Big update

I have been busy will several things since I last posted to the site so here goes:

First the railway construction

The next section of foundation is in

Next lot of blocks cemented in and some landscaping begun.

I have also been busy building and painting stock

A couple of Binnie tippers that need painting and distressing.

The railcars are coming along with the remote control module installed in one of them

Lots of wires

Both cars have been fitted with a battery box

The railcars have been connected together and test run which showed the gears are meshed too tightly. I will take a picture of the unit for the next update.

'Titch' is almost complete

I have also made a start on building a trestle bridge for the line.

Support piers being manufactured

The finished items

And, finally, I have got a new loco kit, a Steeple Cab from Houston Gate Locomotive Works

The kits, the top one is the 4 wheel drive chassis and the lower one is the body kit.

The chassis went together quickly and is seen here under test

The body was just as easy

Thats it, more updates will follow as I have been busy.

A quick update

I have not been able to do much work in the garden due to the weather and DIY for the household authorities. I am hoping to get the next lot of blocks in place and perhaps more of the next section of trench dug. I have finally started to build the trestle bridge and hope to have that done in the next week to be fitted next weekend (maybe!).
The railcars are slowly coming together with the second motor fitted ready for a test fit of everything tomorrow so hopefully a test run will happen, pictures/video will follow if so.
The buildings for the station area are being built, the privy is ready for painting and I am currently working on the parts for the water tower as the slate base parts are warped and need flattening. Work on the loco shed will start when I have the room as its BIG!

Garden railway show and more digging

On Saturday the 12th I visited the 16mm Associations annual AGM Garden railway Show in Peterborough. I spent far too much money and met a few wonderful people who I have been conversing with on the associations Facebook feed.
Next years on is on 11th April at the Peterborough Showground in the Arena, well worth a visit.

On the Sunday I cleared a load of rubbish down to the dump and then began digging out the foundation trench for the next section of railway. Once this new part is completed I will have about half the circuit completed.

I also have got the first of the railcars running, although only temporarly with a 3v power pack. Titch, the little diesel loco, has started to get its paint applied and should be ready for service soon.

Titch with her first coat of paint applied

The railcar getting a test run in the garden

The small motor fits under the railcar quite neatly.

More progress

I did carry on laying track and finally got all that I could in place.

All track down and the buffer stops in place. Now need to carry on with the running line plus get some buildings to finish the station area off.

I also made a start on the landscaping although much of it will only be possible once the main line is in place.

Lots of weeding and cutting back of plants as well as removal of those in the way or that have got out of control.

Looking much neater. The path was a try out and will not happen now I have thought about it. It was for access to the water butt and I have decided to extend the path that will be built in front of the station.

I am posting this a weekend later, I had hoped to use my couple of rest days to do some more but the great English weather has decided to change again and its raining!

Construction progress

The weather over this weekend has been kind and I have been able to make some real progress on the railway with track finally in place.

The blocks all cemented in place on Saturday, once dry the track will be laid

Sunday was a beautiful day and the track laying has started with this point forming the station throat

A short video of a test train over the first section.

This is as far as I got with track laying. I was distracted at times watching the British Touring Car Championship on the TV

Hopefully I will finish the station track tomorrow (Monday) if the weather stays fine.

The first train was going to be hauled by the Ffenor loco No. 2 but it stripped its plastic gear's. A new Andel Chassis will probably be fitted to replace the sub standard IP Engineering one.

Railway Progress

I have made a bit more progress on the railway with some of the main line foundations being built.

The left hand end will only have one block before the line goes onto a trestle bridge.

The sub base of the main line curving past the shed

The blocks cut in half and placed on the sub base, now just need cementing down.

 The weather has been nice but very frosty in the mornings meaning that I cannot get on with cementing the blocks down.

The new loco 'Titch' has been fitted with switch gear and batteries and runs nicely. A coat of sanding sealer has also been applied.

Railcar build update

I have done quite a bit on the railcar(s) as the picture below shows, for a full, blow by blow account please see the Projects page.

I have also made a bit of progress on the railway itself. A layer of fine mortar has been laid and, once it is dry, track laying can at last commence.

The hole in the top right is not a problem (I ran out of mortar) as the platform will cover it.