A Garden Railway Pipedream: the odyssey continues

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi Peter,

Thanks for posting the link- there's some fine plastic modelling there. It strikes me the possibilities are almost endless with narrow gauge modelling.

Richard
 

Simon

Flying Squad
I have to confess that the "multi gauge test track" approach holds little appeal to me. You are setting yourself an incredibly wide remit on scales/prototypes, wouldn't it be better to focus on fewer that had a bit more in common?

Each to their own of course, and having said the above I can think of one line that marries G1 and G3 to surprisingly good effect from a scenic point of view.

For what its worth though, and from a 6 year long and counting personal "garden railway journey" perspective, I have found that what started out as a pretty "general" theme has increasingly become specific and that the greatest (huge) pleasure is coming from the sense of recreation of time/place/train (outside) rather than just watching trains run.

Which is nice enough in its own right of course.

Simon

Currently awaiting the arrival of tree surgeons who are apparently taking down the large Ash tree (on behalf of Bath Rugby) that stands over all my precision laid pointwork:confused:
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi Simon,

I agree.

But let's not get this out of perspective.

My focus is on G1. All I am doing is laying one extra rail to allow for G3. What this means is that if other people want to come to play with something else, the loading gauge and clearances will allow for it. I am merely providing a place for their running activities. Until I went to the G1MRA Shepshed meeting, I wasn't convinced by narrow gauge. I'm still not entirely, but it doesn't matter. Other people are, and if they want to come and play they will be able to.

For what its worth though, and from a 6 year long and counting personal "garden railway journey" perspective, I have found that what started out as a pretty "general" theme has increasingly become specific and that the greatest (huge) pleasure is coming from the sense of recreation of time/place/train (outside) rather than just watching trains run.

My recreation of time and place is Heyside. The outside is merely for watching the trains run by.

Richard
 

Mike W

Western Thunderer
But let's not get this out of perspective. My focus is on G1. All I am doing is laying one extra rail to allow for G3.

Richard

Yes, that's what I thought when, after happily modelling 7mm since 1969 I acquired a large engine which I later discovered to be this strange scale called "Gauge 3". I never modelling in 7mm again, so be warned!

Mike
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Evening Richard
Just heard back from my local track owner, the centre to centre measurement on his line is 150mm. I don't have a photo that shows it that well, so this video will have to do.


We have successfully run 16mm and 7/8ths side by side around his 10' radius curves without any concerns. Your third rail to support G3 would end up being at the end of the sleepers closest to the camera.

Steve
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Thank you Steve, that is useful - and supports your maths.

If I use Cliff Barker's G1 track, would the chair for the G3 rail be fully supported on the end of the sleeper?

Richard
 

ceejaydee

Western Thunderer
But looking at Steve's pic could you not use the G3 track for one circuit and add a rail inside for the 45mm?
A crossover between the two circuits may be tricky if you do it that way though.
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Steve,

I've just been looking at Cliff's site.

It seems that the older G1 sleeper units are 4.5mm longer than the finescale (which I presume yours is) at 90mm, which I think might just make it possible.

Ceejaydee,

I've discounted that as I think G1 stock running on G3 rail doesn't look good. I want both tracks to be the same, mainly for G1, with an option for G3. Modern G3 stock will run on G1 profile rail as far as I can ascertain.

Richard
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
I've got various G1 bits from Cliff around the house Richard, I'll have a play and a measure up tomorrow and see what falls out :)
Steve
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Hi,
I am sorry that I did not do a good job of the address of the article. At http://www.zelmeroz.com/canesig/resources/resource-02hbk.html appears the following where you will find 28 Modelling Netherdale:

Modelling Cane Railway Basics
By Lynn Zelmer et al: 01 Introduction; 02 Queensland's Sugar Industry; 03 Engineering and Operations; 04 Modelling; 05 Creating the ANGRMS Dioramas; 06 Modelling Sugar Cane Part 1; 07 Portable Cane Track; 08 Modelling the Bundaberg Jenbach 0-6-0 Diesel; 09 Modifying the Colonial Baldwin 0-4-0; 10 Wholestick Cane Truck; 11 Kitbashing Freelance Wagons/Bins; 12 Modelling Challenges; 13 Resources; 14 Scale/Gauge Choices; 15 Comeng 'G' Inspired On30 loco; 16 Modelling Sugar Cane Part 2; 17 Modelling Palm Trees; 18 4 Wheel Box Wagon; 19 Large Scale Cane Wagons; 20 Novice HO Cane Train; 21 On30 Diorama; 22 Navo (Fiji) Navvy Car; 23 HOn30 Wholestick Truck; 24 Laser Cutting Intro; 25 On30 Tourist Railway Carriage; 26 Working Cuban Cane Loader; 27 Modelling Sugar Cane (Couch Grass); 28 Modelling Netherdale; 29 3D Printing: HOn30 Cane Trucks; 30 Modelling a Mill Interior; 31 Card Modelling (and 2011 NG Convention modelling competition details); 32 Modelling Coolum (B-B DH) in 7mm; 33 Cuban Bogie Cane Wagons; 34 Queensland Cane Locos in HO; 35 Modelling the Caledonian Collieries Rail Tractor; 36 Sugar Cane using Wire Armatures; 37 Steve Pettit's On30 Lomo Lomo Fijian Cane Tramway;
Peter
Oooh, that's a dangerous site to peruse ;)

I was skip reading and my eye caught the text NGG16 and strangely just two days ago I was messing with scales and track to get something large that would work as a flight of fantasy project (a Backwoods On30 brass kit is also a consideration) and came up with 7/8" scale or Sm32 :thumbs: I do plan a trip to the Welsh highland for a photo shoot on one of these monsters :cool:
 
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adrian

Flying Squad
I was skip reading and my eye caught the text NGG16 and strangely just two days ago I was messing with scales and track to get something large that would work as a flight of fantasy project (a Backwoods On30 brass kit is also a consideration) and came up with 7/8" scale or Sm32 :thumbs: I do plan a trip to the Welsh highland for a photo shoot on one of these monsters :cool:
I missed that - could you do the honours and provide the link please because I can't see it? We have visited the WHR on several occasions and it and the loco's are impressive.

Thanks
 

Peter

Western Thunderer
Hi Mickoo,
Do not overlook the Tasmanian Government Railways K1. If you are interesting in the original drawings, an index and sixty-nine drawings are available at http://www.naa.gov.au/
In the search box ( with the heading Explore: ) at the top right hand corner enter “Compound Tank”. If you use “Garratt” you will get other garratt locomotives.
The drawings are quite good resolution but require several clicks on the zoom icon.
Peter
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
I missed that - could you do the honours and provide the link please because I can't see it? We have visited the WHR on several occasions and it and the loco's are impressive.

Thanks
Adrian, I presume your talking about the NGG16 kit ? If so it's near the bottom of this page

http://www.backwoodsminiatures.com/0n3kits.htm

Backwoods usually do addons for other kits, and some of the logging big tank mallets they have are very appealing in a brutish sort of way, but this is one of their few complete kits they do, the price does include motors and wheels so at £390 is very good value for money I feel, it has been on my radar for several years now, just need to justify one....or more correctly stop trying to justify why I don't need one ;)

I'd prefer a larger one myself, even if scratch built from plasticard and such like and have been bouncing around SAR locos for a while as a sort of large scale freelance not uber detailed model.

Like Richard and I fully empathise, my S7 scratches that 'uber detail' itch and I'd like something to scratch my 'play time' itch.
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Hi Mickoo,
Do not overlook the Tasmanian Government Railways K1. If you are interesting in the original drawings, an index and sixty-nine drawings are available at http://www.naa.gov.au/
In the search box ( with the heading Explore: ) at the top right hand corner enter “Compound Tank”. If you use “Garratt” you will get other garratt locomotives.
The drawings are quite good resolution but require several clicks on the zoom icon.
Peter
Peter,

Thanks,

I'll keep it brief so as to not dilute Richards thread further LOL, the K1 strangly does not appeal to me, I prefer my locos to be more 'full fat coke' rather than diet coke, now the AD60 is another story, I'd love a DJH one and having see a kit in the flesh am finding it hard to not succumb, but like above would like it in a larger scale.

Thanks for the link, much appreciated, I'll look at the drawings as I like to see such things, hopefully the site may have some on other locos, aka the AD60!

I did just purchase a full set (160 odd if I recall correctly) of factory NGG16 drawings from the SAR steam site, as well as GO, GM, GMAM and previous 25NC (those all total over 300 drawings per loco), just too many pots at the moment, have to be careful some don't boil over and spoil ;)

In a vain attempt to get back on topic, it'd be nice to think that I might be able to run what ever 'big' engine I get at Richards as I don't have the space he does, providing it uses 32mm or 45mm track :thumbs:
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Peter,

Thanks,

I'll keep it brief so as to not dilute Richards thread further LOL

That's OK; I'm discovering whole new worlds:)

now the AD60 is another story, I'd love a DJH one and having see a kit in the flesh am finding it hard to not succumb, but like above would like it in a larger scale.

That is a magnificent model is it not. Imagine it in G1....or larger. I wonder whether a scale model could be bashed using LGB Chassis?

In a vain attempt to get back on topic, it'd be nice to think that I might be able to run what ever 'big' engine I get at Richards as I don't have the space he does, providing it uses 32mm or 45mm track

Exactly, which is why I want to make provision for a number of options.

I have realised that my garden railway will have 'time and place' to a certain extent in that my own interests put it very much in the South West in the early/mid 60s. My G1 stock (RTR and kit) is all either WR hydraulic or SR steam.

Incidentally, I found a video of a G1/G3 mixed gauge track. It looked surprisingly normal and unobtrusive....either that or I spent too long looking at the Brit:)

Richard
 

Dikitriki

Flying Squad
Hi,

Next on the agenda is the control system. For the electric stuff I have decided to go down the radio control route. I'm still toying with the idea of providing a track feed to the inside circuit, but most of my mates who have electric powered locos are veering towards R\C, so I might not bother. I don't know at the moment.

I know nothing about R\C, so I took myself off to the recent G1MRA event at Shepshed specifically to speak to Peter Spoerer. He was enormously helpful, answering all my newby questions, and I bought one of his kits, including sound, specifically for the Finescale Brass 4MT tank. That arrived a few days ago, and a few people have asked me what was provided in the R/C kit.

Battery Pack

P1010474a.jpg

Receiver, speed controller, wiring loom with charging socket, on/off switch and fuse, sound card and speaker, aerial and false coal.

P1010475a.jpg

P1010476a.jpg

Radio control handset.

P1010477a.jpg

In addition, there were foam wedges to secure the batteries in the boiler, self adhesive pads and clips, a sound control handset (missing actually, awaiting delivery) and a simple and well-illustrated installation guide specific to the locomotive.

The handset and receiver have been 'bound' together and the whole system has been set up, checked and tested before despatch and the batteries come fully charged. I'm impressed. I was very nervous of putting together disparate components I was unfamiliar with, but all the hard work has been done and the instructions are really very clear. I reckon about an hour or so to install.

Richard
 

mickoo

Western Thunderer
Hi,

Next on the agenda is the control system. For the electric stuff I have decided to go down the radio control route. I'm still toying with the idea of providing a track feed to the inside circuit, but most of my mates who have electric powered locos are veering towards R\C, so I might not bother. I don't know at the moment.

I know nothing about R\C, so I took myself off to the recent G1MRA event at Shepshed specifically to speak to Peter Spoerer. He was enormously helpful, answering all my newby questions, and I bought one of his kits, including sound, specifically for the Finescale Brass 4MT tank. That arrived a few days ago, and a few people have asked me what was provided in the R/C kit.

Battery Pack

View attachment 44045

Receiver, speed controller, wiring loom with charging socket, on/off switch and fuse, sound card and speaker, aerial and false coal.

View attachment 44046

View attachment 44047

Radio control handset.

View attachment 44049

In addition, there were foam wedges to secure the batteries in the boiler, self adhesive pads and clips, a sound control handset (missing actually, awaiting delivery) and a simple and well-illustrated installation guide specific to the locomotive.

The handset and receiver have been 'bound' together and the whole system has been set up, checked and tested before despatch and the batteries come fully charged. I'm impressed. I was very nervous of putting together disparate components I was unfamiliar with, but all the hard work has been done and the instructions are really very clear. I reckon about an hour or so to install.

Richard
Yes yes yes, all very good, but where are the pictures of the Finescale Brass 4MT tank.! ;):thumbs:

None of this is helping me concentrate on getting the A3 progressed :rolleyes: and then you show Utube clips of a Britannia to boot :eek:
 
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