Garden Railway Forum

Thanks again, gents; and for the advice, too. I'd figured as much about the MYOB, but it's always good to ask. Will leave it to engulf the track over the hot months. When it cools down a bit, I'll take a pair of scissors to it and "mow" the track. With 10-30L being deposited in the 300L tank each day, I should be able to keep it moist..
The site of Belethor's General Goods was cleared and levelled the other day. As I've no proper flattening paste, which is mixed into the signwriting enamel to dull it's finish, I'll brush some Tamiya flat clear enamel over the lettering on the shop, before installing it here.
I'll get started writing up the pub, hopefully this afternoon, if the impending bus trip into town for groceries doesn't wipe me out. A car would be a lifesaver, but I won't have anywhere to store one till we buy a place.. I digress again..

I let this get a bit out of date, though little has happened during these hot months.

First time using Postimages.org, and it's a slight learning curve. Phil's thread on using the site proved most helpful - cheers! These pictures seem to appear just fine on my end, but if they don't show up on your end, please let me know and I'll have another try.
A lot of my posts here to date, have mostly been copied-and-pasted from my Blogger blog, with the images re-uploaded onto the forum itself - Linking images from the blog onto here, appears to work, so I'll get around to editing my previous posts, to utilize those already uploaded on Blogger. Easy enough to do, and should free up couple-hundred image "spaces" from the tally here.


18/01/2021
Belethor's General Goods is now in place, and I'm quite pleased with the result.


06/02/21
The temporary staging yard is now complete and usable. The Baldwin is track-testing a trio of new Mapleton-Tramway-esque wagons.



Two of the points had to be ballasted for support, as their sleepers aren't as deep as those of my hand-laid track. The yard seems to do it's job, so the line can now welcome visiting locos and stock.


02/03/21
Speaking of which, some mates are coming round on Saturday afternoon. The line was weeded and pruned in preparation.
Normally I'd just fill a bucket, but figured "screw it, I've not run a weed train in years". I should've used the Baguley and cane bins, would've been far fewer return trips to the staging yard to dump the weeds. The Baldwin struggled a bit with just these four wagons; it really needs some extra weight hidden somewhere..



As half of the wagons used are long-wheelbase four-wheelers, (which of course don't like being propelled) it was easier to run around them and pull them back to be emptied. In the end, weeding took four times longer than carrying a bucket would've, but doing it by train was a nice change.



A grasshopper decided it was now foreman, and perched himself atop the Baldwin's roof to oversee the last of the weeding. As these little f**ks are devouring my palms, I would've squished him, had he not been on the loco. Between the grasshoppers, and numerous other problems caused mainly by ants, I certainly won't be using palms next time round. They're just too problematic.

Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 7:08 am These pictures seem to appear just fine on my end, but if they don't show up on your end, please let me know and I'll have another try.

The pics all look fine to me Aaron.

The General store looks great.

I'm amazed that your line looks so much as though it has been maturing for years. Nobody would ever guess how recent it is.

Old Man Aaron wrote: ↑Wed Mar 03, 2021 7:08 am Belethor's General Goods is now in place, and I'm quite pleased with the result.

That photo of the general store reminded me of photos of the store at Mapleton. If that was your intent, you've nailed the right look.

Just needs a baby shay and a short train parked in front of the veranda.........

Regards,
Graeme

Thanks again, fellers. And aye, that is the Mapleton store. I'd love to model the Mapleton line, even with the Shays built on Bachmann electric trucks rather than steam; it'd make a great modelling subject of it's own - but I've more or less trapped myself at freelance 16mm.


First visitors to the line on Saturday. Was a bit of an experiment, will further extend the invitation next time. Plenty of notes were added to the .txt file I keep for the next tramway one day. Specifics of things like the loco prep area, regular passing loops and servicing spots along the line, covered storage for stock, etc. etc.. Remember, this line is really just a test loop to tide myself over for a couple of years - the next one'll be built for visitors and operations from the start.

My Baguley shunts the loop.


Driveway yet to come..


Anthony's model of Fowler "Alison" waits for another loco to clear the junction.


"Alison" is permanently-set for reverse running.


"Alison" moved this lot with power to spare. We set out the rest of my stock, but it started sprinkling rain shortly after, so we scrambled the mostly wooden fleet back to shelter.


Ben's coal-fired Fowler "Eudlo" approaches my rake to couple up.
The near-complete pub was requested to be seen, so it and the bank were plonked roughly in their future locations. I'll see about getting these done before the next visit..


Shades of Howard Street a century ago?










As night falls, my 'Moore works the coach rake.


By 7pm, it occurred to me that I hadn't photographed Ben's Queensland Railways DH.
My camera doesn't do well in low-light, however, so it decided the DH being struck by lightning was an acceptable alternative to a good photo.

Your railway looks as though it is well established, rather than recently laid! Brilliant. The buildings are wonderful, and the image of the store in particular has so much atmosphere

What a lovely railway. It has such a nice atmosphere

The plants really complement the rolling stock. Clever use of the available space.

Rik

After running into problems with his previously-pictured loco "Alison", Anthony weathered it up, and left it with me, to see how his unusual weathering technique (kitchen spices sprinkled over wet paint!) would hold up in real-world weather. I'm not so willing to experiment on my locos, but this one works pretty well as part of a larger (if temporarily posed) scene. Planning and stockpiling for the next tramway, is well underway. It's sugar mill will certainly include a more permanent boneyard; as most mills will rarely throw anything away..

That does look like it has been there for quite some time Aaron. Brilliantly done with both the photography and the weathering.

FWLR wrote: ↑Fri Jun 11, 2021 6:01 am That does look like it has been there for quite some time Aaron. Brilliantly done with both the photography and the weathering.

Ditto
My thoughts exactly

Rik

That's very effective!

Love the spices idea - I'm guessing cinnamon? My WD Baldwin's smokebox door is still smeared with the cocoa powder I used for some temporary weathering...

Mmmm - that looks 'crusty' several more in similar condition and you would have the makings of Barry scrapyard in the 60's and 70's.

Thanks again, I'm also pleased with the overall effect. Letting the weeds do their thing would further improve it..

that is indeed cinnamon, with a little paprika here and there for highlights. I particularly like how the oil has wept out of each joint in the motion, and turned very dark.
I'll have to remember that, when I get round to bodging a spare LGB Koppel body, into my own boneyard loco.. The owner of this one, informs me he'd like to "restore" it with a motor driving the rear axle, a-la "Moreton" "preserved" at the Yandina Ginger Factory.

30/08/21

At the time these photos were taken, we expected to buy a place and move out of this sardine-suburbian hole early next year. So to give myself plenty of time to lift the line and re-terraform it into a driveway, (and so the grass under the elevated section can grow back) a final visitor's day was held at the end of August.

"Victoria" on the bins.


Ben's recently-completed coal-fired Fowler "Eudlo" of the local (closed 2003) Moreton Mill.
Four Fowlers (or is it 3½?)
On the next line, I'd love to make it a regular thing, to try and beat the previous record for Fowlers in attendance.



Due to dropping a nut which was thankfully later found, "Eudlo" never got to pull the bins this time.
But we posed this "what-if-Moreton-steamers-lasted-into-the-diesel-era" shot anyway.
I should build up a stock of spares from Roundhouse, for this sort of thing..


Ben's R/C-ed Ruby "Ida" was an impressively smooth and docile runner - besides the tender and R/C conversion, I believe it's a bog-standard Ruby!
Now that he's about finished "Eudlo", Ben plans on giving "Ida" a ten-year overhaul, new tender and plenty of other mods.
Having owned and heavily-rebuilt a Ruby in the past, I'm very much looking forward to seeing what he does with his loco.
More photos to come..

Even ran into the night. Next time, I'd like to better-facilitate night running, a bit like Dazza's done on his line.
Some clips thrown together.



06/09/21
A week later, demolition begins with the elevated section. ⅔ of the material was salvageable. Though all future elevated sections will be raised garden beds, rather than this temporary wood and fibro thing.



Another not-unexpected change of plans that came about, the day after that photo was taken, means we'll be staying here until this time next year, at least.

Whilst normally, this would mean that nothing needs to be dismantled yet, I'd already set in motion a new project. One that will require the side yard becoming a driveway sooner rather than later.. Something that will in time, end up on the off-topic board..



Tomorrow morning, I'll have one final run, then this little test track's apocalypse will begin..

Always great pictures from your line, such a shame to have to take it down, especially under the last minute circumstances. Time to build more stock and wait patiently.

Lovely pictures Aaron. Somehow I managed to miss your previous post and the superb night shots.

It is a shame that you have to lift it all, but since you alwasy planned for it, I guess it isn't as much ofa wrench as it might have been.
Fingers crossed for the future.

Yet more great pictures - I do love your line, such a shame it has to go, although I'm sure the next one will be even better. The research you've done re ballast etc in particular makes such a difference, I don't think I've seen more realistic looking track, roads and other "ground cover" on a garden railway. If you ever get a chance, I think you might enjoy reading Ian Stock's book, "The Art of Garden Railways"...

Anyway, good luck with the next project, keep us posted!

Andrew

A really great set of photos. So, these may not be the last ..... for now?

Rik