I knew i would finish it one day !

[G SCALE JASON]

After far too many years i have finally got trains running again !

I am so glad we didn't go ahead with selling my dads garden railway after he passed years ago as the urge to see trains running again got to a point where i decided to build a new railway.
This is just a short video from the very first test run after several days track laying, i forgot how physical garden railways can be, as i sat back with a well earned cup of tea and just watched this little train roll by for hours !

 

[DickyC]

delightful, and lovely landscaping...you cant be using many R1 !

 

[G SCALE JASON]

The railway is using a combination of R3 and R5 curves, as for the landscaping i had to be a bit selective where i placed the camera as there is a fair bit of work to do on that front !

 

[railwayman198]

Good to see that you have a working railway again Jason. Looks very nice indeed.

 

[G SCALE JASON]

Felt great to see a train running again and I had forgotten just how relaxing this hobby is, well once you have cleared the ground and laid the track that is.

 

[Paul M]

Felt great to see a train running again and I had forgotten just how relaxing this hobby is, well once you have cleared the ground and laid the track that is.

But isn't that half the fun? Blazing a line through virgin territory

 

[G SCALE JASON]

Did enjoy getting stuck in to some track laying, now I just need to sort out the electrics so they are more permanent.

I can’t for the life of my figure out how my dad got power down to the railway as he laid many cables under the patio from the garage but nothing seems to match form one end to the other ! So just going to start again and got some new cabling on order.

 

[Paul M]

Did enjoy getting stuck in to some track laying, now I just need to sort out the electrics so they are more permanent.

I can’t for the life of my figure out how my dad got power down to the railway as he laid many cables under the patio from the garage but nothing seems to match form one end to the other ! So just going to start again and got some new cabling on order.

Yep that sounds the best plan, rip out all the old wiring and renew. And keep notes and/or diagrams to show what you've done.
There's nothing worse than digging and finding odd wires which no-one knows anything about!

 

[G SCALE JASON]

I have found there is wiring for a plug socket, a light, lighting circuit for his model buildings and then a feed for the track itself going from the garage under a patio, around a pond and ending up in various points around the original railway.

But trying to either trace any of it from one end to the other has so far been more time consuming than laying new.

The cable to the power socket was my biggest worry but after checking it out it’s completely dead at the garden end but I can’t work out where it might originate from so that’s a project for later date I think.

I have got plenty of new cable and conduit along with some new track connectors ready for my next day of work on the railway as I think that’s going to better as I will know just where I stand electrics wise.

 

[Paul M]

I have found there is wiring for a plug socket, a light, lighting circuit for his model buildings and then a feed for the track itself going from the garage under a patio, around a pond and ending up in various points around the original railway.

But trying to either trace any of it from one end to the other has so far been more time consuming than laying new.

The cable to the power socket was my biggest worry but after checking it out it’s completely dead at the garden end but I can’t work out where it might originate from so that’s a project for later date I think.

I have got plenty of new cable and conduit along with some new track connectors ready for my next day of work on the railway as I think that’s going to better as I will know just where I stand electrics wise.

Just be careful, the wiring to the dead socket may still be live elsewhere

 

[G SCALE JASON]

I am sure there must be a switch somewhere that powers that socket, and before I get to involved I am going to have one last look in some less obvious places in the garage.

To start with I am only going to run a new cable to power the track and I will try and pick a route not previously used for other wiring, hopefully!

If you see a news report about a big bang coming from a garden in the Reading area you know it didn’t go well !

 

[mike]

Great to see you enjoying the trains

 

[Paul M]

big bang coming

So that's where a certain Mr Hawkins got his inspiration from!

 

[G SCALE JASON]

Cheers Mike, i had fallen out of love with the hobby for a while but i am so glad i didn't just sell up and move on after my dad as i soon found that happy place just watching trains roll by and allowed my mind to wander with ideas for future improvements.

I am now going to go through his stock and track and see what i want to keep and what i want to move on and build up a little pot for future expansion or to just blow it all on one of those LGB Crocodile engines i always wanted but never seemed to have the opportunity to pick up.

Nice one Paul, trouble is if it does all go wrong it wont be my first big bang !

 

[ge_rik]

Great to see another garden railway emerging. Best of luck sorting out the wiring!

Rik

 

[Chris Vernell]

Only one thing awry here: The thread title.
No railway is ever finished.
Unless your name is Beeching. And sometimes not even then.

 

[Jasper]

as for the landscaping i had to be a bit selective where i placed the camera

I really like how you chose some interesting and unusual camera angles. Well done!

 

[Paul M]

Only one thing awry here: The thread title.
No railway is ever finished.
Unless your name is Beeching. And sometimes not even then.

Yeah, bit that's the fun of it all, thinking you're nearly finished......

 

[Madman]

Cheers Mike, i had fallen out of love with the hobby for a while but i am so glad i didn't just sell up and move on after my dad as i soon found that happy place just watching trains roll by and allowed my mind to wander with ideas for future improvements.

I am now going to go through his stock and track and see what i want to keep and what i want to move on and build up a little pot for future expansion or to just blow it all on one of those LGB Crocodile engines i always wanted but never seemed to have the opportunity to pick up.

Nice one Paul, trouble is if it does all go wrong it wont be my first big bang !

There are times when the interest and creative juices fail us. Like you said, the thought of selling off one's trains enters our mind. But, as I learned a long time ago, it is better to walk away from something for a time. Then when one returns to that project, there are always fresh ideas.

 

[G SCALE JASON]

Thanks guys and to set the record straight you are right about it never being finished as I have already spotted a future project

The funny thing is life pulls us away from our hobbies just when we should be using them the most to help us relax and unwind so we can cope with what life challenges us with !

I did enjoy playing playing around with the camera location when filming to try and show the railway at its best even at such an early stage.

I have moved on with the electrics and after finding and isolating the power to the socket and light I have now starting moving the railway stock and controllers from the garage to the little side building and running new cabling to the track so I know just what’s what going forward.

As I plan on sliming down the amount of stock I wish to keep going forward I will need a lot less room to store it all and the much smaller side building will be a lot more suitable.