Peter Michalak
Registered
G'day everyone,
My name is Peter, and I'm new to the G scale scene - as I'm primarily a HO scale modeller, living in Adelaide, South Australia.
About 5 years ago, I started building a 'temporary garden railway' (at least that's what I told my wife), based around a Christmas plastic toy train set. This lasted a summer in the garden, however the UV quickly damaged the track. I asked around at my local model railway club, and purchased a bulk-lot of second hand G scale LGB track from a club member. This coincided with a re-build of the garden it was in, so in went the track (a smallish loop around the pond), and I've spent the last few years off-and-on tweaking the track work to get it right.
Recently significant earthworks were undertaken to replace the horrible half-pine log retaining walls with moss rocks to give the 'back cutting' more strength and to stop the hillside falling into the cutting. This has been a massive success, and has spurred further development.
As the Garden matured, it became evident I could request trackage rights over the rest of the garden from the minister for war and finance. Planning Approval has been given, and I intend to start planning the next extension to the line over winter this year, with the hope to have the new line available by next summer (2016/17).
Rollingstock is a mixture of second hand LGB (with one small diesel, two starter set passenger cars and a mail van), Newquida (RC German outline tank engine, a couple of fuel tankers and a box car) and a Bachmann Porter. I also have a 45mm gauge Mamod Live Steam engine, and a rake of brand new LGB "Light Railway" freight wagons for it to haul.
How it all started - 5 years ago, the Redwood Tramway as a battery powered toy train.
A photo from Winter 2015 after an unusual hailstorm hit, making it look like it snowed (it NEVER snows here!)
The garden has now matured, and is seen here last weekend, lit up in the evening, with the 'standard' passenger train making its way around the line.
My name is Peter, and I'm new to the G scale scene - as I'm primarily a HO scale modeller, living in Adelaide, South Australia.
About 5 years ago, I started building a 'temporary garden railway' (at least that's what I told my wife), based around a Christmas plastic toy train set. This lasted a summer in the garden, however the UV quickly damaged the track. I asked around at my local model railway club, and purchased a bulk-lot of second hand G scale LGB track from a club member. This coincided with a re-build of the garden it was in, so in went the track (a smallish loop around the pond), and I've spent the last few years off-and-on tweaking the track work to get it right.
Recently significant earthworks were undertaken to replace the horrible half-pine log retaining walls with moss rocks to give the 'back cutting' more strength and to stop the hillside falling into the cutting. This has been a massive success, and has spurred further development.
As the Garden matured, it became evident I could request trackage rights over the rest of the garden from the minister for war and finance. Planning Approval has been given, and I intend to start planning the next extension to the line over winter this year, with the hope to have the new line available by next summer (2016/17).
Rollingstock is a mixture of second hand LGB (with one small diesel, two starter set passenger cars and a mail van), Newquida (RC German outline tank engine, a couple of fuel tankers and a box car) and a Bachmann Porter. I also have a 45mm gauge Mamod Live Steam engine, and a rake of brand new LGB "Light Railway" freight wagons for it to haul.
How it all started - 5 years ago, the Redwood Tramway as a battery powered toy train.
A photo from Winter 2015 after an unusual hailstorm hit, making it look like it snowed (it NEVER snows here!)
The garden has now matured, and is seen here last weekend, lit up in the evening, with the 'standard' passenger train making its way around the line.
