Proper civil engineering! there is a great Railway Modeller article by a guy called Bryan Birchell who had a OO garden railway in Daventry and he goes into great detail about using concrete as a track bed, worth reading if you can find it, Peco published in one of their leaflets as well.
Paul Braddock there are a few people who have done oo in the garden - including me! It was published in a couple of magazines. This is the first major civil engineering version and should last for decades.
Good work Jenny, looking great so far. Hope your back's not hurting too much after all that digging & concrete laying (par for the course i guess,but worth it in the end).
Its a great start looking forward to the finish product. I would have suggested using garden bender boards and stakes prior to pouring the concrete as it would easier to maintain a steady slope and level from side to side. Also you could use a small piece of wood with the roadbed pattern you want to scrape of the concrete on the top.
The overbridge is going to look good. When you lay the track you may have to come out a little further. Great work so far. Real graft as you say doing all the groundwork.
John Mellor the track just fits. I used the set track to map out where it needs to go so it should be okay. I’m looking forward to installing the bridge too!
I made my Small O Gauge Garden layout with 6' radius curves, as I had problems with set track radius. It now works fine. Hope you manage to sort it out Jennie.
Hi Jenny! None of your subscribers have any doubt you will conquer any issues. I like to call it one of the great conundrums of model railroaders: We design in our minds that which we desire, then deal with the design pitfalls as we attempt to create our vision. As I have often told people just entering the hobby: It is your railroad. It is your world to create. So forget the naysayers (and there are many). Do it your way. I do, however, agree with Kettenhund 31. With those gradients, you will have to manage the throttle up and down grade. It will be very hard to just sit and watch. Possibly someone out there has designed a system that will automatically do that for you without going to DCC. Enjoy your gin and tonic!
Wow! Getting a lot of work in before winter. Snow in NYC tomorrow :( :( :( The DCC decoders should have a Back EMF feature that will compensate, at least partially, for your grade problem.
Looking great. Now you're suffering the problems encountered 200 years ago when railroading was rocket science. The soil looks like you're in for a very nice garden.
I tend to be at various places short notice, though I did meet a couple of people there on the day quite by chance who follow my videos, which was nice.
Hi Jenny good stuff! Because of your garden railway, I had a play on my friends garden railway and it is a lot of fun. I have made a little taster vedoe for you on my channel . Cheers Jaco
With those gradients, Jenny, you're going to have to drive the trains... Which is actually fun. I doubt if sitting back and just watching will be an option. I did American 'O' for about thirty years and came back to British OO a few years ago for precisely the reasons that you outlined in this video. Incidentaly I used to run large 2-8-0's around 3'9" radius track (and on a 1 in 33 grade) but they didn't look right so please think really carefully about tight curves. 'O' is fantastic but it really does need space. All the best, Ken.
Kettenhund31 the curves are no where near as tight as those I’ve used in oo. I believe that they should allow larger locos to run without too much issue. Not sure of their radius.
I find that 2ft rad is the minimum that OO stock looks right on (my mainline is 3foot minimum)... 2' scales up to 42" rad in O gauge. O stock looks toy-like on anything this tight - its okay for sidings and goods yards but for running trains on it just doesn't look right - this is what eventually brought me back to OO. If I hadn't of been stubborn, I'd have converted sooner! All the best, Ken
Hey Jenny, it's looking like you've got a mini Crossrail project going on in your garden! I hope it doesn't go as much over budget and timescale as Crossrail though :) Can't wait to see trains running around the garden again - do you think services will be in operation by Christmas?
tjf4375 I’m hoping to get it running before Christmas but I’m so busy with other projects vying for my time. So far the most expensive part was the track, though skip hire and building materials aren’t far behind.
So admire your work, it really isn't easy, is it. But I know you will succeed in anything you want to do. Loads of respect Rodge David Kidderminster UK 😀
Maybe and end to end layout design is required? Six foot radius is really the minimum for o gauge to look right. I prefer an elevated track using steel posts ( easy to get scrap lengths with galvanised round posts the ideal) to minimise the problems of being close to the ground. I am using no timber on the track I am constructing.
I find end to end layouts a little boring to operate, so have elected to make a continuous run fit, though I am right at the limit of minimum radius for O gauge. All my stock so far is 0-6-0 locos and small four wheel wagons so hopefully it should run without too many issues. I suspect that a Duchess or A4 might have issues were I ever to get one!
End to end doesn't have to be boring. You could have twin lines from one station to another that don't run parallel but meander around your garden before they meet up.. You can then run two trains and have a double sided platform at each terminus station.
A bit worried about your gradients Jennifer. I've built my garden railway completely on the level just to take that potential problem away altogether. Suppose this is just like building the real thing eh? Didn't stop the Victorians! You'll get there in the end.
14 NOV 2018 @ 23,52 GMT Dear Ms. Kirk: As a suggestion, download and install the _Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller_ "SCARM" at www.scarm.info/index.php. I have successfully used this software package to design several HO and N layouts for friends & clubs. Using their O-gauge track library you will be able to see your garden railway in 3D and also calculate gradients to ensure manageable ruling grades. The strength here is to discover problems in 3D, then alter the layout's design to correct the problems. Repeating this _2D-design:3D-test:2D-redesign_ iteration cycle will result in nearly trouble-free construction. Additionally, when you've completed the design, you can print out a 1:1-scale series of overlapping pages of the layout, tack the pages down on your baseboard, and lay your track down onto the printed outline of the design. A feature possibly not useful for your garden railway, but certainly for indoor railways. Also, if you haven't already done so, I suggest purchasing a set of O-gauge _"Radius Tools."_ For your subscribers who are unfamiliar with these tools, they allow installation of curved flex-track at a constant, fixed radius and avoid accidental suboptimal radius _"kinks."_ Finally, have you purchased _"Curved Turnouts"_ for sidings and industrial spurs? *Good Luck!* _Disclaimer: I am only a USER of SCARM. I have no professional connection to the programmers._
Hi Jenny, may I offer some advice (without stepping on your toes)? I am a professional custom model railroad builder in the US and built quite a few garden layouts, some even including water features. One problem I see with your approach is that it seems to me that the soil is not really compacted. This could result in cracking concrete subroadbed once the whole layout starts to settle. Once the concrete starts cracking, weeds may start to grow and worsen the cracks, since you don't seem to have a weed barrier under your roadbed. Again, not being critical here, just speaking from experience. Building a garden layout is - as you already experienced - a ton of hard work and actually requires some civil engineering. If you're interested in how I take on such a job, feel free to visit my portfolio page on my website here: farbeyondrails.net/north-carolina.php. My contact information is also on the website, in case you might have questions. Good luck with your project! Erhard
Thanks for the advice. The soil has been compacted by tamping on the lines that the track will take with heavy sledgehammers. I've also dug down and used hardcore as fill underneath. The ground level where the tracks will go are only at most a foot of extra soil above a previous layer upon which the last garden line ran and which were settled over five or so years. Construction is going slowly to allow the roadbed to settle, and outlying sidings will be added at a later date when the extra ground has settled.
any updates on video , just what video i been looking for .
Really good to see the progress, I hope you'll be able to solve the problems.
A.R. Productions thanks!
Proper civil engineering! there is a great Railway Modeller article by a guy called Bryan Birchell who had a OO garden railway in Daventry and he goes into great detail about using concrete as a track bed, worth reading if you can find it, Peco published in one of their leaflets as well.
Paul Braddock there are a few people who have done oo in the garden - including me! It was published in a couple of magazines. This is the first major civil engineering version and should last for decades.
@@JenniferEKirk Looking forward to that!
Good work Jenny, looking great so far. Hope your back's not hurting too much after all that digging & concrete laying (par for the course i guess,but worth it in the end).
Thanks! It is arduous work but seems more fulfilling than gym membership! (And cheaper!)
@@JenniferEKirk LOL.
Its a great start looking forward to the finish product. I would have suggested using garden bender boards and stakes prior to pouring the concrete as it would easier to maintain a steady slope and level from side to side. Also you could use a small piece of wood with the roadbed pattern you want to scrape of the concrete on the top.
The overbridge is going to look good. When you lay the track you may have to come out a little further. Great work so far. Real graft as you say doing all the groundwork.
John Mellor the track just fits. I used the set track to map out where it needs to go so it should be okay. I’m looking forward to installing the bridge too!
That is looking amazing Jenny, well done.
Thanks!
I made my Small O Gauge Garden layout with 6' radius curves, as I had problems with set track radius. It now works fine. Hope you manage to sort it out Jennie.
Thanks!
Hi Jenny! None of your subscribers have any doubt you will conquer any issues. I like to call it one of the great conundrums of model railroaders: We design in our minds that which we desire, then deal with the design pitfalls as we attempt to create our vision. As I have often told people just entering the hobby: It is your railroad. It is your world to create. So forget the naysayers (and there are many). Do it your way. I do, however, agree with Kettenhund 31. With those gradients, you will have to manage the throttle up and down grade. It will be very hard to just sit and watch. Possibly someone out there has designed a system that will automatically do that for you without going to DCC. Enjoy your gin and tonic!
Thanks! Some of the gradient has yet to be eased, but I'm told that DCC should be able to cope. It has been a very fulfilling build so far!
Wow! Getting a lot of work in before winter. Snow in NYC tomorrow :( :( :( The DCC decoders should have a Back EMF feature that will compensate, at least partially, for your grade problem.
The Trainman's Lounge the speed control is what I’m banking on!
Looking great. Now you're suffering the problems encountered 200 years ago when railroading was rocket science. The soil looks like you're in for a very nice garden.
Austin Yingst thanks! The soil is excellent and is around ten feet deep to the clay after I built it all up.
Really is hard work I feel for you. Wish I knew you were in Oswestry I only live ten minutes away I would have come and said hello.
I tend to be at various places short notice, though I did meet a couple of people there on the day quite by chance who follow my videos, which was nice.
Hi Jenny good stuff!
Because of your garden railway, I had a play on my friends garden railway and it is a lot of fun. I have made a little taster vedoe for you on my channel .
Cheers
Jaco
Ledgers Farm Junction they are great fun! There’s something about dealing with real rocks, soil and plants for scenery!
With those gradients, Jenny, you're going to have to drive the trains... Which is actually fun. I doubt if sitting back and just watching will be an option. I did American 'O' for about thirty years and came back to British OO a few years ago for precisely the reasons that you outlined in this video. Incidentaly I used to run large 2-8-0's around 3'9" radius track (and on a 1 in 33 grade) but they didn't look right so please think really carefully about tight curves. 'O' is fantastic but it really does need space.
All the best,
Ken.
Kettenhund31 the curves are no where near as tight as those I’ve used in oo. I believe that they should allow larger locos to run without too much issue. Not sure of their radius.
I find that 2ft rad is the minimum that OO stock looks right on (my mainline is 3foot minimum)... 2' scales up to 42" rad in O gauge. O stock looks toy-like on anything this tight - its okay for sidings and goods yards but for running trains on it just doesn't look right - this is what eventually brought me back to OO. If I hadn't of been stubborn, I'd have converted sooner!
All the best,
Ken
Hey Jenny, it's looking like you've got a mini Crossrail project going on in your garden! I hope it doesn't go as much over budget and timescale as Crossrail though :) Can't wait to see trains running around the garden again - do you think services will be in operation by Christmas?
tjf4375 I’m hoping to get it running before Christmas but I’m so busy with other projects vying for my time. So far the most expensive part was the track, though skip hire and building materials aren’t far behind.
@@JenniferEKirk No probs, it's coming on well though, and like trains themselves, the journey is as much an experience as the destination :)
It will be rewarding when it's done! Starting to get there!
New Mills Model Railway thanks!
So admire your work, it really isn't easy, is it. But I know you will succeed in anything you want to do. Loads of respect
Rodge David Kidderminster UK 😀
The Spook DeVille thanks!
Thank you for sharing
Randall Byrd you’re welcome.
That looks pretty impressive!
Maybe and end to end layout design is required? Six foot radius is really the minimum for o gauge to look right. I prefer an elevated track using steel posts ( easy to get scrap lengths with galvanised round posts the ideal) to minimise the problems of being close to the ground. I am using no timber on the track I am constructing.
I find end to end layouts a little boring to operate, so have elected to make a continuous run fit, though I am right at the limit of minimum radius for O gauge. All my stock so far is 0-6-0 locos and small four wheel wagons so hopefully it should run without too many issues. I suspect that a Duchess or A4 might have issues were I ever to get one!
End to end doesn't have to be boring. You could have twin lines from one station to another that don't run parallel but meander around your garden before they meet up.. You can then run two trains and have a double sided platform at each terminus station.
What track are you using
I could never have an outdoor railway setup myself. The slugs and I'm a Manchester City fan.
Great video dude keep it up
I was going to say that white glazed material looks like part of a Belfast sink.
Shame it got smashed. Worth a few good pennies now.
A bit worried about your gradients Jennifer. I've built my garden railway completely on the level just to take that potential problem away altogether. Suppose this is just like building the real thing eh? Didn't stop the Victorians! You'll get there in the end.
Andrew Brunton I need to tweak some of the gradients. It needs them though to gain the height to pass back over itself.
it will be better and better -:)
I think it's common to underestimate the space needed for an imagined layout. I know I did.
Crow T. Robot certainly yes! I also underestimated the quantities of building materials too.
14 NOV 2018 @ 23,52 GMT
Dear Ms. Kirk:
As a suggestion, download and install the _Simple Computer Aided Railway Modeller_ "SCARM" at www.scarm.info/index.php. I have successfully used this software package to design several HO and N layouts for friends & clubs. Using their O-gauge track library you will be able to see your garden railway in 3D and also calculate gradients to ensure manageable ruling grades. The strength here is to discover problems in 3D, then alter the layout's design to correct the problems. Repeating this _2D-design:3D-test:2D-redesign_ iteration cycle will result in nearly trouble-free construction. Additionally, when you've completed the design, you can print out a 1:1-scale series of overlapping pages of the layout, tack the pages down on your baseboard, and lay your track down onto the printed outline of the design. A feature possibly not useful for your garden railway, but certainly for indoor railways. Also, if you haven't already done so, I suggest purchasing a set of O-gauge _"Radius Tools."_ For your subscribers who are unfamiliar with these tools, they allow installation of curved flex-track at a constant, fixed radius and avoid accidental suboptimal radius _"kinks."_ Finally, have you purchased _"Curved Turnouts"_ for sidings and industrial spurs?
*Good Luck!*
_Disclaimer: I am only a USER of SCARM. I have no professional connection to the programmers._
Hi Jenny, may I offer some advice (without stepping on your toes)? I am a professional custom model railroad builder in the US and built quite a few garden layouts, some even including water features. One problem I see with your approach is that it seems to me that the soil is not really compacted. This could result in cracking concrete subroadbed once the whole layout starts to settle. Once the concrete starts cracking, weeds may start to grow and worsen the cracks, since you don't seem to have a weed barrier under your roadbed. Again, not being critical here, just speaking from experience. Building a garden layout is - as you already experienced - a ton of hard work and actually requires some civil engineering. If you're interested in how I take on such a job, feel free to visit my portfolio page on my website here: farbeyondrails.net/north-carolina.php. My contact information is also on the website, in case you might have questions. Good luck with your project! Erhard
Thanks for the advice. The soil has been compacted by tamping on the lines that the track will take with heavy sledgehammers. I've also dug down and used hardcore as fill underneath. The ground level where the tracks will go are only at most a foot of extra soil above a previous layer upon which the last garden line ran and which were settled over five or so years. Construction is going slowly to allow the roadbed to settle, and outlying sidings will be added at a later date when the extra ground has settled.
Building Garden railway 🚃
☺ 👍