Office of Steam Forum for Model & Toy Steam Gas & Hot Air Engines

Hi,

Its getting cooler, the nights are drawing in so, before the leaves really start to fall the easily removable sections of the Rhydypenau Garden Railway have been lifted and stored in the garage.

Spring.
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Yesterday.
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Spring.
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Yesterday.
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Until Spring.
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Regards Tony.

Hi Tim,

I’m thinking of starting a front yard set up that may come in over winters. Nothing elaborate though, just a simple loop for steaming- probably 60 ft or so.

If you decide to build a garden railway this might help.  I have built several garden railways and portable layouts, I find the most difficult part is deciding the type of track base and material to make it.  I assume as you hope to be able raise the track that it will be raised above ground if only a little.  The track bed I used in my garden consists of 20 mm (3/4") marine or exterior plywood which was painted and then covered with roofing felt.  It is laid loose being supported at points on strips of 6 mm (1/4") PVC pads to give a non absorbent support and create an air gap.  The track bed support in my case is either paving slabs around a circular planter and a length of wall and a couple of columns all being caped with paving slabs.  Usually the track bed on these stays down but if it is removed the garden still looks OK. It is usually only the track bed fitted with legs or bridging the path that is lifted during Winter.  A couple of photographs taken during construction.

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Take care.

Tony.

Hi Tim,

I have used ballast on the portable layouts I have made just glued to the boards but have relied on the mineral finish on the roofing felt for appearance on the garden railways made.  Ballast on a garden railway which looks great can cause maintenance problems, freezing can cause it to break up and if it gets loose rain can cause it to jump up higher than the track.  It is also more difficult to clean however a lot of garden railways use it both glued and loose and it does look well.  If you intend to run steam locomotives and you can arrange the track maybe only a short length to be high as possible it will help in working on the locomotive and putting bogie stock on the tracks.

I hope this might help.

Tony.

That’s a funny story Gil!
Once again, thanks Tony. I am considering raising the proposed layout now. Possibly using deck pillars holding 4x4s. This set up would be easier maintained as well as removable. Still turning it all in my head over winter.
Cheers
Tim