Back to the Garden... Old Garden Railwayer, New GSC Member

[Clive Tucker]

Evening all, Clive here from Portsmouth, UK. I've had a garden railway since about 2003, but rather fell out of love with it from about 2010. Having recently stopped working I am at last finding enough time to resurrect it all - the constant and very vocal encouragement from 2 young grandchildren has also been a fairly strong incentive!

At the same time as clearing overgrown vegetation and laying a more stable base, I am also giving some thought to replacing the track power with battery power and some kind of digital RC. So I am particularly interested in learning from those who have done similar things recently.

Hopefully I can contribute something along the way.

Thanks,

Clive

 

[Zerogee]

Welcome to GSC Clive, and good luck with resurrecting your line - you'll get lots of encouragement and inspiration on here!

If by "digital RC" you mean wireless control of DCC locos, then I've done that, and may be able to help - or if you just mean more conventional radio control then there are several folks here with plenty of experience of different systems.....

Jon.

 

[royale]

Welcome aboard, Clive and good luck with your railway.

 

[Paul M]

Welcome, there are numerous RC, DCC etc experts on this site, and there knowledge is usually kindly given!

 

[railwayman198]

Welcome Clive. I believe I remember you from your contribution to the old G Scale Mad forum? I too find that my enthusiasm ebbs and flows, not just for the railway but also for what I want to run. A couple of years ago I was hardly using track power to the point where I was considering getting rid of it. This was partly because all the others in our small local group ran only live steam and battery. Just recently I have been running primarily track power - sometimes all the bells and whistles that DCC has to offer is just too tempting - and it turns out that a gentleman who lives just down the road from me makes very impressive track powered G scale locomotives which he sometimes runs on my line. Battery is fine, though keeping everything charged is a bit of a PITA; live steam is fine though you can't just put something on the track and run it at a moments notice and leave it unattended; track power is fine (and probably the cheapest option) but comes with the chore of keeping the track clean. You pays your money and makes your choice - or run all three, which is what I do.

 

[PhilP]

Welcome to GSC Clive..

Would be nice to see some 'progress' pictures.. - Even before and after..
I have jungle clearance here before I can even start!

 

[muns]

Hey Clive.

Welcome to this mad house.

If you have ever visited the GSS Solent Wickham show, for many occasions (but not the last show as I forgot to invite him), Clive has been the one demonstrating how to disfigure little people.

 

[Clive Tucker]

Many thanks for the warm welcome, much appreciated. Yes, I recognise a couple of names from 'back in the day', and I have to confess that, yes, I am indeed the Phantom Figure Mangler of Old Wickham Town!

I guess I am very much in sponge mode at the moment, as it seems the technology for controlling model trains has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years. One thing I am keen to move away from at the moment though is track power - cleaning the track and making good all the many and often inaccessible dry joints prior to getting anything to run was one of the principal reasons for my losing interest in it all. I don't think I will actually go as far as ditching all the kit; really I just need to be able to run a train at the behest of my grand-children when they swing by. As long as the battery outlasts their attention span, then I think I shall be on a winner! It may be that I just build up my understanding gradually, e.g. start with a simple battery with a charging socket and a switch to change direction, and a battery pack of sufficient clout to move an LGB motor. Then start to look at control options - I've heard and read good things about Deltang, but I dare say there are other options out there.

I will see how the land lies in terms of setting up a thread for the chronicling of my attempts at resurrecting my line, and maybe share my pain with you all!

 

[David1226]

Hi Clive

I thought I recognised your name from the old G Scale Mad days, if memory serves me correctly, your railway was Freelance British outline with your rolling stock being mainly kit bashed or scratch built, which has always been my own interest. Don't let the flag against my name fool you, only in the US visiting the Grandchildren, home to Blighty soon.

David

 

[Clive Tucker]

Hi David, good to hear from you. I guess my railway is (or was) 'sort of freelance with a British accent, but operating with whatever stock it could appropriate' - but certainly with a kit bash here and there, and some heavy weathering where the circumstances allowed. I recall I had the pleasure of meeting you in person at the Wickham show a couple of years back?

 

[dunnyrail]

Many thanks for the warm welcome, much appreciated. Yes, I recognise a couple of names from 'back in the day', and I have to confess that, yes, I am indeed the Phantom Figure Mangler of Old Wickham Town!

I guess I am very much in sponge mode at the moment, as it seems the technology for controlling model trains has come on in leaps and bounds over the last few years. One thing I am keen to move away from at the moment though is track power - cleaning the track and making good all the many and often inaccessible dry joints prior to getting anything to run was one of the principal reasons for my losing interest in it all. I don't think I will actually go as far as ditching all the kit; really I just need to be able to run a train at the behest of my grand-children when they swing by. As long as the battery outlasts their attention span, then I think I shall be on a winner! It may be that I just build up my understanding gradually, e.g. start with a simple battery with a charging socket and a switch to change direction, and a battery pack of sufficient clout to move an LGB motor. Then start to look at control options - I've heard and read good things about Deltang, but I dare say there are other options out there.

I will see how the land lies in terms of setting up a thread for the chronicling of my attempts at resurrecting my line, and maybe share my pain with you all!

If you are going to go all battery look at the varying threads describing Battery Conversions. Lots of choice available now. I am in the middle of a long changeover, having done my annual first Track Clean to be followed by many more during the summer I feel the need to accelerate my progress on conversions. Oh and having to get Live Frog Micro switches going again sometime folllowed by a replacement or two.

 

[alanwhyte]

Welcome Clive. I believe I remember you from your contribution to the old G Scale Mad forum? I too find that my enthusiasm ebbs and flows, not just for the railway but also for what I want to run. A couple of years ago I was hardly using track power to the point where I was considering getting rid of it. This was partly because all the others in our small local group ran only live steam and battery. Just recently I have been running primarily track power - sometimes all the bells and whistles that DCC has to offer is just too tempting - and it turns out that a gentleman who lives just down the road from me makes very impressive track powered G scale locomotives which he sometimes runs on my line. Battery is fine, though keeping everything charged is a bit of a PITA; live steam is fine though you can't just put something on the track and run it at a moments notice and leave it unattended; track power is fine (and probably the cheapest option) but comes with the chore of keeping the track clean. You pays your money and makes your choice - or run all three, which is what I do.

 

[alanwhyte]

This could be my letter, i ask myself all the same questions . I have from oo gauge up to g scale,
and most gauges in between,
Done track power , battery R/C ,D C C, live steam ,sitting here now wondering where to get interest
back in g scale, i need pushing in that direction, only encouragement i get is from the good people on here.

 

[a98087]

I’m in Salisbury and run battery power, if you fancy a meet up for a chat send me a private message

I use 2.4 ghz rc and the method devised by Greg from the sandstone and termite railway

As seen here

http://www.members.optusnet.com.au/satr/2point4GHz.htm

Dan

 

[Clive Tucker]

Thanks, all, for your replies, most kind. a98087 Thanks Dan I will certainly bear your kind offer in mind, I just need things to settle down domestically to allow me the time to do a bit more research.

 

[Dtsteam]

Nice to hear from you again Clive. We are in the middle of moving house so I'm taking a forced break for 2018 and the trains are packed away. It will be good to read how you get going again.

David