Garden Railway Forum

Now the nights are drawing in and the weather is getting less suitable for running trains what projects do people have planned for the winter months?

I intend to finish couple of tenmille coach kits I acquired second hand. Plus I have another little loco to finish for my son. Oh and a Swiftsixteen Tin Turtle to build and a Merlin to repaint....

The railway itself is on hold at the moment as a house move may be on the cards in the next few years.

I like the large steam plumes. We will steam on the garage shelf layout when all is lashing. We plan a steam up at the Primary school, and I do hope to build a coach if funds allow. I dream of an extension but the missus lost her job so back on hold it goes. Hey ho! Life!

Winter can be good a time of calm and quiet modelling. What a summer to remember though guys and gals eh?

A trio of binnie tippers, some andel flats and a dutch barn style roof for my harbourstation. Maybe a goods shed and pill box if there is time.
I would also like to re chassis my baguley diesel at some point.

I'll still be running - Butterley runs all the year round, and the East Midlands Tuesday Geriatrics are hard to put off! Build-wise, I've got to finish the Works train (5 Binnie slate wagons, suitably adapted), build another two closed coaches, plus Flag Fluorspar's answer to the HST!

MDLR:104378 wrote:I'll still be running - Butterley runs all the year round, and the East Midlands Tuesday Geriatrics are hard to put off! Build-wise, I've got to finish the Works train (5 Binnie slate wagons, suitably adapted), build another two closed coaches, plus Flag Fluorspar's answer to the HST!

Now that's something to look forward too!

williamfj:104380 wrote:

MDLR:104378 wrote:I'll still be running - Butterley runs all the year round, and the East Midlands Tuesday Geriatrics are hard to put off! Build-wise, I've got to finish the Works train (5 Binnie slate wagons, suitably adapted), build another two closed coaches, plus Flag Fluorspar's answer to the HST!

Now that's something to look forward too!

Its irrelevant if it doesn't have a Valenta soundtrack!

I door intend stopping running trains I hope to get a few running sessions over the winter.
On the long dark evenings I his to make some buildings as my line still looks very bare. As I set my layout during world war two, the blackout makes evening running very difficult!

Big Jim:104373 wrote:Now the nights are drawing in and the weather is getting less suitable for running trains what projects do people have planned for the winter months?.

I intend to build the first three sections of a portable layout to the basic 16mm modular spec (Thanks Brian for the various links) and to complete the tippers/chassis/3-locos/ and the baggage car all already under construction on the bench (the top of which currently looks like the contents of an upended scrap bin littered among the various tools). Christmas list will probably bring in another kit or two, so plenty to do.

The problem with the indoor "workshop" is the "bring it all in to save walking in and out in the cold" scenario which means lots of minimally used kit indoors and consequently the increasing clutter on the workbench.

Once we've got rid of the builders, which will probably be winter at the rate they are dawdling, civil engineering will commence Probably some point building and finishing off the current project loco too if the weather is wet and the children asleep

This is where the indoor K&NWLR comes into its own. Providing that we can get the electrician to come back and fix the lighting

All these indoor 16mm layouts!
I do have a garage that could be utilised that way if one of the cars stays out of hibernation this winter but I don't think the current wife would be too keen as I extended it two years ago just so one of the fleet would fit in it!

Big Jim:104409 wrote:All these indoor 16mm layouts!
I do have a garage that could be utilised that way if one of the cars stays out of hibernation this winter but I don't think the current wife would be too keen as I extended it two years ago just so one of the fleet would fit in it!

Just been running a Pearse "Leeds". In the dark, I admit, but you can hear it, trust me.

Keep on steaming, restart work on the diesel I started making this year and build a P Way train.

I can usually run through the winter, depending on the amount of snow/rain, but the lack of daylight restricts the days on which I can operate to those when I can get an early finish.

Ganger Rolf's list starts with getting Lillehavnen finished and topping up the ballast on the whole line.  Ballasting on CAP gauge lines in Norway often seems to be a mix of sand and small ballast, so the old Decomposed Granite and small chippings mix will be used. The DG tends to set up as a kind of crust if it gets damp a few times, which makes the winter the optimal time for re-ballasting as we get light rain in the winter months, rather than ye olde monsoon downpour.

The top terminus has all the point work in, but only about half the sidings laid.  The flood defence wall at Hvitkirke needs extending so that it meets up with the main road as it come up the hill from "Halfway." I have noticed a developing scour pit from the recent down pours which is already too close to a siding, and if left will begin to threaten the RR loop as well.

The loco department would like one of the twins put into good order, and would appreciate a second reliable locomotive - such as another Millie, or something else Roundhouse. This depends on the availability of something called cash.

Rolling stock is coming on quite well.  Once I am over my bally jetlag (usually about three days) I can crack on with the BVB second class coach I started before my holiday, and then get on with the first of the two Skabo inspired coaches for which the underframe is already made.  The brake van needs some filler and a little titivating, then it will be fit to be seen.  

There is a big heap of signs to make:

6 whistle signs
4 open level crossings
7 speed limit signs
7 end of speed restriction signs

There are also four signalling posts to make.

The big mystery is just how much of this will get done.  I guess it all depends on the interruptions.

I also have a strange ambition to install some sort of block system so that if we do have a multi-operator session we can avoid collisions on my single track end-to-end layout.

Cheers,
Peter in AZ

Haven't steamed much this summer unfortunately, always seem to have too much else to do and I'm not really one to be out in the cold in the winter. I especially hate those months when everything is always wet.

My main priority during the winter is to actually finish some rolling stock, I'm terrible for starting things and never finishing them. I've two scratchbuild L & B coaches to finish and one more to start and about four half built goods vehicle kits to finish. There's a Swiftsixteen guards van still in the packet which I daren't open yet or I will start it and it will end up on the "to be finished" list !

Brian

The Crowfoot Light Railway is very much a fair weather railway with the track being utilised for test runs only during the winter. Fortunately for me I enjoy modelling as much as operating and like others I've got my shed rigged up with plenty of lighting, heating and insulation etc.
I look forward to the spring and see what nature has done or plans to do to help me get the best out of the railway before the winter sets in again.
I have enough kits and planned builds to keep me going right through the less pleasant months.

I am looking forward to winter.

First I will start building one or two of all my unbuild wagon kits.
And before the snow and cold weather take over the line, I will ad some Rowlands mix to the tracks.
Finally there will be some running sessions when the white stuff appears ...

Yes, I'm looking forward to getting stuck into some winter projects too...

First up is track maintenance, relaying three spots that are causing trouble. I aim to start that soon and would like to be finished by Christmas, because a steam-up often seems like a good idea on New Years Day.

On the loco front I plan to turn my Accucraft Baldwin into WHR 590 (mostly little jobs, but some involve... metalwork!!! Arrgh.....) and see if I can sort out the valve timings on my RH Bertie.

Two carriages need finishing off - my Hudson "toastrack" is 70% complete but has been for years and never quite progresses, and my WHR semi-open consists of just a pair of sides at the moment.

The rest of the carriage fleet could do with a little maintenance, ranging from some signs and a replacement step for the Buffet Car to whatever surgery is required to get FfR Van 2 to stay on he track.

That all sounds like enough to be getting on with (perhaps it'll be a long winter?!) but I'd like to have a go at some NWNGR buildings too...

I'd better get started...

Andrew.

MDLR:104378 wrote:I'll still be running - Butterley runs all the year round, and the East Midlands Tuesday Geriatrics are hard to put off! Build-wise, I've got to finish the Works train (5 Binnie slate wagons, suitably adapted), build another two closed coaches, plus Flag Fluorspar's answer to the HST!

You can add a 7-plank wagon to that list.......................... Bought the kit from Swift 16 today!

I haven't had a running line all summer because of some major reworking in the garden. However I will be able to start relaying track tomorrow on the new bed for the half that's been revamped. Very glad of the mild weather we still have.