Wettington and Mahawatu Railway

[JRinTawa]

On Sunday 14th October the Wellington Garden Railway Group held it's monthly running afternoon at Rob England new railway, the Wettington and Mahawatu Railway. It's still in the early stages but it is already and exciting railway to drive trains on. This is Rob's second garden railway. Rob's comments are in italics.

That's Rob on the right. Rob says "I was lucky the site was all engineered for me this time. there was a very nice lawn here. The intent is that the railway will bear some vague resemblance to the Wellington and Manawatu Railway in the early 1900s. This allows me to run American and British prototypes and to build to a nominal 1:24 scale

The railway has a main loop, sort of a bulging triangle. On the right is the long branch line to the train shed.
" Highly sophisticated track plan http://www.southpacificlines.org/content/wmr-trackplan < Link To http://www.southpacificli.../content/wmr-trackplan "

The branch line junction in foreground, with triangle into main loop in mid ground.
The letterbox building at left will be clad to become a goods shed, and relocated. Where it sits, there will be a signal box with operating (electric) junction points controls.

 

[Steve]

Nice pictures John

 

[JRinTawa]

It the trees, main loop at the top, branch line running down to train shed below. Elevated section made from H3 lattice strip http://www.southpacificlines.org/content/all-track-foundations-near-finished < Link To http://www.southpacificli...ndations-near-finished

Michelle's visiting railcar, still in grey primer, heading down to train shed. Some of the elevated sections will later be disguised with trestle bridging.

And almost to the path crossing before the final section before the shed...

 

[JRinTawa]

Path crossing at left, and train shed dead ahead. "There will be a reversing loop under the deck to the left. It is a crawl space. My son will be maintaining that"

5 roads of storage, with steaming roads in the sun.

The shed is what the indoor modellers would call "staging" for the town of Wettington. More on the shed here http://www.southpacificlines.org/content/train-shed < Link To http://www.southpacificli.s.org/content/train-shed

 

[JRinTawa]

Nice pictures John

Lots more to come Steve

Train door open, note the draft stop brush seal...

Door closed. Simple, clever and effective!

Train eye view in the train shed.

 

[jameshilton]

The shed arrangement looks convenient, the ace iced and ballasted section already looks grand too, nice pictures John.

 

[JRinTawa]

Back up at the branch line and triangle junction, one of Rob's trains is sitting in the beautiful warm spring sun.
Upper yard/staging is behind the camera. Loco is a Bachmann Big Hauler, a 4-6-0. Has an AirWire decoder and NiMH batteries. HO DCC sound to come

And looking back into the upper yard "Mahawatu". Rob's train is sitting on the third leg of the triangle.

While Rob's bumble bee yellow special runs around the main loop, we can see the beginnings of the mountain mining branch line which will spiral up in the centre. "That's a Bachmann Big Hauler 2-6-0 Mogul Christmas set. Great value when on special. We'll see how long it lasts, but it is equipped with NiMH batteries, AirWire radio decoder and an HO DCC sound decoder (AirWire cleverly has a standard DCC output as well as the high-current DC motor output. I don't need my locos to yell, even the HO decoder is turned down. I cant wait to get one of the new stereo sound decoders: this loco has a small second speaker installed in the stack in anticipation)."

 

[JRinTawa]

The mountain mining branch will end here. My Jonny is on the main loop, just above the last wagon is the train shed branch line path crossing. The train shed is under the deck.
"There will be a mine here at Kaukau. I may revise the hill to allow two tracks here which would be operationally more useful"

At times there was more activity in the side courtyard. Why? Food that's why!
There's another six-track yard out there for the town of Mahawatu, or on a day like this one simply to stage trains for running.

Rob supplied this photo showing the Mahawatu yard.

 

[JRinTawa]

Rob's bumble bee special. "That's the main junction box for track, lighting and 12v accessories power in a plastic toolbox under the station. There will be a full station and platform here one day"

Rob's mogal framed by the mountain logging branch line "Tunnels are lined in 2mm styrene http://www.southpacificlines.org/content/styrene-tunnel-liner < Link To http://www.southpacificli...t/styrene-tunnel-liner "

My Jonny coming off the main loop elevated section through the trees "The wooden bridge in front is nominally a road bridge and actually for human pedestrians"

 

[JRinTawa]

Manawanui (my Lumber Jack) giving the railway a live steam testing.

And Manawanui and I gave the railway a thumbs up

Though Rob did find the mountain mining branch line junction needs a little fettling.

Manawanui happily chuffing away in the sun.

 

[JRinTawa]

Through the trees again. (A great spot to watch the trains.)

Here comes Manawanui again Rob...

"All sorted" smiles Rob.

 

[JRinTawa]

And what is going on at the steaming bay down by the train shed.
Live steam really made the day, thank-you to John and John!! (Our pleasure Rob )

John Seward raising steam on his Roundhouse "Lady Anne"
The shed is what the indoor modellers would call "staging" for the town of Wettington

John's "Lady Anne" named Lady Jane at work on the main line.
The loop and station location is called Pukerua

 

[JRinTawa]

Through the trees, steaming freely with a nice solid chuff

Sniffing the steam...warning it's addictive Rob. John is in control, seated behind.

Through the trees - told you it was a good place to watch the trains!

 

[JRinTawa]

Michelle had the camera at this stage, and she liked Lady Jane too. (Good taste has my daughter :love: )
The track for the mountain mining branch line roughed out in the background.
I hope to have a trestle replace those paving blocks before summer end.

Lady Jane now circulating in the opposite direction.

And so ended a superb testing out of the Wettington and Mahawatu Railway, yummy food. A brilliant afternoon!

A big thanks to Rob, and Vee for hosting us. We look forward to following the progress of the Wettington and Mahawatu Railway.

 

[whatlep]

Fantastic set of pictures JR. Lovely looking railway. Blue skies too (can you hear the wistful sighing?).

 

[Bredebahn]

Lovely pictures John - beautiful railway in your spring sunshine. I'm not too sure about that part under the shed as far as maintenance is concerned - don't you get some big crawlies down there? Just getting motivation warmed up for the new BoB and there's some similarities here, so thanks.

When someone realises that they've lost their glasses, under the shed is the place to look!

 

[Shawn]

I love it. Its going to be a great looking railroad once established.