Something entirely different

I'm a big believer in model railways learning not just from other modelling disciplines but also from the world of theatre and the arts. There is, of course, a long tradition of this.

I've just come across these 3d cardboard forests by Eva Jospin

It strikes me that 4mm versions of these would work really well as a backdrop for a layout, and that they could even be moulded.

Ahead of Schedule.

It isn't often that I complete something ahead of my self imposed schedule.  However thanks to some hard work by a step daughter's construction worker boyfriend this weekend saw the often threatened great leap forward completed. Well nearly.

Dan's conservatism saw him dig a rather deeper trench for the trackbed than I'd planned for, with the result that we ran out of ballast to bed the track down into, but we did have enough to produce a roughly level trackbed capable of supporting and draining the track, though not sufficient to retain it in place, I suspect.

After he'd finished ballasting I took over track laying, which was delayed slightly both by a cat who kept sitting on the rail joints and the slipping belt clutch on Teddy slipping rather too much as the drive belt wore in. Fixing that was my first experience of removing the combined engine and dynamo unit from the frame. That is one of the clever design features that not only simplifies maintenance but also means one person can lift the loco into and out of a car boot.

Ballast is 20mm limestone laid to a depth of around 80mm on a really decent weed proof membrane - a lesson learnt from a 16mm  line that used a less robust variety, 

Teddy is hiding under the old BBQ Cover. A siding might eventually lead off to the other side of the hut as a storage siding. The "engine shed" is in the background and still doesn't have a rail connection.

The line terminates at the gate on a side road, used solely for dog/cat walking sorties.

Late on Monday evening track laying reached the other end of the line. I wouldn't run the loco with the coupling bar in place like it is here, I was just keeping it safe before turning Teddy to face the other way - a task accomplished with the aid of a culinary lazy susan. I haven't had a chance to do much running because the step daughter  hasn't learnt how to use a petrol gauge so Teddy's petrol supply ended up disappearing into her car so she could get back to civilisation.

In theory this is the way ahead, but I'm beginning to have a rethink, not least because between here and the ash trees is the greatest change of level in the garden and to go straight on is going to need earthworks whilst not  adding  much utility to the line. Instead I might curve it round to the right  and then cross the drive to the other side of the garden where the main station is eventually planned to be.

Happy New Year

I was hoping to herald the New Year with the first picture of the Eaugate Light Railway earning its keep. Unfortunately the high winds have discouraged me from spending time in the garden so the fitting of fish plates has fallen behind schedule by a couple of days. It is a case of so near but so far. Just getting  a couple more track panels down will make a big difference in getting the track to a viable length, however temporary it might be.

My joy at the New Year, when many of my friends seem to have had life changing events, is somewhat tempered by the news that both Martin and Geoff were both taken ill over the holiday period.

My very best wishes to both of you for a full recovery.

Teddy has actually been hard at work over the weekend, working both garbage trains and taking logs to be split and stacked, and along the way totally proving the minimal railway concept in my eyes . Doing the same job without the railway would have reduced the garden to a quagmire.

I've been impressed by my wife's reaction to the railway. It is fair to say that future investment has been secured  and that the reality has far exceeded her expectations. I almost had to stop her giving Teddy a saucer of milk this morning when she opened the kitchen door this to see him waiting outside.

The very first light engine working with proud new owner

Bus replacement service

The first proper working. Xmas empties to the bin store

The bunting was already up

Hauling logs, with the skip body replaced by a plastic crate 

Compost bin, leaf pile, log store, bins and coal bunker all now served by rail

Pretty much the entire line. Not a bad view to wake up to.

Eaugate Light Railway

The imminent delivery of Teddy led to a rather dark and extremely windy evening of emergency track laying on Monday night. Fortunately simplified by the short term use of Ride on Railways portable track connectors.

So when Chris Dixon of CMD Engineering  delivered the loco this morning there was at least some track to test it on.

Needless to say I'm very very pleased with it. It runs very smoothly and controllably. Although I went for the modern Loncin engine rather than the Suffolk Punch I think it still sounds rather nice. I must add the obligatory Scamp bicycle horn though to scatter any poodles on the line.

It was a bit of a challenge getting it into the engine shed at the end of the day, since the railhead is currently around 60 feet and 90 degrees away from the limit of shunt, but I managed it using the traditional approach  of  swapping track panels around.

Big Boys Toys

Xmas is fast approaching, at least if I believe the TV adverts, though with another trip to India planned before then I've still not put away all my Summer clothes.

However Xmas always make me think of toys. Frankly it is quite annoying that we are in the awkward gap between children and grand children so I've no excuse to buy toys for them that I really want to play with myself.

So that means justifying buying toys for myself.

Now my last post was definitely a toy, the GVT tram loco. And to be honest I regret it. Yes it is a lovely model, but I haven't even bothered to steam it yet.

Meanwhile though this is taking shape...

The combination of a Colin Edmondson design with Chris Dixon's production expertise.

Not a toy, obviously, because it is going to earn its keep hauling logs, bird food and garbage around the garden.

Progress

Not mine, which is as glacial as ever, but progess in the world of 16mm narrow gauge railways.

Here is my first new 16mm live steam loco for over thirty years. An Accurcaft GVT loco commisioned in conjunction with Anything Narrow Gauge and made in China.

I haven't steamed it yet, and my out of the box impression is that is rather nice, apart from the usual abomination of having a hard to ignore pressure gauge facing forward in the cab. At least being a tram loco forwards actually means backwards when running. The lining is a little OTT as well.

Here, in total contrast, is my very first 16mm loco, a Merlin/Beck Midas  hauling a GVT coach buit from the old Association GVT coach "kit" on a Mamod chassis.

Possibly a fairer comparison is with the Gosling GVT loco that I lusted after as a schoolboy.

Treemendous

Trees are funny things. Except when they are a little bit scary or spooky. 

Or Ents. I can't imagine an Ent telling a  joke, and if they did the punchline would be a long time coming.

This twisted example is to be found high up on the Burren and I took the photo on a particularly brutal day off from cycling around County Clare and missing evidence of the West Clare.

What has really made me think about trees is first of all the recent excellent BBC documentary on a year in the life of an oak tree  This includes some incredible statistics and should be a must see for anyone contemplating realistic trees. DId you know they have 700,000 leaves?

The other thing is watching our new garden as Autumn approaches. There is a point where we seem to lose the ability to look at individual trees. One tree, two trees... four trees, five trees....lots of trees.

I actually still haven't counted how many trees we now have under our care, but as they begin to change colour I'm finding it easier to pick out individual specimens,  I could stand and look at them for hours,