Resurrecting a disused garden railway - the SCGR reborn

[Clive Tucker]

Thanks, I guess it's one of those things where time eventually catches up. Hey ho, I'll live!

I did consider building it on a raised platform at the start, but in the end I had to go for the ground level approach as the garden also had to be a safe space for our disabled son.

Once the cementing is done, the need for weeding should be a lot less, and therefore better in the long run. That's my story and I'm sticking to it!

 

[Clive Tucker]

By the way, apologies to ge_rik for appearing to ignore your earlier comment, yet another senior moment! Rest assured I shall soon be raiding your most excellent blog for ballast recipes and ideas

 

[Paul M]

Very interesting thread. Glad you've rediscovered your hobby and getting on at a cracking pace. With your bad knees, I assume you're being sensible and have acquired a nice thick kneeling pad?

 

[Clive Tucker]

Thanks Paul. I do have the use of 2 kneeling pads, however they didn't save my knees on this occasion. I think it was caused by twisting sideways from a haunched position which messed up the ligaments at the sides of my knees. Definitely not a high pitched 'click' one associates with a kneecap, but a much lower pitched (and a damned sight more painful) 'clunk'. Ouch!

 

[ge_rik]

By the way, apologies to ge_rik for appearing to ignore your earlier comment, yet another senior moment! Rest assured I shall soon be raiding your most excellent blog for ballast recipes and ideas

No worries, Clive. I was too interested in your progress (and ailments) to notice. That knee-lock sounds nasty. Feeling delicate myself after the chair I was standing on collapsed while I was hedge cutting and I bashed my ribs as I fell on another chair.

Re ballasting. Just discovered horticultural potting grit mixed with cement, applied as a dry mix and watered in - no need for additional PVA, it binds really well. I went back to the garden centre yesterday for another bag of grit and they've changed their supplier. The best stuff is made by Meadow View.


Rik

BTW Just discovered they have a stockist locator. Just start typing in your local town (it doesn't like postcodes) - https://www.meadowviewstone.co.uk/stockist-locator/

 

[Clive Tucker]

Thanks Rik, most useful. I see that there are a couple of stockists within 30 minutes drive from me, so likely I shall make some enquiries next week. What proportion of grit to cement do you suggest?

Best wishes for a speedy recovery from your own trials and tribulations - I am no fan of hedge trimming either, being compelled to do so at least twice a year!

 

[ge_rik]

Thanks Rik, most useful. I see that there are a couple of stockists within 30 minutes drive from me, so likely I shall make some enquiries next week. What proportion of grit to cement do you suggest?

Best wishes for a speedy recovery from your own trials and tribulations - I am no fan of hedge trimming either, being compelled to do so at least twice a year!

Hi Clive
Initially, I did 50/50, but the last time I did some ballasting, I ran short of cement and so ended up doing 3:1 (grit to cement) and it seems to be just as strong as the 1:1 mix - of course, time will tell if it lasts just as long but it seems pretty secure. A couple of photos:-

This is the 1:1 mix

.... and here's the bit I did 3:1 - not as neat because I was in a hurry and didn't prepare the ground quite so well (I'd got three railway modelling visitors from Manchester coming that morning and so did a rush-job before they turned up - I was up at 6.00am getting ready....!!). I'm sure you'll do a much neater job.

Rik

 

[Clive Tucker]

Nice looking ballasting in both cases, thanks Rik. Another daft question if I may - I notice you have point switches in place, do you use those? I imagine one must retain track power if one wished to do so?

 

[ge_rik]

Nice looking ballasting in both cases, thanks Rik. Another daft question if I may - I notice you have point switches in place, do you use those? I imagine one must retain track power if one wished to do so?

It's a long story - here's the abridged version.

1. I started off with DC track power and so wired the track and point motors in to a central control panel (as per my experience of 00 indoor layouts)
2. I then converted to DCC but used the existing wiring for the points - putting the decoders for the points in the central control panel
3. I then went to Radio Control - and now use the same control panel but with a radio receiver (Deltang) and a clever bit of gadgetry (to which I owe gregh on here a debt of thanks) to control the point motors from the same central location.

Of course, if I was installing remote switching of points from scratch I would now use servos - but the wiring was in place already so it seemed the most logical way.

The more detailed explanation here - http://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2015/08/how-i-operate-some-of-my-points-by.html

Rik

 

[wandgrudd]

Clive if I remember correctly you had a bit of HO/OO track down at the factory area hows that lasted?

 

[Clive Tucker]

You do indeed remember very correctly sir! I will post a couple of pics later, but for now I can tell you that the track itself has fared better than pretty much everything else in that siding. I'm sure the rails being Peco nickel silver had much to do with it, although I have long since abandoned the idea of making the track operational.

 

[PhilP]

You do indeed remember very correctly sir! I will post a couple of pics later, but for now I can tell you that the track itself has fared better than pretty much everything else in that siding. I'm sure the rails being Peco nickel silver had much to do with it, although I have long since abandoned the idea of making the track operational.

Now you know you want a challenge, once the large-track is working!

 

[Clive Tucker]

Now you know you want a challenge, once the large-track is working!

Lol, I think I've challenges enough right now Phil! Cementing, standing up again afterwards....

As promised, here's how that area looks as of this evening:

And of course the obligatory moody ground-level shot:

 

[Clive Tucker]

In case you were wondering, the resident loco is safely tucked away in a display cabinet - for giggles, I recently made it a small diorama to sit on:

The loco is a 'Hornet' resin kit from Black Dog Mining Co, which includes the driver (although I put a Preisser head on him)

 

[Sarah Winfield]

I do so enjoy watching the progress of your railway.

Please keep up the photography and description of its development.

Sarah Winfield

 

[PhilP]

In case you were wondering, the resident loco is safely tucked away in a display cabinet - for giggles, I recently made it a small diorama to sit on:

The loco is a 'Hornet' resin kit from Black Dog Mining Co, which includes the driver (although I put a Preisser head on him)

Hi Clive,
Of course, you can even put batteries (and R/C!) in something this size..

 

[PhilP]

But doesn't OO track look teeny-tiny next to that G scale stuff in the overhead shot?

The 'moody' shot is very good.. Even the remaining plant-life is 'right' for a derelict industrial site..
Watch out for the speculators.. It will be all Yuppies, and glass verandah's before you know it!

 

[JimmyB]

Hi Clive,
Of course, you can even put batteries (and R/C!) in something this size..

Phil, if I didn't know better, but reading a number of your posts it would seem you are trying to sell the forum R/C battery operated systems

 

[PhilP]

Just another option for Clive..
Especially looking at the condition of that OO track!

(Other motive power options are available..)

 

[ge_rik]

Phil, if I didn't know better, but reading a number of your posts it would seem you are trying to sell the forum R/C battery operated systems

As if .........

Rik