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.

Railcar build started

The railcar kit I got for Christmas has now been joined by a second one and they are now being prepared for painting.

All parts were unpacked and checked over. This is just one of the kits.

The next job was to remove all parts from the sprue.

This left small pips on some edges where they were joined to the sprue, they were removed with a bit of light sanding. The wooden parts where all then given a coat of Sanding Sealer and left to dry. Tomorrow they will get a light sanding and the first coats of paint will be applied.

The livery chosen is the same as on the railcar at the Nene Valley Railway.