New beginnings

[Jasper]

My old tram layout has been neglected for years, while I was busy with all kinds of other stuff. The time has come to start again from scratch. The building and goings-on of the new layout will be documented in this thread. Feel free to share your thoughts and suggestions.

Here's what I've done in the past few days:


Ready to string the overhead wires! Whether this will be live, I'll decide later.

 

[Jasper]

The two big lanterns are actually candle holders. I think they'll create a nice effect one summer evening.

 

[Jasper]

I don't have a track plan. My intention is to get this little stretch of track to work, then gradually add more track as the rest of the garden permits. (I have no real plan for the rest of the garden either.)

In the long run, I want to learn elementary masonry, and gradually replace these wooden structures with brick walls. But plans have a way of changing, so who knows.

 

[Paul M]

The seems to be a worryingly narrow board, be careful of derails

 

[dunnyrail]

One can spend an age or sometimes forever planning getting all the details right to the last inch or degree and end up having spent lots of time doing in effect nothing and getting nothing done.

I am a great believer for scribbles in the back of an old envelope or A4 paper or as here in my sketch book.. Always worthwhile to get some clarification where one wants to be, just look at this plan for a loft railway I built and Station Building I am doing now.. Just a rough sketch but it focused me in where I am heading, always worthwhile. Note this sketch book has many of my daft, built ot completely ignored projects.

 

[Jasper]

The seems to be a worryingly narrow board, be careful of derails

That's a good point. I was always going to maintain slow speed, that'll help some.

Edit: I just remember that I once strung a metal wire along a high track. I may do something similar here.

 

[Jasper]

One can spend an age or sometimes forever planning getting all the details right to the last inch or degree and end up having spent lots of time doing in effect nothing and getting nothing done.

This remark hits close to home for me. I have always had a problem with making things work, and the railway hobby is no exception.

When I started building, back in 1991, I built several cars and started on a loco, but built no layout although I did have the space for one. Then I got discouraged, and stopped modelling altogether. (I did start a family, and that's the usual valid excuse, but it doesn't explain everything.)
Several more false starts followed over the decades. The last one was five or so years ago, this is as far as I got:



An actual layout of the most basic sort, basically just an oval. I never gave it electric power, and then I began pursuing other interests and Mother Nature took over my little tramway:



This time around, I want to break the spell. I want to get to a situation of "a working layout" and take it from there. As I'm typing these words I realise I have built this first stretch of track in full view of the living room, so it will remind me every day that it is actually happening! That's how I intend to break the spell and reach my goal of a garden tramway. I have the whole garden at my disposal, I have rolling stock and know how to build more, I have a good workshop now, and I have the time. I think I can do it!

 

[PhilP]

I think the problem for a lot of us, is making the time to do it?

We have an idea, and possibly start something, but life has a habit of getting in the way.
The major problem with building a railway, is that once you get far enough to run 'something'.. The work-rate tends to slow, as you 'need' to keep checking the bit you have built still works.

But there is nothing wrong with throwing some track down on the patio/lawn/garage-floor, and just losing yourself in the moment.

PhilP

 

[David1226]

This remark hits close to home for me. I have always had a problem with making things work, and the railway hobby is no exception.

When I started building, back in 1991, I built several cars and started on a loco, but built no layout although I did have the space for one. Then I got discouraged, and stopped modelling altogether. (Starting a family is the usual valid excuse, but it doesn't explain everything.)
Several more false starts followed over the decades. The last one was five or so years ago, this is as far as I got:

View attachment 324175

An actual layout of the most basic sort, an oval with a short branch. I never gave it electric power, and then I began pursuing other interests and Mother Nature took over the little tramway.

View attachment 324176

This time around, I want to break the spell. I want to get to a situation of "a working layout" and take it from there. As I'm typing these words I realise I have built this first stretch of track in full view of the living room, so it will remind me every day that it is actually happening! That's how I intend to break the spell and reach my goal of a garden tramway. I have the whole garden at my disposal, I have rolling stock and know how to build more, I have a good workshop now, and I have the time. I think I can do it!

Don't be discouraged. I have been modelling in G Scale for more than 25 Years and I still don't have a track to run any of my stock on, although, this could be the year (I've been saying that for the past 25 years).

David

 

[Paul M]

Start small and grow, like all things.

 

[dunnyrail]

This remark hits close to home for me. I have always had a problem with making things work, and the railway hobby is no exception.

When I started building, back in 1991, I built several cars and started on a loco, but built no layout although I did have the space for one. Then I got discouraged, and stopped modelling altogether. (I did start a family, and that's the usual valid excuse, but it doesn't explain everything.)
Several more false starts followed over the decades. The last one was five or so years ago, this is as far as I got:

View attachment 324175

An actual layout of the most basic sort, basically just an oval. I never gave it electric power, and then I began pursuing other interests and Mother Nature took over my little tramway:

View attachment 324176

This time around, I want to break the spell. I want to get to a situation of "a working layout" and take it from there. As I'm typing these words I realise I have built this first stretch of track in full view of the living room, so it will remind me every day that it is actually happening! That's how I intend to break the spell and reach my goal of a garden tramway. I have the whole garden at my disposal, I have rolling stock and know how to build more, I have a good workshop now, and I have the time. I think I can do it!

Good luck with your efforts however you achieve them, as start and build on that as P Paul M says will get you there. Plus keep posting pictures, you will get all the encouragement and help you need from us.

 

[Jasper]

Y'all know how, whenever good transportation is announced somewhere, folks will want to live there?

Well, it's already happening, they're arriving in droves:

 

[playmofire]

Y'all know how, whenever good transportation is announced somewhere, folks will want to live there?

Well, it's already happening, they're arriving in droves:

View attachment 324215View attachment 324216

Ah, great, another Playmobil user!

 

[Paul M]

Could be a good Dr Who story there

Y'all know how, whenever good transportation is announced somewhere, folks will want to live there?

Well, it's already happening, they're arriving in droves:

View attachment 324215View attachment 324216

 

[Jasper]

Here's a piece I retrieved from the old layout. The long bits of metal wire were one way of stopping a derailed car from falling.





There's also this bridge I built from polystyrene. It still needs to be painted, because white isn't a credible colour for it.

But I don't like painting. Why can't Evergreen just sell their product in green, orange, and brown? (Just kidding.)

 

[playmofire]

That bridge looks a nice piece of work, although, maybe, a bit of lateral bracing somewhere. As for painting, red or grey primer would do.

 

[Jasper]

The bridge stood unused on the old layout for several years, so a plant destroyed the lateral bracing.

 

[playmofire]

The bridge stood unused on the old layout for several years, so a plant destroyed the lateral bracing.

Maybe a route here for recycling, plastic destroting/eating plants.

 

[Jasper]

Six metres of track, in a "C" shape.
Not perfectly level, but close.
There's room for some kind of trackside scene on the right hand side, suggestions are appreciated.


Next up are three things, and they can be done in different orders. They are:
- Closing the circle;
- Connecting the rails to electricity;
- Putting up overhead.
In principle I'd like to close the circle first, because I'm looking forward to when I can put the power on and watch a tram go "round and round". To do that, I need to move the footpath and that involves pruning a large plant. It does need pruning, but it's just beginning to bloom now, so I'd like to postpone pruning until after that.

I'm still thinking about it.

 

[Jasper]

I made up my mind and pruned the plant. By the way, it's a Forsythia.

Soon the semi-circle will be a circle.