Where to begin? - A Garden Railway

[davidarf]

Like many people,I started garden railways in the narrow gauge scene. I chose 45mm as my track gauge and built the railway using LGB flexible track. One piece of advice that I was given was to make the curves as big as I could fit in the space available. This has proved over the past 18 years to be one of the best suggestions. Whilst you might start out with smaller models capable of managing tight curves (as I did), eventually the temptation came to run bigger stock and the last thing that you want is to have to tear up the railway to accommodate new trains. Initially I went for a minimum of 6 feet radius. Eventually I found myself drifting toward standard gauge G1 as prices have fallen and more modest priced UK style stock is becoming available. Bachman produced a very nice saddle tank and 0-6-0 diesel. You can see stock for G1 advertised at outlandish prices and in the past this was the norm, but things are changing. If anyone has a desire to move to UK G1 then a useful supplier to look at is www. classicloco.co.uk . They often have some more modest priced stock on offer. I managed to find a new Accucraft G1 Flying Scotsman for about £1000. This is not a plastic moulding like LGB and as a large all metal build it compares very favourably with the larger LGB locomotive prices. Fitting the tender with battery, radio and speed controller was quite straight forward and a film of it can be found here http://youtu.be/7llGExnDCIs . This loco is happy on 6 feet radius curves.

I started out with wired track, but this lasted about a week. Since then, all my electric powered locomotives are battery powered. In some cases I have used a battery truck with radio receiver and speed controller with a simple cable and plug connection to locos. This helps to contain the cost of powering locomotives and scan solve issues about where to fit battery packs. This form of propulsion is the most convenient when visiting children want to see something running immediately. The thought of having to clean about 650 feet of track before being able to run would now put me off completely.

David

[Emettman]

This loco is happy on 6 feet radius curves.

You was lucky! When I eas a lad...
Well, no more a lad when I built my first outdoor 45mm gaugeline, but 2ft radius curves were the only option, with locos and stock to suit.

Now in a garden rather than a back yard, I've managed to push the minimum radius to 3.5 feet.
And saved myself a fortune by bending all the LGB 2ft radius points to a Y shape with 3.5 ft radius on the steeper arm.

I started out with wired track, but this lasted about a week. Since then, all my electric powered locomotives are battery powered.

I've run on track power for fifteen years with very few problems.
If starting afresh, yes, I would almost certainly choose battery power and radio control. In both massive development has taken place in the last fifteen years. It wasn't an obvious choice at all when I started.

I have a G scale exhibition layout and all the locos are battery powered with radio or infra-red control, cannibalised from cheap model cars and other toys.
(set up as slow speed shunters for the public to drive.)

This form of propulsion is the most convenient when visiting children want to see something running immediately. The thought of having to clean about 650 feet of track before being able to run would now put me off completely.

David

I know what you mean but if madding live steam to the mix, I suspect the cleaning problems are not helped.
If running at a minimum of once a fortnight over the summer I very rarely needed to track clean after the pre-season track inspection, clean and general fettling.
And now I have too many locos (small at that) to retrofit to the r/c battery approach.

Out-of-date again? It happens.
Old infrastructure locked in place?
(Of course or we could go back to the GWR broad gauge that we should have settled on!)

Chris.