My first garden railway

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 12:29 pm

Phase 1.

I have the whole week off so i decided to pick the spot and do a bit of clearing.

The spot i have chosen is a corner of the garden patio. There was an old box waterfall that had been lying there since the previous owners of our house. It was not well made and basically was due for changing.

I started by cutting down a large plant ,you can see some of the branches in the background and some still standing.

I have about 3 meters x 4meter to use for my project.

here is the spot.

I plan to raise my base about 30 cm off the ground , this is just enough to cover the old boxed waterfall under my wooden flooring. I will then lay some green carpet on the elevated wooden base to be my 'grassy canvas'.

I have plans to cut out holes in the floor and hide plant pots under which will be planted with conifers and other miniature vegetation.

This rough sketch illustrates my idea (sorry for the poor graphic skills)

i have not decided yet what the elevated floor will stand on but it will either be a wooden frame or cement blocks.

Ideas, tips , tricks and pointers are all welcome.

MDLR · Post by **MDLR** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:16 pm

Cement blocks secured to the patio with dabs of cement might be the best way to go - you can construct a level base by varying the size of the dabs of concrete.

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Mon Feb 13, 2012 2:26 pm

MDLR:66395 wrote:Cement blocks secured to the patio with dabs of cement might be the best way to go - you can construct a level base by varying the size of the dabs of concrete.

I though so too, the only attraction i have for wood is that it is much easier to work with. If i used pressure impregnated wood (the type that can stand in sea water for ages without getting rotten ) that will last long too i guess.

IrishPeter · Post by **IrishPeter** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 6:40 am

I am usually a ground level muck-shoveller, but if I were going for an elevated structure I would go for concete blocks over timber construction. The snag with timber - other than rot - is warping unless one can get good quality Scandanavian or Canadian timber. The UK stuff is wide grained, warps and rots more readily. I can have some of the same problems with timber from the 'Left Coast' here as their winters can be warmish giving a wide grain. I have to poke about in the big bx stores until they get something in that I like the look of, though more usually I avoid wooden construction if I can.

Peter in AZ

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Tue Feb 14, 2012 9:54 am

A very kind friend after seeing my pitiful drawing above ,made this better impression for me

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Wed Mar 28, 2012 6:41 pm

Phase 2

The initial proposed layout and plan has been drastically altered.

It has been overtaken with events and i have about 80 yards of PECO flexi track i intend to laydown.

We decided to have a Koi-carp garden pond so i contracted the job to a professional landscaper and gardener whom i also discussed my proposed railway plans with.

The excavation of the pond began today and the pictures tell the story.

First this picture shows the proposed corner of the garden for the pond and railway. It will be fenced off with a low fencing to stop any visiting children from falling into the pond , likewise stopping my devilish puppy dog from destroying my railway when he gets bored.

The picture below is a google map layout of my whole property and an idea of the total size can be gotten from it. The red line is the track, blue line is the pond and the white line will be the low fencing.

Digging in progress

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 9:45 am

Wow your plans are developing well. I am surprised that you havn't included a bridge over the pond. I know that I'd be tempted to have one.

Sir haydn · Post by **Sir haydn** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 10:14 am

Another member of the somme recreation society!

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:57 am

Sir Clothem Cap:68561 wrote:Wow your plans are developing well. I am surprised that you havn't included a bridge over the pond. I know that I'd be tempted to have one.

Very true, i was also tempted to include a bridge but after good advice in another thread on this forum, i decided to avoid it as it will be a catastrophe for the fish when oil droplets fall into the pond from the bridge, hereby creating a oil film over the water.

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 1:46 pm

I suppose it depends on how much traffic you allow on a bridge and if it has a floor or open lattice.

Does anyone else with a bridge have any problems with regard to fish?

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 2:21 pm

Sir Clothem Cap:68572 wrote:
Does anyone else with a bridge have any problems with regard to fish?

After the advice i got in this thread , i decided not to take any chances

http://gardenrails.myfreeforum.org/ftop ... -asc-0.php

Sir Clothem Cap · Post by **Sir Clothem Cap** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 7:43 pm

Ahh I see Well I can't argue with that. Koi aren't cheap.

Pendo Pilot · Post by **Pendo Pilot** » Thu Mar 29, 2012 11:30 pm

Keith&Joanna:68605 wrote:Mini Digger, tut tut, thats cheating sir! :twisted:

Indeed!! But a superb way to do it! I could of made even more holes in the garden if I had one of those!

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Fri Mar 30, 2012 9:39 pm

Todays Updates

Early in the morning, the pond felt underlayer was applied onto a soft layer of fine sand levelled at the bottom.

Then 45mm EPDM pond rubber liner spread on top and filling with water began.

here it is 75 percent filled with water

The base bricks for my railway arrived this afternoon too. They will be placed on a bed of cement into a foundation i will dig for the track layout around the pond.

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:08 pm

The pond is almost finished now and excavation for the track foundation has commenced.

DLRdan · Post by **DLRdan** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:25 pm

Thats quite a pond you have there, will make a fantastic back drop for photos.

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:27 pm

I would of dug a bigger hole and had a clay pit railway.. the hole looked the perfect quarry.

benchmark · Post by **benchmark** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:30 pm

METHSSNIFFER:69222 wrote:I would of dug a bigger hole and had a clay pit railway.. the hole looked the perfect quarry.

Any hole made in this geographical area get filled with water eventually so a quarry railway is not an option.

METHSSNIFFER · Post by **METHSSNIFFER** » Wed Apr 04, 2012 11:32 pm

I guess but in real practice they do pump water out I guess it finishes in a pond anyway. But the hole does look impressive as well as the finished pond

Keith S · Post by **Keith S** » Thu Apr 05, 2012 1:51 am

Yeah Benchmark, Methssniffer has a point, you could have used some of your stationary engines, especially the beam engines, to drive pumps. You would have had the most realistic railway ever! You could have won an award!

Looks nice the way it is now, too though. It looks like you have a nice long loop for your trains.

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