Some fellow in one of the many forum postings I have read in the past month or so said, “Just lay some track and run some trains.” So I have. Here are some photos of what I have done so far:
The temporary road bed is old 1x4 cedar decking that I had laying around. I cut it the same length as the track pieces to be put down , and arranged the cedar pieces into the figure 8. Then I just plopped the Aristo-Craft track on top. The Cedar will all come out and be replaced with either one long trestle or gravel road bed.
Man what a trip! I have a couple of 7.9% grades, if I am calculating that right. (3.75 inches/4ft). So this initial set up will be a short haul logging or mining operation. I hope to add a ground level yard, station, and long haul freight and passenger routes later this year. I will have my hands full for a while building the trestle and rocking the grades to each circle. Anyway it has been a blast! “Jump right in and run some trains”, has been good advice so far. [:)]
I think you need to try and ease the grades a bit if you can.
Looks like a good start take the time to enjoy what you have for a while and find its limitations the ones you can change and improve on while you work out whats next.
Don’t forget to re use the key stones or what ever it is that’s created those two circular beds as the line grows.
Borrow a few books on your chosen theme and throw a couple of buildings together or maybe a very utilitarian loggers ?? miners coach just to make sure the theme is what you want
You now have a bit of breathing space to smell the roses and experiment.
You’ll want to ease those grades a little. It might help if you got the low point on the underneath line under the bridge and continued the grade through the corners and the upper straight.
Food for thought, remove one layer of blocks on both planters and rase the lower section by one layer of blocks. That should give you a 4% or less grade. Hope that helps, BTY there is a excelent post on trestle bent buliding.
There are quite a few of us who constantly tell folks, “Get track and go play in the dirt.” I am glad to see that you did just that. Now as you play, you will start working out the different solutions to all those unforeseen problems.
Like John said
I would look into the idea of using those retaining wall stones (bricks) to elevate the entire GRR area, maybe two stones tall, thus reducing the relative height of the two elevated flower beds, and cutting the grades by at least one half.
I could be mistaken, but it looks like you are working entirely with manufactured sectional track. I would recommend going with more of the longer flex track (5 or 10 foot lengths [1.5 or 3 meter]). Longer sections of track equate to fewer rail joints and lees probability of derailments caused by wheels “picking” an uneven joint.
Just do not be in too big a hurry to do anything. Play with it and let it grow, you will get much more pleasure that way.
Wow…thanks for all the great tips you guys…I can’t wait to get out and play in the dirt this weekend…raising the lower level with the landscaping brick and cutting the grade in half is a great idea!
Glad the forum could help, dont forget to post new pictures as you go we all like to see progress even though we sometimes, I for one, don’t make any ourselfs.
For crying out load. 90% of the replys I read is Criticism. Why didn’t you do this or You should have done that.
You built something you liked. YOU are having fun.Sooner or later you might want to try something else. GO for it. When you see a problem You will have fun correcting it.
Right now Your pride and Joy is give you fun and relaxation and a lot of suspender stretching pride.
You took the first step to happiness pulling your hair out.
Part of this thread and a previous one is that we where asked what to do and for our opinions
We have now been shown what has been done our opinion was asked for those of us that know must let those that don’t what we think there are no telepaths on this forum we cannot mind read either.
I have not seen one destructive criticism in any of the replies.
So with respect I request you apologize to the forum for the unpleasant tone of your message this is a forum for like minded hobbyists intent on enjoying our hobby and assisting those that asked for our opinion
This is not the houses of parliament or congress so we expect people to behave like gentlemen
with apologies to the rest of the forum for my tone
Thanks fellas for all the great ideas. I am going to lesson the grades and add some sidings. I will post some more pics in another month or two for you guys to opine on. I enjoyed all of your comments. I am a noob at this and your advice is very much appreciated. Regards…
How about we start with the first few words in your first message which automatically set the tone of your message as attacking and offensive in the extreme
I would suggest going in your garden set up a grade like in Zack’s first message get a nice train say 10 box cars and a caboose LGB or Aristocraft or other US “G” scale manufacturer will do not a particularly large train now fit every car with solid metal Aristocraft wheels or heavier ones if you have them.
Get an 0-4-0 locomotive and drag that train up the hill without a rack rail or banking loco
A garden sized 0-4-0 should not have trouble with such a short train as described I can assure you it will not cope very well with a 7.5% grade change it to real steam and it will not get further than the length of the loco on that grade.
Its not HO indoor toys the cars are heavy and the recommended grade is about 3% the loco will not do it.
I have built a garden railway I was fortunate to have people stop me making a few mistakes
Do you honestly expect me to sit silent when I see a potential problem and you should have read Zack’s message properly and the previous thread he started
Now when you have done what I suggested and are prepared to be a gentleman and read and think before bashing those computor keys we might listen to what you have to say.
But if you want to use an attacking tone thats your problem
Regards…