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."
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
Sunday 10th June 2012
Dave was sorting out the next phase the retaining walls. There will be 3 walls built to hold the ballast on the concrete base in the triangle. The base layer of ballast has been put down. You can see it better in this shot. There is another layer of finer ballast. Then the track.
Tuesday 12th June 2012
We have now set out the basic layout for the track using old rail. This will be made up into frames to go under the plywood decking and mounted on scaffolding poles. The wide area is where the passing loops will be.
Tuesday 17th July 2012
An excellent days progress Gary, Alan D, Dave, and Chris completed cutting the wood for the decking. Alan L has made a start on welding the posts to
support the decking and Myself and Mark B completed the track around the wall, the afternoon was rounded off with a test run of my Austrian Diesel. Next we'll try a steam loco and some wagons.
Mark Dale and Mark Bradley starting to lay the SM32 track. Mark B ballasting SM32 track. The first test runs on the track by a LGB Austrian Diesel converted to battery operation.
Tuesday 24th July 2012
Chris was busy in the NE corner initially cutting and drilling steel cross ties for the SM32 project. Garry was busy in the NE corner resin coating the underside of the SM32 baseboards and then he helped Allan D and Dave M installing 2' 0" x 2' 0" slabs onto which the SM32 baseboard supports will be anchored. Resin coated baseboards laid out in the sun to cure. Dave and Allan on their knees! Allan feeling the heat!! Pads installed for passing loop area.
Sunday 29th July 2012
Dave M with Chris G were busy on the slabs that they put down last Tuesday. I joined in helping level the slabs off for the next gang of works to do their bit. Dave doing some checking and putting some extra concrete around the slab.
Tuesday 14th Aug 2012
Today we have made good progress with the fitting of the intermediate support poles for the baseboards.
We should soon be able to fix the boards in position and we can then sand down and finish the edges. Chris at work with the auger for the intermediate poles. the first of the additional poles concreted in. Alan & Ian pose in the sun.
Sunday 26th August
Mark Allan Dave Chris and Ian busy on the SM 32 track today Putting the slabs down for the Marshalling yard / steam up area. Mark busy checking the slab with a sledge hammer. A look back along the Sm 32 track.The junction from off the raised track to the wall area.Mark busy Allan and Dave ready to help.
Tuesday 4th Sept 2012
A small update to the SM32 track. Mark & Allan levelling up the boards. Dave & Ian along with myself Putting steel under the boards. A view under the board looking at the post for levelling, and the steel on top of the plate. Dave & Chris doing more levelling.
Tuesday 18th September 2012
Garry brought the Society's new SM32 locomotive for a trial run. It ran well, and looks good. All we now need is some rolling stock for it to pull! The Society's new loco - Criccieth Castle - on trial run. Dave M, Allan D and Colin working on the SM32 baseboards. Garry & Chris have now fibreglassed the baseboards and trimmed the edges on the first few panels. Allan D working on the baseboards. Dave M and Allan L have obviously been distracted!!
Sunday 30th September 2012
A good mornings work. Painting the primer and laying some roofing felt on the track bed. Some felt cut and laid on the top. We could on do this far as the sides are not finished any further around the top. Mark painting the primer on the top. The primer all wet waiting for it to dry. The end of the first length of felt been warmed up. Just like the roofing men do it. The felt so far. After is has gone cold we will cut the sides off to make it look nice.
Tuesday 2nd October 2012
The base boards now covered in roofing felt and looking really good have had the first track laid on them.
Once the final fibre glassing is completed we can follow round with the felt and lay the passing loops then complete the circuit.
Alan L has been trying out a wire fence along the edge to protect anything trying to make a leap off the edge to the ground. Track laying starts on the newly covered base boards. The first train on the new section. The freshly laid track coming off the wall. The Earl rounds the bend to the limit of the new track.
Wednesday 10th October 2012
Following a successful day with the completion of the fibreglass covering of the SM32 baseboards on Tuesday 9th, (see W H Y page) a small group, comprising: Dave M; Mark; Chris and Garry; decided to continue on Wednesday with the aim of trimming the edges of the baseboards, and undercoating the prior to attaching the felt. Work started at around 09.30 and by 1.30pm, most of the baseboards had not only been undercoated, but also covered with felt. Allan D assisted after lunchtime, resulting in the complete layout being felt covered by 3.30pm. A good day's work. All that is now required is tracklaying. Mark busy with the blow torch. Dave undercoating the baseboards. His mother always said he would be an artist! Baseboards almost complete. Just the track to lay next.
First Run Successful. 14th Oct Sunday Afternoon 2012
With the weather still in our favour and a few extra pairs of hands we completed joining up the running lines, running out of screws on the last piece of track! I had gone down prepared with stock and loco, so after dinner we had the first run round the layout with a steam loco which went really well.
Its a great credit to all who have put the effort in since we started the project back in April.
There is still plenty of work to be completed to finish the project off but its nice to have it up and running. Mike having a go with the club loco. Neil doing a bit of fishing. Roundhouse Engineering Russell on the triangle. Russel rounds the bend onto the wall watched by Chris Neil & Ian. The first steam loco to traverse the completed loop is raising pressure watched on by Dave and Neil. The two passing loops still to be completed as Russell is watched on by Chris Neil Ian & Dave. The Club Loco running in reverse. Mark getting steam up on his own Russell. You can buy these models ready made to run. Russell steaming off in to the distance. Russell on route to the station area (well by the guys standing) Russell on the the triangle bend with Neil driving it in the distance. Russell on the inner track. main line?
Tuesday 16th Oct 2012
Mark, with Allan L, Chris and Dave S were busy working on the SM32 layout. And other members spent, the rest of the time watching/operating a couple of trains on the almost completed (just needs a few more lengths of track in the steaming bay) SM32 layout. Allan L and Mark allegedly laying track. No ordinary idiot can do this!! Overall view of completed passing loops and steaming bays. Crickieth Castle and goods train. Mark steaming Russell Playing trains! Russell with a goods train.