Jump to content

Summer Hampton Railway


ba14eagle
 Share

Recommended Posts

Amazing progress and in little more than two months.

 

ba14eagle said:

...Not a huge amount to report - mainly down to work and the weather, but I made steady progress....

Steady? You've laid quadruple track in the time it's taken me to felt 16 feet of plywood!

I'm really looking forward to seeing this up and running. Anyone who thinks they don't have room for a railway layout needs to look at this. It's been very well planned and extremely well put together. You've done a terrific job.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

A couple of photos showing the new footbridge over the railway. There is a little bit of feettling to do, but it makes it safer crossing the boards, than stepping across. I cannot take any credit for this bit of woodwork - it was all down to my 88 year old apprentice (Father!), who despite being hospitilised for a week recently with a serious illness, fought his way back to health in order to complete this project - hero is not a great enough accolade.

DSC_1008.JPG

DSC_1011.JPG

I have also been busy, over the weekend, finishing the last of the track laying and painting log roll, whilst starting to lay the sub base for the pathway.
Frustratingly, its absolutely tipping down now, so no work getting done 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Wow :o If that's what you call a footbridge over the railway then I can't wait to see the level crossing ;) when you've finished it!

Seriously, that's an impressive structure and one that I wasn't expecting. Can you still access the tracks to the fence side for cleaning etc.

Shame about the rain returning. Looks like you've been making great progress.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

love the bridge! don't forget to keep on taking photos from the upstairs window so we can look back at the images from a single pov to see the development from its start to its future greatness.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yes Mick, all the track is accessible for cleaning and maintenance. If need be, and there are 2 strong people about, the bridge can be lifted clean up and out of the way ;)

The trackbed is 12" wide and this was more than enough to accommodate 4 tracks, with setrack spacing - that is my biggest concession on realism, but it just means nothing clips anything on the curves :!: Even then, a 5th track could have been squeezed on, if you are brave enough to have the outer tracks right on the edge of the boards :o

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Hi Iain, all I can say is a very big WOW from down under, your dad dci a great job of the bridge, does he have a back ground in building, not bad for a 88 year old and can't wait to see what you have in mind with the mound of dirt in the middle of the spiral be a mountain of some kind.

Yeah have to agree with Mick, can't wait to see the first test train running on your layout you have moved so quickly in the construction, what do you call your house, over here they are town houses, what I like to move into one day and still have a back court yard to have a layout.

Winter is here, cold morning down to 1.5 degrees was 6 in the house when we woke up and 3 degrees outside, the grass had a white tinge to it, may be saying good by to the nice green grass.

Tony from down under. :roll::roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Yesterday morning was devoted to over 2 hours running on the Summer Hampton Railway. About half the rolling stock was used along with slightly less of the locos. I was quite pleased with how everything ran, with most of the problems being caused by the rtr couplings between the loco and first carriage. This was successfully overcome by changing them out for some of my magnetic couplings. Video is now up on YouTube (although the sequence of shots is back to front as you get the exciting 4 train running shots first :? )

My stiff gradients do not seem to be too problematical, although you will notice the Heljan 58 makes light work of the MGR set, whereas the Bachmann 37 really struggles :) Some of the Bachmann locos are not keen going DOWN the grades - possibly to do with the flywheels?

Next time around I will use the other sets of stock and some different locos, to be followed by some steam visitors.

Other jobs around the garden are continuing, with the sub-base for the path nearly being complete, along with the log rolling around the edges. The decking and deck on the footbridge has all been stained today. The finances for the project are pretty depleted now, so any planting and the pond will have to wait now until next year (he says with his sensible head on, whilst the impatient head wants to get on with it :lol: ).

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Just spent the last 10 minutes watching the video. All I can say is it's amazing that you've done all that in just the last 3 months while I'm commenting about my own layout not yet complete after 4 years! I don't have speakers on this PC so I couldn't enjoy any sound but the action was very entertaining on its own.

Now that you're up and running I'm sure you can take your time in getting everything else finished. If it has to wait until next year then so be it. Better to be sensible than suffer the consequences of your impatience.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Well done Iain have to agree what Chris has said in such a sort time, great feeling to see the first train run on the new layout, big bonus over four trains running WOW, have to be on your toes are you running DCC, I have to settle with DC and run only two trains at once on my own.

Tony from down under :roll::roll:

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Another update photo.

 

DSC_0822.JPG

I have pretty much finished the path now - it will need a bit more stone to top it up, but there is a decent depth there now. As it comes from B&M store, it is easy enough to go and pick up a few bags whenever the mood takes me. Im hoping we get the deluge of rain (has he gone mad  ) the weathermen are promising, as it will knock down all the dust in the stone and over the, recently stained, decking.
Im pretty much set now for a summer of train running fun, with only a few little cosmetic jobs to attend to, if i get bored.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

That's a good job out of the way and just in time too if the forecast is to believed. I've been using those handy-size bags of gravel too - they don't go far do they?

Let's hope the weather is kind and you get chance to make full use of the layout this year. Looking forward to more videos.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Chris - the branch goes along the fence until it meets the house. It was intended to be a putting on siding, from where trains could be delivered to the layout, hence why Ive put in the big ladder junction in front of the decking. However, things are never that straight forward and if I get the urge to rip some track up and start again, the ladder will be the bit that gets it!! As said before, I use setrack spacing and so, keeping life simple, I used setrack points. Mistake.... You certainly cant propel over them and hauling is a very risky business too, unless done at scale walking pace! So, the branchline is a bit redundant currently as ive got into the habit of just putting the stock straight onto the appropriate circuit. You never know, I might realign the branch so I could fit a short platform on the board adjacent to it, but im not keen, as it feeds into the mainline platform at the main station and it is really only about 9ft long! (I had thought about putting in a bay platform at the main station but a thought is as far as it got...

Anyway, at the 3rd attempt ive managed to have another running session and done another YouTube video.

On Sunday, my Son and I tried to get some stuff running, but it either kept falling off or uncoupled or was pulled off by the couplings. Very frustrating and we got nowhere.

Yesterday, I worked out 90% of the coupling induced problems and had a good running session, which was duly filmed on the video camera. Unfortunately, in the 2 years since I last used the video camera, Microsoft tech has moved on so much that once the files have been transferred to the laptop, you only hear the audio and cannot see the picture :evil: A local computer shop advised I should down load another piece of software to my laptop which would provide the required codecs (whatever they are :?:oops: ) to view the pictures. That was true, I could view the movies using this media player, but it didn't help when putting them into Microsoft Movie Maker, so that was the end of that (the playback quality of the footage wasn't that great either, so I think I might need a more modern video camera).

So today I managed a good running session and filmed it on my phone - which despite being the muts nuts (according to the O2 shop assistant), doesn't really cope with this job too well, so its there on YouTube, but its not the best quality - my apologies :lol:

 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

I hadn't realised that you'd used Setrack points for the ladders Iain, in fact I'm quite surprised to learn that you had, but I suppose space considerations were foremost in your mind. I daren't use anything less than large radius Streamline points even in the sidings. But saying that, you'd expect even Setrack points to be useable. The main things is you've got something running and you can gradually improve the setup and make refinements as you go along.

It looks like Monday was a much more successful day than the previous one going by the number of trains circulating in the video. I panic with just one or two running when there's a danger of a derailment so I don't know how your nerves take it.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

  • 2 weeks later...

As the following photo shows, Ive been busy again.

The accountants worked hard into the night to find some additional finances for the civil engineering department to spend on putting in the pond. There was even a bit left over for some planting to take place too. Unfortunately, someone skimped on buying a cheap, solar powered, pond pump / fountain from our favourite auction site, which doesnt work :( Oh well, the railway company's bosses are onto putting the situation right :)

I had intended putting a pond side village at the far end of the pond, but decided I didnt really have any appropriate buildings for this any more, so went for the little Army outpost, which on running days might see the return of the Lynx helicopter :)

(and I will come clean now :oops: - I did actually put the pond in the wrong way around - I really wanted the 2 planting shelves at the nearest end to the house, not the far end :oops: )

 

DSC_0841.JPG

One minor negative to report - there has been a small problem encountered with foreign objects arriving from a neighbouring garden  
funniest  (not really at the time) was a space hopper - any of you who grew up in the 70's will know what I mean! I still reckon though, like Mars bars and Wagon-Wheels, they were a lot bigger back then 

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Nice work on the pond and rock garden, can't wait to the finished army outpost, be interesting what you plan to call it.

Have to ask what is a space hopper put in a search and came up with a large ball the kids bounced around on what had long ears they hold onto.

Pure amazing you got up and running so quickly, awesome your layout is complete and up and running, be looking forward to see lots of video and pics of your running days .

Tony from down under.

Link to comment
Share on other sites

Create an account or sign in to comment

You need to be a member in order to leave a comment

Create an account

Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!

Register a new account

Sign in

Already have an account? Sign in here.

Sign In Now
 Share

×
×
  • Create New...