AndyB
Western Thunderer
I can recommend an excellent osteopath....... whilst I give my back a break
He's sorted all of my family out at various times - from 6 month old daughter to 48 year old me.
Andy
Another Simple Garden Railway
- Thread starter Steve Cook
- Start date
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- Tags
- garden gauge 1 narrow gauge steam
He's sorted all of my family out at various times - from 6 month old daughter to 48 year old me.
Andy
JimG
Western Thunderer
Steve,
I've been thinking about that for the track on my oval. I've got one of these combination bender/guillotine/roller machines and I could probably machine shallow slots at the ends of the rolls to locate the bullhead rail to bend it. I'll have to have a trial with a bit of rail and see if it's a go-er. Otherwise I'll copy what you do - something like three ball races, one of them being moveable??
Jim.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I managed to get all the planks cut to length and screwed down
It all rather looks like Teutonic engineering.
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
No need for another high maintenance hobby Geoff
I'll settle for using the bath!Thanks Andy, but I have enough medical attention on my back already
Six evenings of work highlights how much strength I've lost over the last years as a result of the sciatica - all I can do is exercise and use it to gain back what I've lost.Pretty much Jim. I suspect that a better job would come from having a wheel around each ballrace, the circumference of which fits in between the head and foot of the rail so the bending is done on the web as well as the head / foot. That will also help to keep the rail in alignment through the rollers and not induce any vertical twist. I'll keep you updatedSteve,
I've been thinking about that for the track on my oval. I've got one of these combination bender/guillotine/roller machines and I could probably machine shallow slots at the ends of the rolls to locate the bullhead rail to bend it. I'll have to have a trial with a bit of rail and see if it's a go-er. Otherwise I'll copy what you do - something like three ball races, one of them being moveable??
Jim.
I'll take that as a compliment for a test track Dave
Its not very 'garden' but my focus for this one is in the locos, the stock and the material choices. It all helps steer me in the choices for future projects...Steve
Overseer
Western Thunderer
I first read that as Tectonic engineering. I should concentrate more, but it could explain Steve's back problems or maybe theres a secret plan for the next big project.
Yorkshire Dave
Western Thunderer
I suppose the next thing to do is lose the lawn in the centre of the test track, gravel it then add a pub style bench/table combo with an umbrella! ... and beers naturally.
... and beers naturally.
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
A slightly (!) longer gap than anticipated, but I do now have a working rail bender
Somewhat aesthetically challenging (the result of making things from scrap and offcuts), it nonetheless does what it needs to and makes bending rail rather easy indeed.
The bolt on the left with the extra nut is used as a limit stop, such that the sliding roller can be pulled out and returned to the same position. I wasn't sure whether it was going to be possible to thread the rail through all three rollers to get the desired radius of just over 6' in one go, but it is, so there is no need for that extra bolt. It does however firm up the sliding assembly so it has a use.
It took a couple of attempts to get everything in the right position but the trial piece of rail is definitely close enough to the desired radius for me to start bending the 2m lengths I have now.
I have the rest of the week off work, the weather looks promising (touches wood) so I'm hopeful I may make good progress towards getting something running shortly
Steve
Somewhat aesthetically challenging (the result of making things from scrap and offcuts), it nonetheless does what it needs to and makes bending rail rather easy indeed.
The bolt on the left with the extra nut is used as a limit stop, such that the sliding roller can be pulled out and returned to the same position. I wasn't sure whether it was going to be possible to thread the rail through all three rollers to get the desired radius of just over 6' in one go, but it is, so there is no need for that extra bolt. It does however firm up the sliding assembly so it has a use.
It took a couple of attempts to get everything in the right position but the trial piece of rail is definitely close enough to the desired radius for me to start bending the 2m lengths I have now.
I have the rest of the week off work, the weather looks promising (touches wood) so I'm hopeful I may make good progress towards getting something running shortly
Steve
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Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Spent the morning down at the engineering club making a new trolley to move one of the clubs new locos around. Having enjoyed a sociable fry-up I came home and started working out how to position the track exactly (that engineering bit of me again 
). Because I'm trying to pinch every mm possible, I set up a datum line for the inside rail edge from the garage wall and then used various bits of wood to create a trammel with which I can accurately place the curves. I cross checked it numerous times, making sure that there would be no restriction within 100 mm of the outside rail, then worked out where the turnout is going to sit so I could build forward from that.
The track is all from Cliff Barker and the sleeper units are far easier to slide on the track than I remember, in fact progress was much quicker than expected (and much less painful on the fingers too!). To that end, the first four yards are down and located using panel pins in the outer edge of the sleepers - I've only pinned the outside edge as it will make it easier to perform any adjustment and to lift them up to level the track / fit the elevation wedges.
Its a club running day tomorrow so I shall try and get another 2 yard panel built in the morning before heading down.
Steve
). Because I'm trying to pinch every mm possible, I set up a datum line for the inside rail edge from the garage wall and then used various bits of wood to create a trammel with which I can accurately place the curves. I cross checked it numerous times, making sure that there would be no restriction within 100 mm of the outside rail, then worked out where the turnout is going to sit so I could build forward from that.The track is all from Cliff Barker and the sleeper units are far easier to slide on the track than I remember, in fact progress was much quicker than expected (and much less painful on the fingers too!). To that end, the first four yards are down and located using panel pins in the outer edge of the sleepers - I've only pinned the outside edge as it will make it easier to perform any adjustment and to lift them up to level the track / fit the elevation wedges.
Its a club running day tomorrow so I shall try and get another 2 yard panel built in the morning before heading down.
Steve
Simon
Flying Squad
That looks great, really nice to see some track re-appearing in your garden after Doctor Beeching went amok the other year
I'm just off to try and solder up the pickups on the trailing bogie of D6316, Dave's coming over tomorrow and I really ought to get it out on those coaches.
I've also bought some 4mm brass rod to do the bearings for the re-wheeling coaches project, there's plenty for yours too if you ever fancy doing something similar.
So tomorrow should be good both here and there!
Simon
I'm just off to try and solder up the pickups on the trailing bogie of D6316, Dave's coming over tomorrow and I really ought to get it out on those coaches.
I've also bought some 4mm brass rod to do the bearings for the re-wheeling coaches project, there's plenty for yours too if you ever fancy doing something similar.
So tomorrow should be good both here and there!
Simon
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Cheers Simon, I'm delighted to have rails back in the garden, especially after more than two years without them
Really pleased to see you have D6316 back in service too
In terms of the test track, the head ganger took a bit of a verbal beating this morning when the CEO appraised his efforts, I believe the excuse was too much focus on hitting the minimum clearance / maximum diameter / track length and not enough looking at the damn job properly
Rectification was not too challenging, lightly fixing the track in place with panel pins meant it was all lifted quite easily and shifted an inch in towards the centre of the track. It doesn't really make much difference, but it adds just a little extra room should the unthinkable happen derailment wise.
The curve was continued round for another four yards, then the Castle (which was still warm from its running down at the club) was pushed around as a sanity check to make sure all my original calculations and mock ups were still holding true - I'm happy to report it looks like its all going to work! As a bonus, when viewing from the inside of the curve, it doesn't look too 'train set'...
I got another couple of yards down after that, primarily to finish off the first curve so I could remove the trammel set up, ready to fit it in place for the second curve tomorrow. As it looked before the light faded:
I reckon I'm a little over half way distance wise now, but probably a quarter of the way work wise. There is a third rail to add to create the 32mm running line and the small matter of the dual gauge point to build, plus the firing up lane. I think I'm going to run out of sleepers (by about 20) and I appear to have an excess of 2m lengths of rail - guess I was having a bad day when working all of that lot out...
Tonights job is to trim the inside of the sleeper spacers from the 247 sleepers needed for tomorrows curve....thrilling.
Steve
Really pleased to see you have D6316 back in service too
In terms of the test track, the head ganger took a bit of a verbal beating this morning when the CEO appraised his efforts, I believe the excuse was too much focus on hitting the minimum clearance / maximum diameter / track length and not enough looking at the damn job properly
Rectification was not too challenging, lightly fixing the track in place with panel pins meant it was all lifted quite easily and shifted an inch in towards the centre of the track. It doesn't really make much difference, but it adds just a little extra room should the unthinkable happen derailment wise.
The curve was continued round for another four yards, then the Castle (which was still warm from its running down at the club) was pushed around as a sanity check to make sure all my original calculations and mock ups were still holding true - I'm happy to report it looks like its all going to work! As a bonus, when viewing from the inside of the curve, it doesn't look too 'train set'...
I got another couple of yards down after that, primarily to finish off the first curve so I could remove the trammel set up, ready to fit it in place for the second curve tomorrow. As it looked before the light faded:
I reckon I'm a little over half way distance wise now, but probably a quarter of the way work wise. There is a third rail to add to create the 32mm running line and the small matter of the dual gauge point to build, plus the firing up lane. I think I'm going to run out of sleepers (by about 20) and I appear to have an excess of 2m lengths of rail - guess I was having a bad day when working all of that lot out...
Tonights job is to trim the inside of the sleeper spacers from the 247 sleepers needed for tomorrows curve....thrilling.
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Definitely
Hopefully I'll have shaken it down by then and ironed out any niggly running issues so you should get a good run on it
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Been a good day today - the weather was nice and the track building / laying went well, all the plain track is now down.
There was a bit of fiddling and faffing to get the trammel in the right place and in all honesty, it would have been better if I had made the baseboard tops a bit wider, but hey, too late now! I have managed to keep the distance between the outside rail and any obstructions as planned, as well as keeping the curve radius to 1970mm on the outside rail. I can't see any doglegs, but I'm sure Simon will spot any immediately when he comes up next month
I dragged my battery powered railbus out to test the line in its end-to-end configuration and while rattling that around noted that two years after ripping up the old scenic end to end line, I now have a line exactly the same length but devoid of scenery and about a foot further from the ground
I'm hoping the conifer can stay its current height and not get in the way as its the only really scenic point on the line.
Time to start working out the point work...
Steve
There was a bit of fiddling and faffing to get the trammel in the right place and in all honesty, it would have been better if I had made the baseboard tops a bit wider, but hey, too late now! I have managed to keep the distance between the outside rail and any obstructions as planned, as well as keeping the curve radius to 1970mm on the outside rail. I can't see any doglegs, but I'm sure Simon will spot any immediately when he comes up next month
I dragged my battery powered railbus out to test the line in its end-to-end configuration and while rattling that around noted that two years after ripping up the old scenic end to end line, I now have a line exactly the same length but devoid of scenery and about a foot further from the ground
I'm hoping the conifer can stay its current height and not get in the way as its the only really scenic point on the line.
Time to start working out the point work...
Steve
BrushType4
Western Thunderer
Nice job.
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Nothing major today, too many other jobs on the go and it was too nice to spend the day indoors. I did put a bit of plain track into the point position as I have a friend coming over tomorrow - he has an electric G1 Project loco and an Aster 9F, so both will be pushed around the curves to check for clearances etc. I suspect the Project is likely to go for a few laps if all is well
An old sign has been mounted off the frame too and the rope light is now fixed in place properly. At night time, it gives off enough glow to illuminate the path without casting too much light elsewhere, perfect for night time running with lit stock.
Some track levelling to do first thing tomorrow, then some running before point construction can start in earnest.
Steve
An old sign has been mounted off the frame too and the rope light is now fixed in place properly. At night time, it gives off enough glow to illuminate the path without casting too much light elsewhere, perfect for night time running with lit stock.
Some track levelling to do first thing tomorrow, then some running before point construction can start in earnest.
Steve
BrushType4
Western Thunderer
I keep coming back to this and looking. I wonder if I could get this past the boss? Hmmm...
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
I dare say if you made it more scenic it would stand a better chance! Got to be worth a try though
Blue skies here today, so a procession of locos made it round the track:
Electric G1 Project loco which went round under its own power (RC controlled with sound, bit too loud with the fences and garage acting as a boom box)
Scratch built Patriot to Paul Forsyth drawings, pushed round. Good test loco with long wheel base which gets upset on other tracks with larger radius.
And last but not least, Mick's Aster 9F which was pushed round again.
Everything ran well with no tight spots found and enough sideways movement still available to give confidence that the wheels and track were not fighting each other. I'm a happy man
I think that pretty much means that the track can accommodate most locos that its likely to see built to the standard G1 track standards, excellent.
The railbus got a quick upgrade to 2.4GHz RC from the old school 40Hz stuff and did a few laps to prove all was well.
As the sun is still shining, I'm going to add a few more elevation wedges to the track to keep the outer rail above the inner, there appears to be a little movement of the supporting structure that needs correcting.
Steve
Blue skies here today, so a procession of locos made it round the track:
Electric G1 Project loco which went round under its own power (RC controlled with sound, bit too loud with the fences and garage acting as a boom box)
Scratch built Patriot to Paul Forsyth drawings, pushed round. Good test loco with long wheel base which gets upset on other tracks with larger radius.
And last but not least, Mick's Aster 9F which was pushed round again.
Everything ran well with no tight spots found and enough sideways movement still available to give confidence that the wheels and track were not fighting each other. I'm a happy man
I think that pretty much means that the track can accommodate most locos that its likely to see built to the standard G1 track standards, excellent.
The railbus got a quick upgrade to 2.4GHz RC from the old school 40Hz stuff and did a few laps to prove all was well.
As the sun is still shining, I'm going to add a few more elevation wedges to the track to keep the outer rail above the inner, there appears to be a little movement of the supporting structure that needs correcting.
Steve
Steve Cook
Flying Squad
Adding the elevation wedges and levelling the track took quite a lot longer than expected, its hasn't helped that the Filcris planks occasionally warp across their width which can give two raised edges. Murphy's law states this will be the plank where the sleepers sit close to the edges, and for a double whammy, that will also be the lift out section 
I got there in the end though after some cursing and a few attempts. The wedges are a pretty neat design with markings on the surface to indicate the level of raising from the baseboard surface.
I used a spirit level to ensure consistency of the height of the outer rail above the inner, sliding the wedges in as far as was needed before nailing into place. I can now go round and glue them in position.
Whilst not a scientific test, I gave my test coach a good push round the circuit
I think its fair to say the speed is significantly higher to start with than I would ever run, but its good to know that it can hack around a curve a little over 6'4" in radius without derailing. Now I've done that, I don't ever need to do it again
Steve
I got there in the end though after some cursing and a few attempts. The wedges are a pretty neat design with markings on the surface to indicate the level of raising from the baseboard surface.I used a spirit level to ensure consistency of the height of the outer rail above the inner, sliding the wedges in as far as was needed before nailing into place. I can now go round and glue them in position.
Whilst not a scientific test, I gave my test coach a good push round the circuit
I think its fair to say the speed is significantly higher to start with than I would ever run, but its good to know that it can hack around a curve a little over 6'4" in radius without derailing. Now I've done that, I don't ever need to do it again
Steve