RTM tramways

Henri

Henri

refuses to grow up
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Unfortunately due to garden renovation, I had to start over! Click here if you want to jump to the new RTM tramways!

Why not start my own thread which will show the creation of my garden railway? The idea is to have a 'feldbahn' inspired layout with some additional local trams for passenger transportation. All will be heavily inspired by the RTM (Rotterdamse Tramweg Maatschappij) which in the 19th and 20th century allowed public transportation in my area of the Netherlands. Also they did goods transportation mostly for the local farmers. (sugar beet).
And the 'feldbahn' will be inspired by woodworks, transporting logs. I think...

This is the track layout that will fit the available area nicely:

Screen Shot 2016-05-26 at 11.59.05.png

And here I've marked the minimal 'required' area...

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I want to have the train run behind and in front of the buxus row. The 'box' created by bricks will be filled with sand so it is level with the buxus box. At the left you can see a 'hole' in the buxus already, created by our rabbits so they have easy entry and exit. There the tracks will get behind the buxus.

A couple of streets from where I live the houses get renovated and you won't believe what is thrown away! I asked the contractor if I could snatch some useful stuff...

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How's that for a foundation for the tracks?!?!

I want the tracks to be imbedded in the 'surroundings' using gravel or whatever and hopefully have some plants that will overgrow the tracks. And which won't hurt the rabbits (yes we have real rabbits running around in our garden).

So far, so good! All suggestions are appreciated. Don't know if I do anything with them, but I will certainly think them over!
 
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An interesting project with an interesting loco. Look forward to seeing more as it develops.

One question, however. Are you using electrically operated points? And will the rabbits be tempted to chew the wiring? (Well, two questions actually, but interlinked.)
 
Nice one Henri - in Britian the common name for buxus sempervirens is 'Box' - that gives you a bit of a problem with your box box :devil::devil:
 
Very nice selection of items there, for the small diesel have you opened her up and looked inside? I'm led to believe that the front and rear axles are the same, so you could just swap them over?

Obviously if someone else has already done it, then your a bit stuck

Dan
 
Ground breaking has started behind the buxus (box!).

Gravel removed and anti-root fabric has been removed. Don't understand the anti-root, as the fabric was filled with roots...

Space is limited and due to the roots working there is cramped. I have rethought my plans and I will add planks parallel to the track, at track level, placed on their sides. Then I will dig a small trench and move the 'dirt' to the buxus side and fill the trench with sharp sand and the bricks I already got.

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Here you see my work inspector, Pebbles...

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Shouldn't your Work Inspector be wearing a hard hat and hi-viz jacket while in the construction zone...? ;)

A great start made, I think your ides of lining a trench with planks is a good one - the wood will rot eventually of course, but as they are not a structural part of the trackbed (I'm assuming that will be the bricks?) it shouldn't matter for many years - and they won't be seen.
As I commented earlier in another of your threads, I think that "hiding" the long back straight of the layout behind the Buxus will look really effective, as it will break up the continuous loop nature of the layout just like a backscene on an indoor one!

Jon.
 
Looks good to me! I think you'll need to tamp down the soil, and the sand, really firmly to make sure that the bricks (and thus the track) don't sink down over time.

Is the track going to sit directly on the bricks, or are you going to put in a layer of fine chippings as ballast and then let the track "float" in it?

Jon.
 
Possibly ballast in front of the Box (where it can be seen), and leave the track behind 'bare' for now.. Not sure if your Work Inspector will leave the ballast alone??
 
I think I would spread a thin layer (maybe just a centimetre or so) of small chippings (3-5mm granite or white limestone, something sharp so that it knits together) on top of the bricks, it will lock together around the sleepers and yet still allow the track a little bit of freedom of movement for expansion and contraction.
But then again, this is only theory and ideas I've picked up, after fifteen years of collecting I've not even got my own permanent track down yet, so my suggestions are worth exactly what you paid for them.... ;)
I envy the fact that so soon after getting into the hobby, you're already well on the way to getting a really nice layout built! :rofl:

Jon.
 
Certainly I will use ballast in front of the box!

There are two Work Inspectors actually... Hope they will not be too interested in my works. But they haven't damaged much yet in the two years we have them. Only can't stay away from plants they like. And they do an excellent job removing grass between the patio bricks!
 
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