SM32 Garden Railway phase 1 2012
by Mark Dale, Alan Duckworth, Dave Mosley
Dave Osbourne, Dave Edwards, Alan Leary
Mark Bradley Chris G, Colin, Ian Scott
Gary Tyso
For some time the club has been considering having a garden railway. Alan approached new member Mark Dale who has had some experience building these. A proposal was then put to the board and was accepted at the meeting in March.
The basic idea is for a big loop around the area near where the raised level track comes back into the station, it will be built using Peco SM 32 track giving us a track gauge of 32mm and working at a scale of 16mm to the foot this represents 2ft gauge.
The railway will run along the brick wall next to the raised track, then loop around on a raised section coming back to the grass bank and through a cutting to re-join the wall. The basic layout will be a single track and on the raised section there will be passing loops at least 20ft long. A triangle will enable access to a steam up area with a number of sidings again at least 20ft long.
The raised section will be approx. 4 feet high made up of steel poles set into the ground, with old rail from the ground level used between them to support a wood decking. The existing brick wall will need to be taken down and rebuilt with a ledge on top and a gap to lay the track into. A cutting needs digging then edged with brick to retain the soil.
Approx. length of running line will be 160 feet not including passing loops or sidings. Min width 8 inches on raised area. Increasing to 3 feet for the passing loop area. Min radius curve 6 feet.
The first job is to remove some of the bank where the triangle will be so we can get some level ground for the footings for the new part of the wall, then work back along, removing and then rebuilding the existing wall to the new design. A note went out to club members
"Mark Dale will be lead the project so anyone interested in getting involved please contact him."
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The proposed plan for the 16mm layout as below
Tuesday 17th April 2012
The lads have made a start. We did some marking out some time ago to plot what was to be done.The lads look busy cutting the bank back.Mark Dale, David Moseley and Alan Duckworth working on the new 16 mm track.The new slabs holding the bank back. The track will run along the front of them. At this point the track will have come thought a cutting. The engines will run the same way as the high level track.
Tuesday 24th April 2012
The new track will run on an infill of ballast, in between the slabs and the wall we are now rebuilding. The blocks are been put back to make a outer wall looks Like the first row is in place. Yep! They have been doing very well. Thanks to Dave Moseley & Allan Duckworth. The pile looking smaller, all down to Dave chipping away.
Sunday 6th May 2012
The lads have been busy ish ! Rain stop play last Tuesday. Mark and Allan have been digging the bank away for the cutting. The bank has now been dug out ready for the bottom layer of bricks to go in. The main running line will follow the curve cut into the bank where the wooden markers are. This is also where the triangle will go giving access to the steam up area, and be the transition from ground level to where the layout will run on the raised boards. You can see the wall taking some form of shape. Today Mark and Allan have been digging the bank away for the cutting. They said the clay is a bit hard to get the spade in to. The bank dug out ready for brick work
Tuesday 22nd Sunday 27th May 2012
It looks like the lads have been very busy, far to busy to take photos of themselves. Progress on the SM32 retaining wall looking towards the pool. Mark swinging the hammer. Dave putting some gravel in just to check all the heights are ok.
Tuesday 29th May 2012
The lads have been busy today laying concrete for the track bed. As well as brick laying. Dave busy as normal with a spade. The brick wall up to height. waiting to be in filled. The new laid concrete at the junction. Yes only little engines. Mark has experienced track lifting as the ground moves about. Addressed to the team @ BG