inch radius, but it's good to try to keep it wider, in case you ever break down and get something like a Big Boy.

Looks like you are on a roll ( eh eh) keep it up!

[sykarost]

Excellent work, all we need now is a viaduct and a windmill

Thanks George, the viaduct is almost a certainty but am leaving that until later as it will be something for me to trip over as I access the 'building site'!!

As for the Windmill..... Griff & I have already discussed this apparent pre-requisite & yes, there is one in the garden but it's somewhat overscale.........

[grockle]

[album]805[/album]

No Big Boy. What a let down for us.

Ian

[sykarost]

Well, had a day off today & went out. On my return I was compelled to take a close look at my 'wall of death' canted curve to see if it was really as bad

as it might be. The hardboard shuttering did it's job & I have a lovely smooth finish on the sides, there are a couple of small surface dips which are easily rectified

but the following pictures make it look like a total disaster. Having re-coated the wooden inserts with bitu-paint (if ever they do rot away they can easily be chiseled

out & replaced but that will take a while to happen) it has created a strange optical illusion & it looks distorted but trust me, this IS going to work. I don't have any spare

flexi to test it with yet but somewhere I have some old set-track curves I can use to see where the high/low spots are.

[george356]

OR, has anyone on here built a concrete 'Single Arch Span' in situ..........

Go for it, Brian, and make sure you take plenty of pics, as it will be another type of bridge for the archives.

George

[sykarost]

OR, has anyone on here built a concrete 'Single Arch Span' in situ..........

Go for it, Brian, and make sure you take plenty of pics, as it will be another type of bridge for the archives.

George

Ha Ha, thanks George, I might just consider it but it will have to be a quite low arch with some 'substance' in the span itself as this is where I will have to

step over into the access area (to re-rail all my fallen over trains). As it's about 2' (not actually measured it yet) I guess it would be a feasible project ........

I am already 'designing it' in my head ............ Viaducts are just so yesterday!! (might live to regret that statement if I end up re-creating

the Tay Bridge disaster )

Finally, can I just share a tip with everyone. Today I was in one of those £ shops (not Poundland) & I spotted some 4m x about 8" rolls of black plastic mesh

designed for putting in your gutters to keep the leaves out. This stuff can be cut into narrower strips & used as fencing, as a 'safety net' on those sharp bends

above ground or even maybe as a re-enforcement for binding concrete structures. As it was only a £1 a roll I bought two & my Wife (who from now on I will call

Sylvia because that's her name ) said, " If you don't use it on the railway, you could always put it in the gutters"...... Duh!! Any opportunity to get a bit of

DIY done!!

Brian.

[grockle]

Viaducts are just so yesterday!! (might live to regret that statement

Brian.

Like vultures we wait for it to come back to bite you on the BUM you can make sure of that

No Helix

No Venicular Railway

This one is going down the pan in my eyes

Seriously though, its comming along great guns and we eagely await the laying of track and the first train running.

Ian

[traingeekboy]

Boy there really is nothing to get all of us at our computer, like a new layout build. I'm liking what I see so far. Everyone builds according to their own skills and half baked ideas, it always makes for interesting reading and picture viewing.

The blocks in the concrete are a clever idea. As to the windmill, out of scale is even better. I feel great shame in not having one, but I will at some point: it's mandatory on a garden railway.

I'm chuckling over the comment about putting the screen IN the gutters. If I spent as much time on my house as I do on the layout...

ian/grockle the little dockside switcher in that photo is the loco that really makes my heart warm. My first train set ever had one. I do like the little shunters.

[sykarost]

Thanks Ian & Griff, Sylvia is convinced I'm only working so hard at it in order to keep you guys 'entertained' & I'm beginning to think she's right... !!

We have spent the day killing our feet walking around the 'Motorhome & Caravan show' at the NEC when I could have been doing something really useful.

We do not need a new caravan.... got one, we do not need any accessories..... got em all!! The reason we went was because it's 20 mins from us and the

tickets were FREE from our dealership who were hoping to get us to trade in for the new model. Did the salesman really think I was going to spend a

few thousand £ that could easily be spent on new Loco's & Stock...... not likely

Your encouragement and interest is much appreciated but things might have to slow down a bit as we are taking a short break next week & have a lot going

on, our daylight hours will soon reduce at the end of the month but rest assured, I will still be around doing what I can.

Brian.