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Gauge one, 2 rail electric garden and scenic railway.
CHAPTER 2:- PLANNING.
INTRODUCTION
By necessity to cover this subject properly this Chapter is an extensive TEXT
one.
On moving house from Black Park, Slough - to my new home - I have not a large enough garden in which to re-create another ''Black Park'' - which was a 7 mm scale 150 yard circuit and which over the years developed into a double main line circuit, with 2 large outside stations, with passing sidings long enough to accommodate double headed 12 coach passenger trains and 50 plus wagon goods trains - so in changing to Gauge 1, I have to realise and accept the limitations now imposed and settle for a smaller branch line of an end to end nature.
When asked, as I often am, (strange how people are always curious about our hobby !), why I spent those 15 years building the ''Black Park'' garden layout in 7 mm and now why I am commencing building this new one in 10 mm, I am honest enough to admit that I am on a nostalgia trip back to my childhood.
All the hours spent in the workshop and eventually sitting by the railway operating it, always have been and still will be my quality time and if likeminded individuals join me and also enjoy that experience, then that is a much welcomed bonus and makes my efforts producing these articles all the more worthwhile.
After all surely that is what retirement is all about ? - a time to reflect on ones life and remember its most enjoyable moments and mine definitely were as a boy growing up, in a railway family, next to the steepest GWR main line at Dainton bank (on the Newton Abbot to Plymouth line in Devon) and in the early fifties spending every spare minute of my formative and most enjoyable teenage years either in the signal box at Aller junction, or walking the ''length'' up the bank from Aller to Stoneycombe quarry with my grandfather, or, after and sometimes during school time, train spotting at Newton Abbot station - that is my motivation, my empathy with everything Great Western - Gods Wonderful Railway !.
I have no intention of rushing this new project, apart from the track and general scenery, each part of this model railway will be treated as a separate model in its own right, buildings and all line side items and stock will be given an attention to its period character and to its interesting aspect as an individual model, with the intention of gradually bringing it all together to form the total layout, giving I hope a model diorama of true period GWR - done so many times in 4 and 7mm but to my knowledge, not in 10mm..
If you are as fortunate as I and fall into the category of someone who can create the space to build such a permanent layout and does not set out to impress or compete with others but has the sole intention only to acquire personal enjoyment and satisfaction from building the project, then each little piece of progress made fulfils that end.
It will take time, many years in fact, but I feel it is essential to set the goals and work to that end only and not be tempted to chop and change as a whim may take me, time will pass very quickly I think but does it matter if one is indulging and enjoying oneself ?
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SCALE:
I am indebted to John Barrett of John Barrett Engineering for this concise explanation of the problem of Scale in gauge 1.
Before buying even one piece of stock for the layout a decision has to be made as to which scale the layout will be built to and there are TWO scales to consider and you are advised to read this very carefully before embarking into Gauge 1:-
a). The accepted ENGLISH one is expressed as 10mm to the foot. Correctly it should be referred to as 1:30.5.
b). The INTERNATIONAL one is expressed as 9.525 mm to the foot. Correctly it should be referred to as 1:32nd.
This mainly refers to BODY SIZE and most English suppliers and manufacturers produce most items to 10mm but it pays to check if the item is from Europe or the USA or whether the item is a specialist brass kit, as all or any of these may be 1:32nd scale.
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WHEEL STANDARDS:- much more important and the 3 choices are:-
Gauge 1 COARSE: this is applied to vintage tinplate, early hand built models and today's LGB (tm) and 'G' scale models, to run on oversize 'toy like' track.
Gauge 1 STANDARD. (GIS): - used by the vast majority of Gauge 1 modellers, both in the UK and overseas. Commercially it is 'Asters' standard. It uses 40 mm back to back measurement, 6mm tyre and flange width and the majority of commercially produced track is to this standard.
Gauge 1 FINE .(GIF): - using 42 mm back to back measurement with slightly reduced tyre and flange width. Although I cannot personally comment on this, it is not generally recommended for outdoor layouts and has been reported as incurring some unreliable operation on standard commercial point work. (I did find one set of loco wheels with a 5mm tread/flange width and these gave trouble on the Markway point work and I had them replaced with a set of (GIS) ones from Walsall Models).
My personal choice for DENBURY has been 10 mm scale for everything involving stock, buildings, line side etc but some of the required figures may only be available in 1:32nd so will be fitted in as appropriate.
My adopted wheel standard for all stock will be the 40 mm back to back (GIS).
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PLANNING - stage 1.
A great deal of thought should go into the planning of any railway and especially a garden line, this rule does apply to all gauges and much has been written in the past about this but from my own experience some of the questions one MUST address are :-
a)- What area is available ?.
b)- Is it a secure site, hedged or fenced, is it overlooked and if so can it be screened etc ?
c)- Is it possible or desired to have all or any part of the line in sheds, garage etc ?
d)- Will the need to find a separate workshop, mean acquiring room in the house or a separate outside building ?
e)- What other demands will be placed on the chosen area by the family and household needs - children's play area, clothes lines etc ?
f)- Will access to the area by other users involve building tunnels etc over ground level lines or lifting bridges on elevated ones ?
g)- How much upheaval and initial engineering groundwork will be needed, to include new paths etc and has it been properly measured and costed and planning consent negotiated with your ''management'' ?
h)- These negotiations must address the every day effect on the rest of the household especially, for instance, enabling ''management'' to get to the clothes line - also in practice will hanging sheets etc impede on the railway on windy days ?
i)- If it is intended, in the long term, to have visitors then, as with maintenance, access to all parts of the railway have to be very carefully thought out, will same be on grass, where after a long wet spell, waterlogged ground may cause problems, or are new hard surface paths needed and desired to overcome this ?.
j)- Are gardens likely to be trampled on and shrubs damaged by same visitors, who in their excitement and enthusiasm are trying to get ''best'' positions to view and photograph etc ?
k)- Will the projected line be under any trees ?
Some trees exude sap, making track cleaning a chore on any electric railway, fruit trees bombard the layout with missiles that can do damage, besides being messy most trees shed leaves and general debris, all to be considered.
In my own case at this new site, I took into account most of the above factors and although I was keen to get started on the railway, by 2000 I had contented myself with preparing the workshop and building a few kits while I had, at the same time, also re-organised the garden to suit the proposed railway and knowing its projected route have put down a flagged path by it, removed all the grass and shingled over that area, thus creating a low maintenance but all weather surface - if one has children to consider then just putting in hard paths where necessary would be the answer and retaining the rest of the garden for other uses.
After analysing the answers and responses to all the above questions, possible limitations may have become apparent and ones great schemes will possibly have to be modified, it is better to recognise any such limitations at the outset.
Put down on paper all ones thoughts, on all aspects of the proposed project at this initial stage and it is most important to recognise the possible costs of everything involved, and your costing's should include:-
Provision, either new or conversion, of all or any outdoor buildings or canopies for workshop and railway, fitting same with insulation, security, electricity, workbenches, as required etc.
To meet security needs take into account the new fencing or screening required around the garden and then any landscaping projects involved and whether these are D.I.Y. or will need some outside expert input which will need to be paid for, either for labour or materials.
Purchase of materials for the baseboard construction. (see Chapter 7).
Then consider cost of track and points, whether acquired ready built or in kit form.
Likewise all anticipated Locomotives, coaches, wagons, signalling and line side requirements and the incidental costs involved in sourcing information and the costs of keeping a photographic record of everything. (When I started I only had a 35mm camera and so acquiring a detailed continuous series of photographs was not possible but as soon as I mastered the computer and acquired a digital camera then this leaves me with no restraints on recording every stage of the development).
It is safe to assume that in Gauge 1 any budget forecast for even the most conservative of layouts, will be larger than one would have for "00" or "0" Gauge.
If however you are in the later years of your life and this is your main hobby, then by doing most of it oneself and taking time over it, then the cost will be dramatically decreased and spread over many years and the enjoyment gained will be priceless.
As well as the above costing exercise, plan a thorough timed schedule which takes into account the time factors of making all the necessary garden alterations, allowing for seasonal changes and anticipated time lost in bad weather etc, provision of suitable sheds etc and hopefully you will then avoid any grief later.
As I presume that fulfilment and satisfaction are the reasons for embarking on the project - then early on, recognise any limitations - determining to plan and build, and actually finish a smaller, practicable, workable, layout should be your aim.
Do not be carried away and embark on an open ended ambitious scheme which will create more problems than one wants and could eventually lead to disillusion and frustration with the whole business and sadly eventually leading to the abandonment of your hobby altogether - on starting the project, it is important to visualise the end result and to know it is achievable.
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PLANNING - stage 2.
Once you have determined where your layout will run, be it end to end or continuous, areas should be measured for stations, passing loops etc, for this exercise in Gauge 1 determine whether you are able to live with 10 ft radii (minimum recommended) points or have you the space to accommodate the more desirable 12 or 15 ft radii (these being much longer) ?
Once this planning is completed it will indicate the length and type of trains which can realistically be run on it - the length of your goods trains will be determined by the length available in passing loops and sidings, excluding points, and the length of your passenger trains are determined by the length available at platforms.
Herewith examples of the lengths of some Gauge 1 items which should give you some guidance as to what will, or will not fit in :-
Track:- width over a sleeper is 3.5 inches so allowing for the '6 ft way' and the outside walkway, a double track requires at least a 10 inch wide baseboard.
Point work, minimum lengths :-
if 10 ft radius it is 24 inches long.
if 15 ft radius it is 30 inches min.
if a double slip it is 30 inches min.
if a single slip ditto.
if a 10 ft radius 3 way it is 32 inches min.
Locomotives, minimum length over buffers:-
0-4-2T = 12 inches.
0-6-0T = 13 inches.
2-6-2T = 17 inches.
Tender engines : allow at least 24 inches.
Stock, minimum lengths over buffers :-
a bogie coach is 25 inches.
a 6 wheeled coach is 15 inches.
a 4 wheeled coach is 13 inches.
a GWR railcar is 25 inches.
a 4 wheeled goods van or truck is 8 inches.
a bogie wagon is from 12 inches upwards !
a guards van is 8 inches min.
As can be imagined any train in this scale is an impressive sight, and a complete layout is stunning.
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PLANNING - stage 3.
My new garden is virtually flat so because of my experiences with the old "Black Park" line, which was 4 ft high at one end and down to ground level at the other, I decided, from the outset, to go for an elevated railway throughout .(full details of baseboard construction and the elevated single line will be covered in Chapter 7).
I know this is a sensible option for me at my time of life - no longer do I want to have to lie down to build and maintain it - the elevated option gives me ease of access for building and maintenance plus operation is made possible in comfort from a chair or bar stool.
I am fortunate that one side of my bungalow is a dead area and is perfect to be enclosed by an inexpensive light timber and plastic sheet structure, attached to the wall on one side and the top of the fence posts on the other, the timber being rough sawn and treated 2 x 2 inch to form the roof support and the outer covering is 3 inch glazed (not clear) box section commercial sheets and the inner covering is the much cheaper 1 inch rippled sheeting.(see Gallery).
If one uses any plastic or metal covering on an outdoor structure a single layer will always be prone to condensation which will form in frosty conditions and then constantly drip, this can be overcome by having an inner layer of a cheaper materials in effect creating, in my case a 2 inch air buffer between them! - not only curing the condensation problem but assisting with absorbing the suns heat in the summer, I have also made provision for a ventilation opening at the far end and this allows air to circulate in very hot weather, sometimes fan assisted.
I have also covered the inside of the wooden panelled fence with the same commercial 3 inch box section plastic sheets, this not only increases the security aspect but will also stop draughts and damp.(see Gallery).
This then provided me with a secure covered area of 37 ft long x 6ft at one end and 4 ft in width at the other, within which I have built the main terminus of a branch line.
The structure is completely weatherproof but is not fully insulated for winter use, it does allow comfortable usage for about 8 months of the year, but during the worst weather I retreat to the warm and cosy workshop as there are always repairs to be done and new items to build.
I carefully measured the enclosed area and scaled same down on to graph paper, at a scale of one square per inch, (for length and areas I will always work in imperial measurements) clearly marked out the ''walkway'' and the baseboard and now knowing accurately the area for the terminus - this was essential because the conclusion of this detailed planning allowed me to calculate exactly how many points I needed, which types and how much track to buy - for this part of the layout - which I planned as:
The terminus having two platforms and a bay but with spare siding capacity and run round for two passenger trains.
It also includes a loco shed and a carriage house (for the overnight steam rail motor), no turntable however as only tank engines will be operating on the branch.
Extensive sidings to include cattle and horse handling, coal and general goods facilities with a goods shed and crane plus a private line to a sawmill, this scenario creating the possibility of an intensive diorama scenic effect such as would be very evident in the twenties and thirties prior to movement of general goods being lost to road transport.
Because I wished to utilise as much of the available area as I could for intensive track coverage and taking into account that a simple 10 ft radius point in Gauge 1 is all of 24 inches long and a simple crossover takes up to 48 inches of space you begin to realise the evident constraints one meets in this scale.
To overcome the space problem, I have to consider modellers licence and have installed 1 single slip and 3 x 3 way points, apart from being very practicable they really do look nice, many examples of the use of these is evident on old branch lines.
Al1 my points are electrically operated - however in this scale it is a very practical exercise to have them manually operated if wished - and the line is fully signalled using lower quadrant GWR types plus working ground signals. (see Chapter 8).
As this is a retirement project, all necessary buildings - except the signal box - have been scratch built as I went along , as near as possible to ones seen on many of the well known and loved GWR branch lines, to create that atmosphere so unique to Lambourne, Wallingford, Fairford and Hemyock among others.
As per the track plan initially a single line leaves the terminus and proceeds through the end of the workshop, then into a passing loop and siding before continuing its single line 25 yard curved run to the garage, where I have another enclosed 22ft x 8 ft, covered secure area in which to build another terminus in future years.
It is intended to cover the 25 yard single line run and passing loop to the garage with a hinged roof that can be lifted when running taking place and let down when not in use and give all weather protection, although open garden lines are very nice to look at, one has to come to terms with the large rainfall in the area I live in and although semi enclosed, the trains will still be visible when running, besides overcoming most of the track cleaning problems.
Because of the constraints on platform and siding lengths, the passenger trains for the 20s period operating days consist of a tank loco and a maximum of 4 coaches of 4 and 6 wheeled varieties or 2 bogie coaches and suitable small 4 wheeled brake vans and/or a horse box.
Bogie units on the layout will be the odd brake/3rd which will be used for the late 30s period operations plus short parcels coaches, the goods traffic will include some GWR Syphons and some Macaws, these being fairly common to both periods being modelled.
I was fortunate that the property has an 8 ft x 8 ft solid walled shed which I have insulated and double glazed and thus converted it into a very cosy workshop, a real necessity when contemplating such a project, a full description of this plus necessary tools etc to come in Chapter 3.
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Gallery:
These photographs - taken at different times - are to give you some idea of what is achievable with a little bit of vision. The dead space by my bungalow was converted at very little cost and the 1st stage fiddle yard shows how it blends in with the garden.
I can supply more photographs on disc to any interested party subject to the condition that they are not used for any commercial purpose whatsoever except with my written permission. Most basic information is on each photograph but for any queries or further information then contact me. Pat Honey.
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