Big toys? Well, no, but in essence im saying that Im a complte Newb to Garden Railroading, though I have some experience in Model Railroading. I know very little about it, though I am eager to learn. In the end, my dream garden railroad would run from underneath my deck at the basement’s slide out, then continue west and make a sharp right turn into a tunnel, emerging in a long cut in the side of the house’s embankent, to my mother’s garden, where the line would turn east and then once again north across pretty much a flat plain to the mailbox. I’d like to put my garden railroad to work by running daily mail trains and seasonal garden trains. Is this feasible? After spending lots of time on this website, I have come to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is keep reading on this website. Also, ive been looking at various G Scale Provider’s websites, especially Aristo Craft. Any other suggestions?
An a silly note, I was just curious, is it feasible to cross a driveway with the rails sunk into the driveway?
It is feasable to do anything you wish using enough creativity.
"After spending lots of time on this website, I have come to the conclusion that the best thing I can do is keep reading on this website. "
WRONG WRONG WRONG!!! The best thing you can do is get a train running outside, even if it’s only a circle of track and a single engine. You will learn many things very quickly and think up ideas at an astonishing rate. Don’t just read about it, DO IT![swg][swg]
On the LGB web site they have an explanation of how to cross the driveway. They put it in as “bragging rights” as to how strong their track was. Problem is that when you do that you better have it right the first time because there is no going back to “tweak” the alignment, grade and such.
To reiterate tangerine-jack, don’t get worried about cutting through as driveway if you don’t have right of way leading to the driveway cleared and graded. If you don’t have your materials yet(track and trains) that’s fine. If you do have all of that, you’re not gonna launch a rocket on the first try.
I’ve got my phase 1 running, I also have plans to expand in three different directions when I can buy more track. I took what I had and I’ve been driving trains on my little railroad most of the now gone summer.
Hi railroadyoshi
BEEEeeeep fail[:D]
Fine have a large deam but don’t extend that dream out into public view thats an unnesasary invatasion to the local yobbo’s to come and trash your dream[:(]
As TJ has said start small and get it up and running if the spark is there.
the line will take on a life of its own and grow and spread
Your building a real railway in the real world with all that goes with it
rain snow sun ect
regards John
It is possible to cross the driveway with track, but I wouldn’t use track. I have a friend who used strips of 1" x 1/8" aluminum laid flat across the driveway. Works quite nicely. It’s low enough where things roll over it without damaging it, and the 1" width gives you plenty of surface area for mounting it to the concrete.
Thanks everybody. As I said, the huge thing is a dream. I think its a good idea to start small too. I think ive designed things so that I wouldnt have to cross the driveway, but I was just a bit curious. Ill get started as soon as I can, hopefully before the coming of winter. I will continue to read and enjoy though.
Actually, as soon as I can im going to try to ride the MBTA out to Ayer MA and visit the G Scale train shop there and see if they can get me started with the basics[:)]
What’s winter got to do with anything??? It don’t affect the real railroads, so why shoud it affect yours? You’re in the big leagues now! Our snowplow equiped locos really work…[:D]
I like the aluminum strip idea- that only goes to show that in the garden we are not limited by conventions…
but did a real railroad drive there first spike in a 10 foot snowbank?[:D]
of course, thats somethin im really gonna enjoy, running the plow train, even though its only gonna be one of those little plow cars by Aristo Craft and my loco.
smcgill, no I havent
are they a good shop in your opinion?
What part of the hobby do they focus on if any?
thanks for enlightening me of another hobby shop!
I’m really having a “Do…ah!” moment. The aluminum strips laid flat across the drive is really doing the same thing we do in the 7 1/2" gauge engine house. We have 3/8" x 1" flat bar screwed to the concrete floor. It works great and you don’t have the problem of them sticking up in the way to trip on. You can roll the mower, wheel barrow, auto, or what ever over them an not worry about damaging them or throwing them out of gauge. As long as the thickness is as much or more than the flange hieght it will work great and be only barely noticable. The only problem might be making the transition from flatbar to regular track. A possible on that would be to notch the end of the fat bar the thickness of the rail and drill and screwthe rail end to the flatbar. Another possibility is make the flat bar out of brass. then you could solder or braze the rail to the flatbar.
Driveway crossings are definately possible. I would imagine it’d take a lot of patience and attention to detail. I do in home work, and one of my customers has a back yard railroad. His railroad crosses his driveway, complete with “railroad crossing” signs. I’m not sure what guage he’s running, but it is “ride on” size.
Hi capt_turk
Thats not such a drama if you use brass bar instead you can then notch a say 6" length of rail for each end of the brass bar.
Carefully align the runing edges and silver solder them together having done both bars
put them roughly in place put the sleeper strip back on the rails fix one bar in place then
using a gauge of some sort to check the gauge fix down the other bar.
that should work quite well providing the flash lights work so that the train doesn’t get run over
regardsJohn