My fledgling railroad
- Thread starter 5H17
- Start date
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
Time for an update.... SWMBO has granted planning permission for a second shed at the bottom of the garden (for 'shed' read 'man cave'). The current shed will remain to keep all the tools and gardening kit in (we don't have a garage) and the new shed will be for the trains. On the downside she's now decided that she wants a border full of plants down the side of the garden where the railway used to go, so a redesign is required. It's probably for the best to be honest, because the side that the railway will now run down has always been a bit neglected and left to its own devices. So.... The new track plan, or at least the one I intend to build.
As you look at it, the house is the on the left. The three roads in the middle of the one loop are a terminal station. Comments on the proposed track plan more than welcome.
As you look at it, the house is the on the left. The three roads in the middle of the one loop are a terminal station. Comments on the proposed track plan more than welcome.
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spoz
What do I do? What I'm told by SWMBO
Not an issue if he's battery, which I think he is.
A concern would be the over and under near the station; from my experience you need about 8 inches clearance rail head to rail head allowing for only about 1/2 inch of "bridge" material; and at a slope of 1:30 which I find is generally manageable, that requires a slope length of at least 20 feet. There's no scale shown but if the whole line runs alongside the house then I'm not sure there would be 20 feet available. Even at 1:20 (which I think is a bit steep) you'd need 14 feet or so. Of course, that can be divided in two if both lines have the same slope; but that might look a little strange.
A concern would be the over and under near the station; from my experience you need about 8 inches clearance rail head to rail head allowing for only about 1/2 inch of "bridge" material; and at a slope of 1:30 which I find is generally manageable, that requires a slope length of at least 20 feet. There's no scale shown but if the whole line runs alongside the house then I'm not sure there would be 20 feet available. Even at 1:20 (which I think is a bit steep) you'd need 14 feet or so. Of course, that can be divided in two if both lines have the same slope; but that might look a little strange.
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
Should have said... Yes I use battery power so there is no track power to worry about.
The gradients did cross my mind, and I was going to see how it all sat when I have the area cleared. There is no real reason for having the gradients in all honesty... It was just to add a bit of interest.
There is a slight fall on the garden anyway so that will help, and the one thing I do have is space. From shed front to house is about 60 feet, so a 20 feet incline should be perfectly do-able with a bit of jiggery pokery.
The gradients did cross my mind, and I was going to see how it all sat when I have the area cleared. There is no real reason for having the gradients in all honesty... It was just to add a bit of interest.
There is a slight fall on the garden anyway so that will help, and the one thing I do have is space. From shed front to house is about 60 feet, so a 20 feet incline should be perfectly do-able with a bit of jiggery pokery.
Zerogee
Clencher's Bogleman
I think most people would advise avoiding gradients wherever possible - what might seem "interesting" on paper will most likely be a pain in the a*se in actual operation.......
Visiting a local GSS member's open day this year I took my Piko BR24 and the rake of four 6-wheel rekowagen coaches (which are pretty heavy, admittedly) - none of the gradients on his line were anything excessive, in fact they were gentle enough to be barely noticeable to the eye - but with the full rake of four she just couldn't make it, I had to take a coach off to get her round the circuit.
Jon.
Visiting a local GSS member's open day this year I took my Piko BR24 and the rake of four 6-wheel rekowagen coaches (which are pretty heavy, admittedly) - none of the gradients on his line were anything excessive, in fact they were gentle enough to be barely noticeable to the eye - but with the full rake of four she just couldn't make it, I had to take a coach off to get her round the circuit.
Jon.
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
That's worth consideration. I had previously thought the gradients would be fairly shallow with the space allowed, but on measuring it they will need to be rather harsher than I had hoped.
It has also been playing on my mind as to whether I should build it on the floor or raised. It's loose laid on the floor at the moment, but the older I get the less I like it. Might be worth biting the bullet now, and going for a raised setup. I'm not far enough into it yet that it would involved any major demolition work.
5H17
Railways and Diesel preservation, American cars
