Caporegime
What does the 2nd hand market look like? Problem is when you start to fall into needing boiler inspections and perhaps work from professionals to keep it going, it may get a bit too much.
Garden Railway
- Thread starter sovietspybob
- Start date
Yeah i've been looking, you can get 2nd had stuff from about £7 grand for a smaller loco but a lot wont have a boiler certificate and without being a member of a model engineering club it looks a bit of a hassle to get one, i need to look into that after lockdown.
Then there's the issues of a lot i've seen are at least 15+ years old and who really knows the condition of the running gear or boiler. I don't have the tools or skills to re-tube a boiler in the garage or refresh the cylinders etc
also a lot of the older ones seem to only have 1 injector which seems less than ideal. I believe a lot of clubs will require you to have 2 for insurance purposes, plus i wouldn't fancy running with only 1 myself.
Then there's the issues of a lot i've seen are at least 15+ years old and who really knows the condition of the running gear or boiler. I don't have the tools or skills to re-tube a boiler in the garage or refresh the cylinders etc
also a lot of the older ones seem to only have 1 injector which seems less than ideal. I believe a lot of clubs will require you to have 2 for insurance purposes, plus i wouldn't fancy running with only 1 myself.
Caporegime
Does sound like a pain, would be amazing though if not just for the smell!
Id be worried about the bronze bearing material and getting spare parts, imagine most stuff that old would mean owning a lathe and making your own.
Id be worried about the bronze bearing material and getting spare parts, imagine most stuff that old would mean owning a lathe and making your own.
Caporegime
How are the rails affixed to the sleepers, are they just wedged between the braces?
Yeah i think doing stuff yourself would be the only way really, luckily my dad has all the skills on full size stuff, he was a boilersmith at the Llangollen railway until he retired a few years ago so i'm sure he would be able to figure it out but it would mean getting all the tools. Saying that you could probably do a lot at this size with those mini lathes which are pretty affordable and don't take up the whole shed.
As for the rails they're just held in my friction in to the chairs, if you've got your levels right they seem to be OK. Once you screw them down they're meant to pinch the rail by design, you can remove them by hand but it takes a fair bit of force.
As for the rails they're just held in my friction in to the chairs, if you've got your levels right they seem to be OK. Once you screw them down they're meant to pinch the rail by design, you can remove them by hand but it takes a fair bit of force.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 7,607
I think an electric one would be best for general use. I always wanted to build a mamod garden setup. I have a mamod steam engine that runs on meths. I used proper steam oil on it and the flywheel flew off when it was running flat out!
Ah i've got a mamod too mines quite old though, i got it from as a present from the general manager at the Snowdon railway when i was little but it still seems to run nicely for what it is, that's what started my on this journey! I was going to build a small track for that but then things got out of hand...
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 7,607
You might have to build that as well 
Right time for an update
Decided to neaten up the battery install on my loco, the wife suggested putting the batteries in the seat which was a really good idea. It's still got the petrol engine there mostly acting as ballast currently but it can be used to drive the wheels when needed.
Fitted a re-settable breaker to the outside to act as a fuse and also an isolation switch, there is also a charging plug i added just after this. All held in place professionally by stick back foam to stop any rubbing and blocks of wood.
Then was in the local shop chatting to the owners who happen to be my next door neighbours, the chap said he's got a digger on hire but has finished his job early but he's got it for another day and did i want him to send his mate round to dig a trench for the railway, so obviously i said yes.
So a man in a digger turned up this morning and did this for me, was a bit of a faff for him as I've got a robot lawn mower with a boundary wire around the entire lawn so had to keep clear of that (which we didn't as you can see in the pic below... but that was the only place we broke the wire)
That's saved me a huge amount of manual labour which is a bit of a god send as i think i had Covid earlier in the year and am still really suffering from it's long term effects, i get breathless doing pretty much anything nowadays and get spells where i'm completely wiped out and can't do anything which is pretty pants and frustrating for a normally fit and active 34 year old so no idea how long it would have taken me to do this otherwise. It'll take me long enough to lay the track in it with how i feel currently but hey ho.
Decided to neaten up the battery install on my loco, the wife suggested putting the batteries in the seat which was a really good idea. It's still got the petrol engine there mostly acting as ballast currently but it can be used to drive the wheels when needed.
Fitted a re-settable breaker to the outside to act as a fuse and also an isolation switch, there is also a charging plug i added just after this. All held in place professionally by stick back foam to stop any rubbing and blocks of wood.
Then was in the local shop chatting to the owners who happen to be my next door neighbours, the chap said he's got a digger on hire but has finished his job early but he's got it for another day and did i want him to send his mate round to dig a trench for the railway, so obviously i said yes.
So a man in a digger turned up this morning and did this for me, was a bit of a faff for him as I've got a robot lawn mower with a boundary wire around the entire lawn so had to keep clear of that (which we didn't as you can see in the pic below... but that was the only place we broke the wire)
That's saved me a huge amount of manual labour which is a bit of a god send as i think i had Covid earlier in the year and am still really suffering from it's long term effects, i get breathless doing pretty much anything nowadays and get spells where i'm completely wiped out and can't do anything which is pretty pants and frustrating for a normally fit and active 34 year old so no idea how long it would have taken me to do this otherwise. It'll take me long enough to lay the track in it with how i feel currently but hey ho.
Soldato
Wow - some serious beer tokens and/or free rides owed for that effort saved. My back is hurting just looking at it !
Man of Honour
This is going to be awesome. Wish I had a big enough garden to do this. In that picture you did earlier in the thread with your potential routes if it were me I would do the whole boundary as a circuit and have a siding or two near the side of the house. Don't forget the engine shed and carriage shed as well.
I probably wouldn't go down the steam engine route because at the end of the day it's still a fully working steam loco and needs the same amount of attention before and after each use even though it would be a much scaled down model. You so have to get a horn though!!
I probably wouldn't go down the steam engine route because at the end of the day it's still a fully working steam loco and needs the same amount of attention before and after each use even though it would be a much scaled down model. You so have to get a horn though!!
Associate
What a great project. Your daughter will love it when she can go for rides.
Soldato
- Joined
- 22 Aug 2004
- Posts
- 7,607
Hey she can wait her turn with the rest of us!!!
Decided i needed to rig something up so my robot mower could keep working as the grass was starting to look untidy, so laid a temporary boundary wire until i can lay the track down the trench that's been dug so the mower won't keep falling in.
Then made up the section of track to go across the driveway, made it up out of 10x20mm steel bar cut up, made 1 side first in the garage and carried it out, it bent in its own length to shape there without much force and then welded the other rail in situ.
Time will tell how it holds up to us driving over it.
Then laid 1 more section beyond
Then did a small test of filling it back in with the turf so the mower can go over it, seems to work ok
And that's where i'm up to now, need to spread a bit of gravel under the sleepers to level it all out and then start filling it back in with turf and rinse and repeat down the garden now.
Ordered 2 sets of pressed steel wheels which should hopefully turn up later in the week so i can make up 2 more wagons, think i'll make 1 more flat wagon and then a plank wagon for carrying other stuff around in.
Then made up the section of track to go across the driveway, made it up out of 10x20mm steel bar cut up, made 1 side first in the garage and carried it out, it bent in its own length to shape there without much force and then welded the other rail in situ.
Time will tell how it holds up to us driving over it.
Then laid 1 more section beyond
Then did a small test of filling it back in with the turf so the mower can go over it, seems to work ok
And that's where i'm up to now, need to spread a bit of gravel under the sleepers to level it all out and then start filling it back in with turf and rinse and repeat down the garden now.
Ordered 2 sets of pressed steel wheels which should hopefully turn up later in the week so i can make up 2 more wagons, think i'll make 1 more flat wagon and then a plank wagon for carrying other stuff around in.
This is the dream right there.
The best I'll ever hope for is getting a model out into a garden (once I move out of the city)
The best I'll ever hope for is getting a model out into a garden (once I move out of the city)
Man of Honour
Your garden is bloody massive!! Get rid of that gate and put in a proper level crossing, you may as well make it for double track for when you install the second line next to that one for races around the garden.
Turf between the rails should be fine and no different to the state of some stations on the network anyway. When is the forum member open day? There's a idea, free labour for a ride around the garden.
Turf between the rails should be fine and no different to the state of some stations on the network anyway. When is the forum member open day? There's a idea, free labour for a ride around the garden.
Some of these puns are shocking but this is an amazing project, nice work! 
I’m not going to make out I’ve had a lifelong interest in trains and tracks but won’t lie that I’ve not thought about my own personal railway. (If I ever had a house with an awesome garden like yours.)
Following with interest.
but this is an amazing project, nice work! I’m not going to make out I’ve had a lifelong interest in trains and tracks but won’t lie that I’ve not thought about my own personal railway. (If I ever had a house with an awesome garden like yours.)Following with interest.