Another New Person

[Coogler Rail Line]

Hello,

 

I have just started the adventure of Garden Railroading.

 

I have always loved trains and bought a MTH O scale set a couple of years ago but I lack the room to keep it readily available so I lost interest for a while.

 

I was drawn back into Model railroading when I took my son to the Southeastern Railroad Museum in Duluth, GA for his boy scout railroading merit badge.  Several of the volunteers were from the local railroading club and gave us some articles on model railroading.  I guess this was the bait.

 

I have proposed the idea of a garden railroad to my wife and she has shown a lot of interest.  We have always enjoyed gardening and this looks like a way to increase our enjoyment of our backyard

 

We bought a LGB starter set (LGB Southern Railroad SRR Passenger set with sound) and some used track from our local model train hobby shop.  I felt that the only way for us to move forward was to get a set to start the motivation.

Can I use other manufacturers locomotives on this set? This set is a beginner set but after we get the layout settled, I want to add realistic scale locomotives and cars.

 

Thanks for your advise!

[mgilger]

You will be able to run other manufactures engines on your layout, although if you want to run more than one, you might need to obtain a larger power supply. The one's that come in the starter sets are typically very small. Also be aware that the larger the engine, the larger the curve requirements are. You won't be able to run very large engines, unless you puchase 8 foot or larger curves. Same goes for the swtiches.

I started my layout just last year and I've been havings all kinds of fun.

http://community.webshots.com/user/mvgilger

Mark

[Coogler Rail Line]

Now, your layout shows where I want to be.  I love your pictures.

 

The curve radius was a concern to me and you have answered that question.  The starter set came with a tight circle of track.  It looks like we need to plan for larger curves

[Anonymous]

The radii of your curves are just fine, providing you stick to LGB but as you get into bigger locos this may become a problem, not a running problem more from a realistic point of view.

You should also try to decide as soon as you can if you wish to go digital or not, digital will cost you more in equipment early on but it is cheaper in the long run and much more simple as far as wiring is concerned. But it is its versatility that wins the day every time for digital sytems.

Think long and hard about this before you buy anymore locos, if you even have an inkling of going to DCC (digitalcontrol) .

Rgds ian

[Coogler Rail Line]

 

Thanks for your advice.

 

Who do you recommend for digital systems?  This is starting to become an obsession for my family.  Eventually I want to run a passenger line and a freight line from one side of my yard to the next.

 

Regards,

Chuck

[devils]

Hello and welcome,

If you can make 4ft radius (8ft diameter) curves your minimum you should be able to accomodate all but the biggest true scale locos, The likes of USA trains, Aristocraft, Accucraft, Bachmann and mth use this as the minimum recommended.

Use the start set curves for sidings if you have an industry on your line and use only the smaller locos, makes operating more fun if you have little challenges that mean certain locos have to operate that train.

good luck

Paul

 

[Anonymous]

Hello and welcome,

If you can make 4ft radius (8ft diameter) curves your minimum you should be able to accomodate all but the biggest true scale locos, The likes of USA trains, Aristocraft, Accucraft, Bachmann and mth use this as the minimum recommended.

Use the start set curves for sidings if you have an industry on your line and use only the smaller locos, makes operating more fun if you have little challenges that mean certain locos have to operate that train.

good luck

Paul

[Coogler Rail Line]

Thanks Again,

 

My wife has purchased some Bachman trtack off of ebay.  Is this usable in a outdoor enviroment?

[Anonymous]

Coogler, as an old hand on another forum told me, don't get all wrapped up in a grandiose construction project or start laying out lot of money for control systems yet.  Instead, get some track down in a basic setup and get some trains running.  In other words: have some fun!  Once the Coogler Train Empire gets off the ground (bad metaphor) then you can start thinking about expansion.   On the other hand, if you love the planning, preparation and all the minutia that it entails, heck, go for it.  As others have said here, whatever trips your trigger.  

[RR Redneck]

I couldn't have said it better myself.

[Anonymous]

I use the LGB MTE (Multi Train System) and it is a good complete sytem where you can put all your eggs in one basket ie if something goes wrong you have only one lot ot blaim and people can't say it is someone elses fault.

However it does have its shortcomings, but you would have to be pretty knowledgable to understand what they are.

I have all sorts of curves because of my circumstances but all LGB stuff will run on them, some look a bit silly though and mix this with 4 % gradients and you need to have very good trains i can tell you. In my area 1. I have 15 R1 curves in 20 metres and thay go in all directions as tthey wend their way through a jungle, as i live in the tropics.

Rgds Ian

[tangerine-jack]

Thanks Again,

 

My wife has purchased some Bachman trtack off of ebay.  Is this usable in a outdoor enviroment?

 

Welcome to the forum and the wonderful world of Garden Railroading!!

In a nutshell, no, Bachman track is not suitable for outdoor use.  It is made of raw steel and will rust away in short order.  It is good for indoor use only.  Aristo-Craft, LGB, and others make very fine outdoor track in brass, stainless and nickle silver.  Do a search on the forum and you will come up with several threads on track, mostly brass vs. stainless.   Make your own decision on which to use based upon your needs and budget, all of them will give you many years of service.  I prefer Aristo brass for it's durability and low cost.

Again, welcome and feel free to ask any questions that may arise in your planning or construction or your new empire. 

[Ray Dunakin]

Hi Coogler! Welcome to the forum, and to garden railroading. I just started my layout in January and have had a great time even though I haven't been able to really run any trains on it yet:

http://albums.photo.epson.com/j/AlbumIndex?u=3009006&a=32116967

[Anonymous]

Greetings to you to "Coogler."  I too am new to this garden rr thing and have been getting tons of great advice from the forum for about a month now.  Look for my posting in this forum under the key word RECOMMENDATIONS.

Sounds like you are hooked like me.  I love the fact that you are starting out with a Southern Locomotive.  As you can see that is my handle in the forum, SRS 4501.  That of course was the famous steam locomotive that handled passenger service for Southern for many years. 

I am starting out however with Bachmann.  My selection is their 60th Anniversity edition Big Hauler 4-6-0 engine.  It carries the markings of the E.T. & W.N.C. line. (East Tennessee and Western North Carolina)  Look through my posting and you'll learn why I choose this line.

Will looking forward to sharing experiences with you as we both grow in this hobby.  Good luck to you and man, is that some layout of "mgilger's" or what?

 

 

[kimbrit]

Good advice already given but worth repeating. Get some track down and run a train. It's very easy to stay in the design stage and dream of empires, so easy a long time can pass. To follow up on the track questions, LGB design all their equipment to negotiate their tight radius 1 curves, nobody else does - by design that is! 8' diameter curves are the minimum if you can fit them in.

Kim

[vsmith]

 

1st off, Bachmann track is indoors only. You will also find that the Bachmann track is unconnectable to LGB track, sorry, chalk that buy up to inexperience and move on.  If she bought any straights, keep em, they make for great storage/display tracks. When looking for track, Aristocraft, USA Trains or LGB offer brass track that works outdoors and is completely interchangable with each other.

 

2nd off, track diameters, in large scale we talk DIAMETER, not radius like O or HO, I use 4 ft diameter just fine, but I'm space constricted and model accordingly. All my stuff is small logging and mining stock. Anything LGB will work on 4 ft diameter curves, however they do look better on wider diameters.

 

If space is an issue, try to do no smaller than 6.5 ft diameter this will allow you to run almost all 4 axle diesels like GP7s, all frieght cars, most smaller steam locomotives including Bachmanns Consolidated, and most smaller passenger cars. Actually you can go 5 ft and still use all the listed above if space is realy a big issue.

 

HOWEVER if your considering anything larger in the future, like any 6 axle diesel, streamline or heavyweight passenger cars, an Aristo Pacific or a Mikado or Mallet, then 8 ft diameter is the smallest you want to go.

 

Welcome to mad world of large scale, your sunk now!

[Coogler Rail Line]

Thanks for the warm welcome, everybody!

"Good luck to you and man, is that some layout of "mgilger's" or what?"

SRS, What is a mgilger?  Coogler is my last name and just named the railroad  after my family.  My wife is German, so we may start german railway later and name that after her family. We decided to go after the southern approach since I am from GA and wife has spent most of her life here as well.

vsmith, that is great advise about using the bachman as display track.  I had read elsewhere on this forum that it was not sutable for outdoors but just to make sure I wanted to throw out the question to make sure that there was no exceptions.  You are right...I think that I am sunk now.

Right now I am frustrated with the lack of time and money.....I do wish that I was independently wealthy!  I have a lot of vacation time in December so we should get the current track up and running from there.

Hey Ray, your setup look wonderful. You gave me an idea how to manage the hill in my backyard and keep our dogs away...that fence system looks like it may work for me.

 

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks. As it happens, the fence was there long before the layout. It tops a short concrete retaining wall that was put up about 30 years ago to keep the runoff from the hill out of the lower yard. The fence was added later when we had a dog that started jumping over the retaining wall.

After our last dog died last year, we decided not to get any more dogs. Our lifestyle had changed a bit over the years and we weren't spending as much time with them as we used to, so it wouldn't have been fair to the animal. Plus, we wanted to be able to use the backyard for more than just a dog run.

Now that I'm building the railroad on the hillside, I want to put up some kind of awning on the patio so we can have a bit of shade while watching the trains. The rear of the house faces south so the yard gets a lot of sun and can get pretty hot back there.

I'd also like to remove the old shed and put in a nicer one, preferably someplace where it won't block the view of the layout.

[Anonymous]

"mgilger"   is the name of one of the members who responded to your first post.  He included a link to pictures of his layout.  Remember now?

You are getting some good advice and I am benefiting from it as well.  Did you ever mention what part of GA your in?  Anywhere near Warner Robins?

Best Regards. 

[Coogler Rail Line]

"mgilger"   is the name of one of the members who responded to your first post.  He included a link to pictures of his layout.  Remember now?

You are getting some good advice and I am benefiting from it as well.  Did you ever mention what part of GA your in?  Anywhere near Warner Robins?

Best Regards. 

 

Sorry...I was a little brain dead yesterday from a challenging day at work.

We live in the small town of Dacula that is in northern Gwinnett....suburb on the northeast side of Atlanta .  I am originally from Griffin which is roughly 50 miles up I75 from Macon.

If you ever travel to North GA, I strongly recomend visiting the Southeastern Railray museum in Duluth. They have a great selection of railroad cars and locomotives that have been restored.  It is responisble for my renewed interest in model railroading.

http://www.srmduluth.org/

 

 

[Coogler Rail Line]

Does anyone have any suggestions for a retaining wall?  I want to raise the rail line area to about 3 to 4 feet for better viewing.  I am considering just using landscape timbers but rail road ties may be more appealing.  The timbers may be cheaper and easier to handle.  Ideas anyone?

 

Thanks,

Chuck

[Anonymous]

Hi Chuck.  How are things in GA these days?  Before starting an exstensive building project for a retaining wall you might first want to look at another alternative.  Have you seen the raised roadbed system offered by Split Jaw Products?  If not might be worth a look.  Go to:

 www.railclamp.com

Might not be what you want but then again, who knows?

 

[tangerine-jack]

Any material that can be used to make a regular wall can be used for a retaining wall.  I know that doesn't seem to help much, but it's the truth.  You can use just about anything from RR ties to polished Italian marble, it all depends on your budget and the look you are trying to achieve.  Cinderblock is a popular choice because it's relatively cheap and easy to work with.  Cinderblock looks like doggy-doo left in it's natural state, so add the cost of stucco or paint in your budget calculations.  Wood is the best looking in my opinion, but the least durable in the long term due to insects and natural decay.  Redwood and Cedar are good choices for wood walls as they are the most resistant to decay and insects, but be prepared to pay dearly for them.  Italian marble, polished and fitted by a master stone mason is the optimum way to go after hitting the Lotto.

Whatever you use, be sure to have some drainage.  I've heard tell of a landlocked Captain in Delaware that had a hydro-burst not too long ago with his retaining wall due to insufficient drainage.  Just a rumor now you understand..........

[Coogler Rail Line]

It is cold these days...down in the 20's at night and up to the50's in the afternoon.  I know...whine whine whine.

That railcllamp looks like it is a great idea (but expensive) for raising the the elevation for the track.  I need to raise the entire area bed up to at least 3 feet for a nice viewing experience.  I would think the railclamp idea would make it easier to lay the track up and down the miniture hills which we want to do.

 

have you used the rail clamp product?

 

 

 

[Anonymous]

No I haven't but at least one of our members has.  He is the one who put me onto it.  I'm seriously thinking about using it for at least part of my layout.  The area I'm working in is mostly level except near a couple of big trees.  Trenching around these trees is out of the question so will use a system like this one any time my track comes close to them

[Coogler Rail Line]

Thanks tangerine-jack for reminding me about the drainage.  I will have to study my home depot book for ideas.  I have not considered cinder block...we would have to stucco it or use a decorative stone added to the exterior.  I would like it to be cosmetically appealing as just a flower bed in case we sell our house in several years ( we would remove the track!)

 I was considering railroad ties to match the ties that our house builder used in the back yard but it has shown signs of decay after only 6 years.

 We made a lot of progress today and the wife is diving in.  I am vacation starting Thursday...I want to put a lot of work in...it would be nice to get a train running by Christmas.

[Coogler Rail Line]

hey SRS...

We will not have any trees in the way but the wife wants a elevated rail line bridge over a waterfall like the one shown on "Working on the railroad" shown on the DIY channel when they were constructing the layout at the Oak Ridge Children's Museum near Knoxville TN...Have you visited that layout?

[Anonymous]

Never been to the one in Knoxville but I'll tell you the Nashville Garden Railway Socity has one of the best layouts in G-Scale I've ever seen.  It's on public display every Sunday at one of the big Malls in the city.  It is free and my grand-son loves for me to take him there.

It has just about everything you could ask for.............A "killer" layout if you know what I mean.... 

 

[Coogler Rail Line]

We are planning a area 20 feet by 20 feet with a outside loop with R3 curves to handle a future larger loco.  The inside loops will have smaller r1 curves.  I would like to run several trains at once.  What size transformer and controler should I look for?  I have looked around in several books and on the net and I haven't found a clear answer.  Any suggestions?

[tangerine-jack]

Yet again there is no right or wrong answer for you.  If you desire to use track power, and there are a lot of good reasons to choose that, then I would highly recommend a 10 Amp power supply as a minimum.  I use an Aristo Train Engineer wireless with 10 amps and I love it.  I have gobs of power, the system is rock solid reliable and very easy to use.

I suggest buying the largest power supply you can afford.  10 Amp supplies are only a few dollars more than the 5 amp.  This way you will have power for future expansion without worrying about spending any more money.  The choice of control system is subjective based on your operating style and future needs.  I use the TE (Train Engineer) because of its simplicity and it has enough accessory features that when I expand it can handle it.

You could look into battery powered RC, but your pike is small enough that I think it would be a waste of money.  But if that is what you want, then go for it.  Remember you can always run RC/batt on a track powered pike, but not the other way around.  I have one RC/Batt loco that I use and love, it's good for taking on the road as I don't have to worry about whether or not the railroad I'm running it on is track power, DCC or live steam.  Conversely, if a visitor has only track powered locos and you only have battery, then that makes for a very awkward visit.

Nothing says you can't do both.