iandor wrote: William i would love a raised monorail but alas where would you get one?Rgds Ian
William i would love a raised monorail but alas where would you get one?
Rgds Ian
Ian, it would be to the drawing board for the train and raised beams.
I have seen something like the channel braces they use to make "sun rooms" could make a track bed if you don't want to go beam.
In other words make the whole thing from parts and shells. I would say the testing would be very long for some things and less maybe for others.
Again if they made one, I buy it!
I would also very much like a covered bridge but in the tropics what would be the use for one?
The roof is to get the snow to fall off, i think, isn't it? To the best of my knowledge there aren't any in real life in this country, least wise i have never seen one.
Hi Ian; no there won't be any trestles on my road, at least not for the immediate future. My area is mostly level so really no need for a fancy trestle system. I am going to dig out some gullies and ravines and run some bridges accross them. Thinking about a covered-bridge for one of them.
Best regards -
Why dont you try to think of something different, almost all American garden railways have trestles, you are all just cloninge each other.
I admit they look very good; but why not try something new?
Well its been a while since posting anything to this thread; so here goes.
You all know about my problem with e-bay and the train I ordered. Thought you might like to see what I actually ended up with:
Now of course it didn't come with the trestle. Maybe later................
No work progress to report except I did plan out a tunnel along the main line. Will use cinder blocks to form the tunnel. Will be about 2' long. Still collecting track however and soon as good weather hits I'll be outside you can be sure!!!
Thanks for looking.............
Its very hot here now about 31 deg C at 10 am but too hot or too cold whats the difference.
I start work at 8 am and finish at about 9 and again at 3 pm until i fee like it sometimes its 10 past 3, sometime 6 pm. Many of the jobs i am doing i do not want to do, as they knock my knees around but i do a bit every day; well nearly every day and before you know it you have achieved much.
About that getting older business, speak for yourself. I still feel young as ever - ha............
Cold here now. No work going on at the present....
This is an ununusual situation, i agree with evryone else, get into it mate, get right into it as soon as you can. Do not use my excuses; its too hot or i want to go fishing or stiuff like that.
I find that if you consider what some one said, i think it was Marco Polo, a journey of a thousand kilometres starts with a single step.
What i do when starting something really big and new like this, is to say to myself "i am not really going to do anything much, just a bit of muckimg around" and sure enough several hours later i'm well into it and have achieved much more than i set out to do. As yoiu get older you tend to lose confidence in yourself and this is universal and quite incorrect to large extent you can do most things you could once do.
ttrigg wrote:SRS: I notice in the track plan you have a notation "4' curves on all corners." Hopefully that means 4' RADIUS (in LS that would be 8' Dia) From what I see, )assuming that your drawing is to scale, looks like each square represents 2 feet?) I'm going to echo TJ "increase the curve radii. Other than that I think you have a great start for a garden railroad." From what I see I would stretch the curves out to a full 10 ft diameter, (5' radii) or larger.
I notice in the track plan you have a notation "4' curves on all corners." Hopefully that means 4' RADIUS (in LS that would be 8' Dia) From what I see, )assuming that your drawing is to scale, looks like each square represents 2 feet?) I'm going to echo TJ "increase the curve radii. Other than that I think you have a great start for a garden railroad." From what I see I would stretch the curves out to a full 10 ft diameter, (5' radii) or larger.
The scale is 1 square = 1 foot. The four outside corners use three sections of 4' curved track. (If you put 12 of these sections together you'd have a four foot circle.) I think this will work OK but of course not sure until lay the track.
I only have 14' of width to work with so the two freight line curves you see near the bottom of the drawing are 4' and 6' curves.
Don't have all the track yet so can't lay it out to see if it will fit or not. Track is on order but not yet received. Hopefully this week..........
Thanks for your comments and if you think of anything else I should know don't hesitate to say so.
NOW GO OUTSIDE AND START DIGGING!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Tom Trigg
I like it! The only comment would be if at all possible to increase the curve radii. Other than that I think you have a great start for a garden railroad.
The Dixie D Short Line "Lux Lucet In Tenebris Nihil Igitur Mors Est Ad Nos 2001"
The layout is color coded in the bottom left hand corner. It is ment to identiy passenger line from freight lines and a rail yard.
If you click on the photograph it will open in a larger format making it much eaiser to see, in case you didn't already know that.........thanks for the comments.
Why the pink and the green and the red do they signify different types of track?
Looks good though.
OK, here are some recent pictures of the space I have to work with. It was raining the day these were taken so light is not too good. I think you can get a good idea however of what I have to work with.
Pic 1 is from the northwest corner. 2 is from the west; 3 is from SW corner and 4 is from the south and outside the picket fence, looking north. Pic 5, if you can make it out, is a drawing of the layout I think I'm going to put down.
Let me know what you think....................
This is a good sign SRS, some younger blokes get so carried away with the planning, they don't get to do the real thing or when they do they prefer the planning.
Thanks for the tip Tom. Yes I will install a turn-out on the main loop that will later allow expansion to different parts of the garden. Man, I sure can't wait for Spring. Really anxious to get started on construction. Growing just a little tired of all this planning stuff. I am slowing acquiring track however so that is good.
Thanks again.............
Yes Tom i agree with you once more get the points (switches) in position and properly set up first. I check there camber very carefully ie level from side to side, you will never know how much trouble you will save yourself further down the track.
I am doing another thing, i get the way down and pretty correct then i get the track to shape and then i redo the way so that the track is absolutely correct and all is aligned properly. If you have some tricky curves or "S" bends this method helps a lot.
Well I think I have decided on a layout design. No cross-overs but does allow for two trains to operate independent from each other.
In the 14x17' space picture a loop that follows the outside demisions. A siding will branch off the eastern end of the Northern 17' section and reconnect again near the western end. I plan on having a tunnell somewhere along the southern 17' run. This will be my passenger line.
Next an inner loop will be installed that will resemble a figure eight shape but without the bottom circle. It will come back along the northern 17' section running parallel with the spur of the outer loop. I should have 12 to 18" clearance between the two lines. This is where structures of some type will be installed, to look like a railway station. This will be my freight line.
Both trains can run independent from each other allowing for opposite direction and speed control. They can both pull into the station area and stop to take on the apperance of a busy rail head. Later some additional spurs will be added to the inside loop to create a rail yard.
I think this will look OK. Looks good on paper anyway. That's my plan at the moment. Subject to change of course. Trying to get some pictures loaded on the computer to show the "cleared" space. Thanks for reading and for any comments or questions...
SRS
Of course mate, the further back you go in starting your gradient the better the gradient will be.
Thanks for the tips everyone. I've been busy drawing up various layouts on 1" square graph paper. There just doesn't seem any way I can do even a 12" cross over without having the grade beginning way back in the curve section of the opposite end. Same thing goes for the downgrade end as well. So, about decided to rule it out and make the entire layout level. If there are any cross-overs it will be the level figure eight style, if you know what I mean.
I'm not to excitied about the trolly idea on a seperate line. So will scratch that for the time being. I'll know more when my engine comes in and I can get some accurate measurements.
Should be able to post some more pictures soon which will give you a better idea of the space I have to work with.
Happy New Year....................
Yes Tom as usual you are quite sensible but you need to throw in curve as well if you are going to have any. Ihad no choice and i have 4 % gradient with R3 curve R2 in places and i wish i didn't. But of course you need to look at how much rolling stock you are pulling and with what.
Through allthat my big mallet will pull 7 carriages and it doesn't slip at all when stationary but other loco's aren't nearly so good. i can tell you
200 mm above the top of the rail will clear most rolling stock made by LGB, but if you have the romm allow a further 25 to 50 mm this will aloow for some pretty big stuff from other manufacturers.
Thanks TJ. I'm going to set my engine on a piece of track, when it comes in, take a measurement of its height, add 2" for safety and then I'll know how much clearence I need for the train to pass under the overhead crossing.
Then I'll be able to determine if I have enough room to build the riser or not. I think I could handle 28' OK but, it will be tricky. Of course that also means, I guess, 28' of downgrade as well. That could be a problem for me, don't know right now...............
Remember, my space is 14x17'. I was going to build a cross/over on the western end of the layout which would be one of the 14' ends. (Eastern end is where the cyprus tree is)
Thanks..................
Thanks ttrigg but "ouch." 50' of run to gain 18" in height, wow. Much more than I had planned on. I may have to "rethink" my layout and forget an "over/under" crossing.
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