Edit topic

Updated your discussion topic below.

Subject
Enter a subject for your topic. Maximum 150 characters.
Post Body
Enter your post below.
Im currently 17(few days to 18), living with my grandparents in southern California. My grandparents 60th anniversary is upcoming, and i have simply got to do something with their back yard, family from all over the world are coming, and a corner of our yard looks like it belongs next to a haunted house. Lucky for me its all just over grown plants , and the remains of what used to be a Gigantic Koi pond. which sould take me about a weekend to take out. My grandma insists on keeping that pond which is a cracked up cement di***hat leaks water like a siv. The pump guzzles electricity, and its an all around peice of..... So for her anniversary i was going to tear out the pond, and start fresh. I have loved trains since i was a little boy, and my grandmother herself has expressed interest in them at one time or another, so i figured that i can incorperate a small garden train into the design. I'm figureing on about 60ft of track, however its a simple estimate, and is probably off by quite a bit. i have done HO layouts before(never garden, mostly tables) The design im putting up is what i think will look nicest, it involves a small waterfall from a higher pond, where the first bridge is, and a large long tressle across the main body of water. Tunnels arent necessary, however I feel that it adds character, as well as a more natural terrain look. The design and build preocess is pretty much set, however i am concerned about the weather in our area. During the winter and "June Gloom" we get a fair amount of rain, and i am not to sure about having electrified rails sitting outside in water. Another Question of mine is that im hopeing for a steam engine(electric) pulling more modern looking passanger cars which are not quite as short as those beggining kits- Whats the smallest readius turn i can safely make? Another few questions im sure most of you have heard before- 1. I plan to buy a kit with a starter track set,beyond that, how much will it cost to get up to about 60ft of track? 2. My HO scale trains are extremely light, and are known for falling off the tracks of the train turns to tight, or if thre s to little weight in the middle, and to much in the back, are these trains a little more stable? can i trust that these trains can cross a bridge that has no siding wilhout falling off? 3. Some of the Smaller HO engines really get up and smoke around the track on its own, but wont move witha large load , where as some of the trains are slow but powerful enough to pull a large train up a 15 degree hill. Because my design is in a cramped area, my track varies about 20" up and down, with the incline/decline at about 4-5 degrees. With only 3 cars, will an engine be able to handle that? 4. Im afraid that my train can get stuck or derail in a tunnel. is there any way to prevent this? i was considering cutting a v in the bottom of the tunnel for drainage, and suspending the track over that, however im not sure if there's a better way. 5. Maintanace- my grandmoter is 82 years old, and cant handle much, i will be moving off to college in about a year, and will have to leave my precious train set behind. The train will run on ocasion, when family and friends are around, but not on a daily basis. Is ther a certain requirement to keep the engines operable? Also, how heavy are the engine, and cars? (This is a basic design, the ponds will not be perfectly round, nor will the track follow that exact route, however it will be as close as possible) http://sirsack.com/Richards/Track%20Layout.jpg - for a better image [img]http://sirsack.com/Richards/Track%20Layout.jpg[/img] Any Help is appreciated -Richard
Tags (Optional)
Tags are keywords that get attached to your post. They are used to categorize your submission and make it easier to search for. To add tags to your post type a tag into the box below and click the "Add Tag" button.
Add Tag
E-mail Subscribe
Check the box below if you want to receive e-mail notifications when replies are made to this thread.

Receive notifications