Buddacre Garden Railway plan

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 12:07 pm

Hi, I would like to know what you all think of this plan, is there any way i could improve it etc. just a basic plan for now but will modify when needed.

cheers
Joe, by the way i plan to run live steam and battery stock on it

steamie1 · Post by **steamie1** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 2:22 pm

If you plan to invite others to steam ups some steam up sidings long enough with stock is a good idea. Also you could S the straights helps loco speed keep constant. A dead straight straight can be a pain. Keep it level as poss. This slight curving of the flexi straights need not be a lot width wise but it can help.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 3:38 pm

steamie1:106649 wrote:If you plan to invite others to steam ups some steam up sidings long enough with stock is a good idea. Also you could S the straights helps loco speed keep constant. A dead straight straight can be a pain. Keep it level as poss. This slight curving of the flexi straights need not be a lot width wise but it can help.

OK thanks for advice

Post by **ge_rik** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 4:46 pm

Joe
More of a question, really. Is there a reason why you haven't joined the two long spurs at the bottom end? As you plan to run live steam it would give you a really long run which would add to the interest. You could still run off a couple of spurs to stations for end to end running if that's what interests you.

I agree with Steamie's suggestion of giving more of a wiggle to the straight runs - trains look so much more interesting if they snake their way around the garden.

Rik

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 5:29 pm

ge_rik:106655 wrote:Joe
More of a question, really. Is there a reason why you haven't joined the two long spurs at the bottom end? As you plan to run live steam it would give you a really long run which would add to the interest. You could still run off a couple of spurs to stations for end to end running if that's what interests you.

I agree with Steamie's suggestion of giving more of a wiggle to the straight runs - trains look so much more interesting if they snake their way around the garden.

Rik

Hi Rik, yeah ideally i would but due to the way the garden is formed (near the bottom its mainly slabs and cobbles) i cant join the two ends but near the top end i can make the line meander around which hopefully will look very nice.

Cheers
Joe

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Tue Dec 23, 2014 10:34 pm

Wow,

What a lovely amount of space to have available, I haven't got half that!

Is there no way you can cross the cobbles Joe? Track set into them would be strong enough to stand people walking over it. Nice gentle curves would look good and give the chance for the trains to disappear and re-appear amongst the undergrowth.

When it comes to the 'ideal' track plan you're on a very personal playing field. Everyone has a different motivation and desire for their railway. Some just want to run loco's around a circuit, others enjoy operating a railway from A to B (even if A and B are on a continuous loop of track, others find end to end lines more enjoyable. Then there are those (who seem to me to be in a minority in this scale) for whom shunting is a particular attraction. Clearly all these interests require a more or less different approach to the track plan.

Nowt's ever simple is it?

Post by **Andrew** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 10:13 am

Soar Valley Light:106667 wrote:
Some just want to run loco's around a circuit, others enjoy operating a railway from A to B (even if A and B are on a continuous loop of track, others find end to end lines more enjoyable. Then there are those (who seem to me to be in a minority in this scale) for whom shunting is a particular attraction. Clearly all these interests require a more or less different approach to the track plan.

Depending on the space available, you could potentially do both with this basic shape... If there's room then "A" and "B" could be at the ends of those spurs, with run-round loops and a siding or two at each. The loop could then be a simple circuit - trains would run from A to B with however many laps of the circuit in the middle to extend the run - the best of both worlds?

If there's only room to develop one spur as a terminus then that could be joined to the loop via a triangular junction, so that trains could run from "A to A", with the laps of the loop to make up the distance as before - and "B" could perhaps be a quarry branch or whatever?

Just a few thoughts - I love plotting other folk's railways!

Have fun with it,

Andrew.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Wed Dec 24, 2014 4:02 pm

ok cheers, i will investigate weather i can cross the cobbles but i suspect not as there's a height difference too, yeah good idea Andrew, thanks

LnBmad · Post by **LnBmad** » Fri Dec 26, 2014 11:35 pm

Hi joe,

Did you visit my line in November?

I used to have big long straights running the length of the garden and it suited well for a while. This issue was that trains can very quickly pick up momentum on a long straight and they looked rather boring. I relaid the long straights in the summer onto a table top and made them curve and meander around more and the line was transformed.

I would also suggest thinking of passing loops now at the planing stage, it's not easy to add them in at a later date as you might think....

As for connecting the line all the way round, why not add a small balloon loop if you are unable to cross the path. Or turn that end into a series of sidings and passing loops so end to end running could be achieved?

Matt

Soar Valley Light · Post by **Soar Valley Light** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:38 am

The balloon loop is a great idea Matt, I wish I'd thought of that one! It's an idea that could easily be included along with the sidings and loops as well. Your own line sounds interesting, how often do you have open days?

Joe, if it's possible it's a great idea to know what you want your railway to do before you start building - it's bound to save on rebuilding later! This isn't as easy as it sounds though! Modelling has always been the same for me in any scale, I have to understand why the railway is there and the work it's got to do before I start building. This information guides the type and extent of facilities provided. This is because I see my railways as miniatures of real life, complete systems there to do a job. Others have different motives for building a line, for instance, if your primary motivation is the construction and/or operation of locomotives then the railway (and the stock) simply becomes a backdrop to the motive power. In this circumstance your track layout may be radically different, you won't be worried about the need to shunt the cattle vans into a dock for loading or get the Guinness tankers under the discharge gantry (OK maybe that IS important on any line!). More important though would be a steam up bay of suitable proportions, loops to store resting trains, complete with somewhere to refuel the loco possibly, and facilities to run as many trains as required (double track sections, loops and a long enough continuous run). This is especially so if group operation is a serious aim.

All this is a bit rich coming from someone who has yet to build his own railway but I've spent the last 18 months observing what others do so I've picked up lots of ideas. I have to say that most lines seem primarily to be built with group operation in mind, that is to say for open day type events (rather than a line which needs more than one person to 'run the service'). In fact I have yet to come across many other people who's primary interest is in running a railway rather than in running the loco's. That's perfectly understandable and certainly not a criticism. They are, after all, our biggest investment and generally centrepiece to any railway.

They always say 'Nowt's ever simple' and this applies to garden railways just as much as anything else, but then this diversity is the very thing which makes it such a fascinating hobby!

Andrew

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:42 am

Hi matt, yeah i did visit and thank you very much for the running day, ive since brought a couple more wagons and im building a cab for my little red diesel. Yeah i agree with you it would be much better i think instead of having a siding near the top of the straight on the left i could make that into a passing loop and have the straight on the right (which hopefully i will make not so straight) a bit like yours going against the fence so it would be easy to light up locos from there. I think once i have laid the left straight and the top oval section i could look at adding a loop at the bottom as well.

cheers
Joe

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:43 am

Thanks for advice Andrew, much appriciated

LnBmad · Post by **LnBmad** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 8:52 am

Just another thought. If the balloon loop idea sounds good but space could be an issue, why not make the balloon loop removable? Without seeing the space where the line is to go its a little harder to see but there are plenty of posibilities.

Andrew I will send you a pm with regards to my line. Save cluttering joes thread.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 6:23 pm

I think space will be fine for a balloon loop as the southern end of the garden is wider than the top, ive just brought a new live steam loco. Its a heavily modified mamod with brand new boiler and butane/propane gas burner as well as other features like regulator, burner control, lubricator etc, so if its alright with you could i perhaps pay you another visit at your next open day?
cheers
Joe

LnBmad · Post by **LnBmad** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 6:28 pm

You are welcome to come and run anytime. I will be forwarding the steam up dates to Richard on Monday.

Joe · Post by **Joe** » Sat Dec 27, 2014 6:29 pm

Ok cheers matt

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