Garden Railway Forum

Can´t wait for someone to do the 1:1 maths.

robc_wa:100154 wrote:

Peter Butler:100152 wrote:!
  Since taking these pictures I have sprayed them with plastic primer and an acrylic top coat in green..... pictures to follow.

Err.... I though Elephants were supposed to be grey?!!

Perhaps in Australia...... Remember these are Welsh Elephants!

Is your line a complete circuit now peter?

The line is a complete circuit with two termini... one outside and one in the shed.


I can run trains in either direction on the circuit as well as changing direction before entering one of the stations and running round the train for a return journey.
I tend not to operate very much as my pleasure is in the making, however, since Billy came to the line I have spent more time with the railway.

Take us on a photographic trip round the line, please

As promised, here are pictures of the viaduct sides which I installed only today following other preliminary work.
I am very pleased with the result but the track still needs ballast to complete the image.... some people are never satisfied!

That is looking good Peter. The "kit-bashed" lattice bridge looks particularly impressive. I'd never have guessed its origins if I hadn't seen the earlier posts.

Looking good Peter.

Looking good indeed Peter. Nice as the girder span is I particularly like the plate girder spans, They look really 'vintage'. All in all lovely structure.

That is really looking good Peter, I like the raised section a lot. The bridges look superb, I hope to start laying my ballast soon if the weather holds up been nice and sunny in Essex this weak.

Thanks to everyone for your comments.....
Big Al, are you going to stick your ballast down or leave it loose?
If you are sticking it, what with?

I am going to try different methods , 1st. 2&3 mm gravel and stones with some cement dust and small amount of peat and if I don't like that I will try laying the ballast and poring a damp brick work treatment I can't recall it's name at the moment but I did try a small sample and it seamed to hold the ballast OK . If all else fails then lay the ballast and spray with water proof PVA.

Thanks for the info Big Al... Perhps the stuff you mean is SBR which is a bonding agent for screeding. I have some and tried it on fine material which set solid in dry weather but became soggy and loose again during the winter...... not good!
I thought about waterproof PVA diluted with SBR to make it runny enough to work into the ballast.
At the moment I still have no ballast to stick down anyway.

On Monday this week I bought a small (3") resin figure of Merlin, the Magician, at a local charity shop. Legend has it that Merlin was born here in Carmarthen and is still here, entombed in a cave, locked in chains by his lover (?) and waiting for release to help King Arthur, when he too is recalled to assist the country in time of crisis.
With a background such as this how can I not have a statue on my railway to honour the great man?


I have decided to mount the figure on a natural rock and it will eventually be sited at the entrance to the station car park.



I also bought a toy tractor close enough to 16mm scale to make a reasonable impression when a few changes have been made to its appearance.


It was complete when I bought it for 50p. I have dismantled it to see whether it is possible to carry out improvements and will post further pictures to show progress.

Like the Merlin statue. If, in your many travels, you come across a 16mm dragon, let me know. I have a cave waiting for it, and the appropriate sign in Welsh ("To the Dragon Cave", if case you´re wondering ....)

How big is a 16mm scale dragon?
I have made a Dragon Wagon using a cast resin dragon from a local Welsh Shop. It was very reasonably priced but whether they are still available I will have to check. I must say it needed some fettling to improve its looks and came in a horrible all-over red colour which just had to go!

Nice dragon wagon.
Another guy (MDLR) on this forum also made a dragon wagon:

http://www.mdlr.co.uk/dwag.html

The tractor is done.... detailed additions include front weights..



three-point linkage at the rear...


windows, driver, exhaust, repaint and weathering...


For a 50p toy I think it has been good value, especially as the body is die-cast metal so should be a sturdy addition to the ever growing fleet of scenic accessories.

Looks good Peter.
Like the weathering on the body, but you missed doing the tyres !!

Getting 'picky' now are we???
You're right though.... I did the side walls and hubs but not the treads. I'll put that right for you straight away...... sorry!