Garden and railway complete re-hash

Mark Boyce posted:

Davy, I can appreciate the hurting knees from kneeling!! Well, you are almost done!

That Pacific is really shaping up nicely!!

Hi Mark, will take a bitta work yet to finish it but nothin thats rocket science. Once its done am hopin to get it DCC fitted with sound and a pulsed smoke unit.

As for the O gauge line , I got the crossover switches between the two mainlines installed yesterday and the outer track circuit complete . Might get a train running today with a bit of luck. The track work at the coaling sidings needs a bit of attention as one of the fixing timbers has sprung up and will need re-fixed. Box of new track and one more right hand switch are ordered to complete things. Should arrive today or tomorrow. 

Davy, sorry about the knee's! I am the same way when down on them they hurt a lot also. But to be honest sometimes the hardest part is just getting back up! LOL

The Engine is looking really nice! Its going to be a sight to see running around your garden! The track work also looks great! I am glad your almost there and hope you did get a chance to run a train around it yesterday! When you do get it running if you can a nice short video would be great to see!

I hope you have a great day and the sun gods are with you today!

Hi Mike ,just got the first loco doin the outer circuit.Don't know if you'll can see this wee video. 

Davy, all I got was a black screen! I hope to see it soon though!

mike g. posted:

Davy, all I got was a black screen! I hope to see it soon though!

Hi Mike,same old problem !  , I'll see what I can do. Works this end OK ,I;m afraid I;m pretty useless with computers. I have a friend who is pretty good with these things . Will see what I can do.  Anyway ,Outer circuit's running fine . So far so good ! 

Davy, I am happy for you that your outer loop is running fine! Now when the rain comes you can sit in your wee hut and run at least one circuit while waiting for the rain to stop!

mike g. posted:

Davy, I am happy for you that your outer loop is running fine! Now when the rain comes you can sit in your wee hut and run at least one circuit while waiting for the rain to stop!

Hi Mike ,have sent you the video by email,see if it works for you that way 

Morning Davy, I just watched it! Great looking train and runs fast! Looks wonderful on the layout! Nice Work!

mike g. posted:

Morning Davy, I just watched it! Great looking train and runs fast! Looks wonderful on the layout! Nice Work!

Hi Mike,  The old Lima and Rivarrossi trains run well.Just 12volt DC too. Did a bitta work on the layout again today. More track down ,circuit two is almost complete as we had a dry mostly sunny day today but tomorrow its back to weather for the ducks apparently ! 

Mike forward it to me

Larry

Larry Sr. posted:

Mike forward it to me

Larry

Morning Larry, Just sent it to you!

Hi Guys, no pics today, rotten wet start to the day, then the sun came out this afternoon. So I got cables soldered to the two main circuits in front of the wee hut and got them trhu the hut wall and wired up to the twin controller. Cleaned the big window on the hut and made a shelf inside for the controller. Got a seat in the hut and ran the train till the rain turned up again and spoiled the party. Apparently the British isles are currently caught north of the jet stream, so we're gettin hammered with even more rain than usual. Was beautifull this afternoon,then tonight torrential rain again.., ach well,no point complainin. Just make hay while the sun shines ,...or is it play trains while the sun shines... ??  Have to say that despite the layout not bein quite finished it was very satisfyin to sit in the wee hut drivin the train. A few days dry weather and both lines should be running ,then gettin the G scale line wired up DCC is next.  

Here are Davey's video's of his G gauge runnin' - lookin good!

Moonman posted:

Here are Davey's video's of his G gauge runnin' - lookin good!

 

Thanks Carl.  

The videos work with Google Chrome. I'm a Firefox user and they were all black, but Chrome worked fine.

Congrats on the first run Davey! Rivarossi made great stuff. I have two HO steam engines from the 70's and they both run great and are well detailed. 

Where do you store your trains to keep them out of the weather? I don't see a covered section any place.

Bob

Great to see thats it up and running.  I know its been a long time comming but obviously well worth the wait. 

RSJB18 posted:

The videos work with Google Chrome. I'm a Firefox user and they were all black, but Chrome worked fine.

Congrats on the first run Davey! Rivarossi made great stuff. I have two HO steam engines from the 70's and they both run great and are well detailed. 

Where do you store your trains to keep them out of the weather? I don't see a covered section any place.

Bob

Hi Bob, thanks,  I have a big lean-to shed alongside the house for storage. 

Hi Davy,

I hope all is well with you and your family across the Pond. 

Great to see trains running. I enjoyed following the progress. I was just wondering about the project yesterday, and here it is. I hope you enjoy it for many years to come.

Davy, how Are you and how goes the outdoor layout?

Hi George and guys, sorry for disappearing off the planet but other life-stuff has just been gettin in the way, not to mention Covid-19 lockdown and all that goes with it. The G scale line is 99.9% finished ,managed to get a good bit of wiring work done on that to improve juice delivery. The O gauge line unfortunately is gonna need all the switches lifted re-wired and relaid as they are live-frog and unfortunately I laid them as I would dead frog switches so a fairly major task there with the soldering iron. Electrics ain't my forte however theres some good instructional videos online how to wire the live frog switches. So I'll need to spend a few hours on that.  Ive also been helping my next door neighbour with his garden ,and we just finished it today. I did all the pondwork and waterfall. I;ve also been working in a friend's garden in Glasgow re-hashing that so I haven't been idle....  picture of my neighbours place

,   

Great to hear that you are still active . Yes , life has a funny way of throwing us a curve ball now and then . You neighbors garden looks wonderful . He is lucky to have you as a neighbor . I don't know why , but I was thinking of you yesterday , wondering how your garden railway had turned out .Then here you are today . Eerie !! 

I just found out garden railways magazine is calling it quits this fall. I was a little surprised to hear that...

@Summerdale Junction posted:

Great to hear that you are still active . Yes , life has a funny way of throwing us a curve ball now and then . You neighbors garden looks wonderful . He is lucky to have you as a neighbor . I don't know why , but I was thinking of you yesterday , wondering how your garden railway had turned out .Then here you are today . Eerie !! 

Hi Jim, aye the best laid plans, never mind at least during the onset of this Covid nightmare we had great weather for weeks here in Scotland which helped. At least it was possible to get out into the gardens in the sun. felt sorry for folks who lived in city flats etc., though.  Hope you guys are all OK . Stay safe.  

@p51 posted:

I just found out garden railways magazine is calling it quits this fall. I was a little surprised to hear that...

thats a pity eh ? 

Both yards look great Davy!

Hi, Davy

Have the pipes been out lately? 

Sorry to hear about the O scale switches - most of us are 3- railers and didn't catch that when you were installing the track.

Hi Guys, well as I said the O gauge layout will require some major switchwork re-wiring ,however today my brand new all singin all dancing digital PIKO BR50 German 2-10-0 arrived  .Luckily it makes it on my turntable by the skin of the teeth ,rear tender wheel and front bogie wheel half on half off but it makes it...just !. Super big model. As for the bagpipes,Covid 19 stopped all the wedding gigs ....  

Davy, That is one great looking engine!  Excellent!!  I'll say it just makes it on the turntable!  Wow!!  What system do you use to control it?

I'm not surprised about the wedding gigs not happening.  Our younger daughter is a musician; soprano, piano, and harp.  She sometimes sings at weddings and sometimes they just want the harp, but this year there hasn't been much activity.  She has a small wedding next week for a young couple from our church.  She had to go online giving private voice and piano lessons for a while, but things loosened up a bit.  She can now give lessons in the room she rents from the local music store.  Unfortunately, they had to shut down her 5th season with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  On a positive note, she hasn't had to drive clean into Pittsburgh for practice and shows.  It's over an hour drive each way, though the traffic is sparse.

@Mark Boyce posted:

Davy, That is one great looking engine!  Excellent!!  I'll say it just makes it on the turntable!  Wow!!  What system do you use to control it?

I'm not surprised about the wedding gigs not happening.  Our younger daughter is a musician; soprano, piano, and harp.  She sometimes sings at weddings and sometimes they just want the harp, but this year there hasn't been much activity.  She has a small wedding next week for a young couple from our church.  She had to go online giving private voice and piano lessons for a while, but things loosened up a bit.  She can now give lessons in the room she rents from the local music store.  Unfortunately, they had to shut down her 5th season with the Mendelssohn Choir of Pittsburgh and Pittsburgh Symphony Orchestra.  On a positive note, she hasn't had to drive clean into Pittsburgh for practice and shows.  It's over an hour drive each way, though the traffic is sparse.

Hi Mark, Massoth decoder and pulsed smoke unit controlled by a German Z21 unit via tablet or cellphone.  Was just gettin used to it tonight. Need to study the manual and get familiar with the function controls ,I;m not used to digital control. I have three locos 2-6-2tank, 2-6-0 tender loco and now the BR50-2-10-0. The BR 50s were used well into the 80s in the old East Germany, maybe even early 90s ,Don't rememeber exactly off the top of my head. As for the piping ,I;m not all that bothered whether I go back to it on a regular basis. 67 in a few days time so maybe ah'll just hang up my gigging spurs. As a professional accordionist and keyboard player ,and performing since age 8 I've had enough ! Picked up and learned the pipes at age 57 ten years ago, it was a challenge and a novelty at the time ,but after nine seasons piping at weddings, its beginning to get monotonous ,apart from that weddings are still only allowed very small numbers of guests since Covid 19 struck. So the wedding scene is very much on ice over here right now and nobody know if and when things will get back to any kinda normality. 

Hi Guys heres some interestin colour footage of East German BR50s in 1983.... amazing when you think that some US railroads were practically completely dieselised by the late 40s...... here in Scotland the natonal system lost its last steam 66/67 but some small industrial steamers lasted into the early 80s.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=oSp9tjJzev4

The Br 50 is doing a nice job in that video!  It looks neat going over that viaduct!  The automobile that pulled up where the boy is watching the train looks like it is out of the 1930s!  You are right about some American railroads being dieselised by the late '40s.  Here in the Appalachian Mountains some of the coal hauling railroads kept steam going until the late '50s, but finally gave in that it wasn't worth the cost to help support the coal industry that way.  I just missed seeing steam locally since I'll be 64 shortly.

I don't blame you on thinking you may not play at weddings.  Our daughter says there is always some hassle but folks seem to love having her.  Who doesn't like a 27-year old pixie who plays the harp or sings?

@Mark Boyce posted:

The Br 50 is doing a nice job in that video!  It looks neat going over that viaduct!  The automobile that pulled up where the boy is watching the train looks like it is out of the 1930s!  You are right about some American railroads being dieselised by the late '40s.  Here in the Appalachian Mountains some of the coal hauling railroads kept steam going until the late '50s, but finally gave in that it wasn't worth the cost to help support the coal industry that way.  I just missed seeing steam locally since I'll be 64 shortly.

I don't blame you on thinking you may not play at weddings.  Our daughter says there is always some hassle but folks seem to love having her.  Who doesn't like a 27-year old pixie who plays the harp or sings?

Hi Mark, aye I noticed that old car too. I recently did a bit of research and between industrial use of steam and on shortlines /tourist lines etc ,steam pretty much managed to hang on more or less continuously in the states somewhere or another. As for the wedding scene,I;ve been doing them since I was in my 20s with various bands I had , and for the last 9 years on my own with the pipes, can't say I had a lot of hassle to be honest mostof the time but I'm just gig-weary in general.  As for a 27 year old Pixie ....well she's always gonna have a head start over an old croak like me...

Mark and guys, some great close up colour footage of steam in East Germany in 1979. A steam fans paradise bach then.Some seriously fine machines too.... https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=obkLYqIEmlo

Hi Guys, don't know if you'll be ablse to see this footage, anyway,heres the 2-10-0 making her debut on my G scale line. I'll try to get better footage with a more modern camera soon. 

Impressive even with that camera, Davy!  The sound is great and the red drive train really makes it flash!

Hi Davy , No luck on my end with the video . All that I have is a still picture for each video . Still a very nice steamer ! 

Hi Guys, better footage of the new Piko G scale BR50....hope you can see these OK !! 

Those videos look great!  Thank you for posting!!!

Hi Guys, well absolutely nothing to report on the O gauge garden line front, as winter approaches I ain't gonna be gettin anything fixed now before next spring with the re-wiring of the live frog switches. However as the G scale line is up and running I have got a wee up date on that front. A good few years ago I scratch built a body shell for a little known type steam loco ,a B&O  K17. These were heavy switch engines mostly used in the stockyards in Chicago as far as I'm aware. Well I had no tech drawings so I just "guess"timated the dimensions from photographs. Anyway the body shell lay out in the shed gathering dust for years doing nothing as I didn't have the skill to build a working chassis and I couldn't see a suitable ready to run chassis that would suit it. However I recently got  the chance of a little used PIKO US outline "Christmas" 2-6-0 and I thought "wonder if that would fit the old K17 body shell. Well long story short it did . The PIKO 2-6-0 is already fitted with sound and smoke and decoder so she's almost ready to roll. Just needs a repaint  and some detailing. I'm just leaving the PIKO tender as is but will re-detail it and repaint it. I also have one remaining Aristocraft pacific which is getting re-hashed ,so that will give me a coupla G scale US type steamers to keep each other company on the G scale line and an alternative to my German outline collection. 

Looks good Davy! Keep us posted on how things go! Would love to see a photo when your done!

@mike g. posted:

Looks good Davy! Keep us posted on how things go! Would love to see a photo when your done!

Hi Mike , here's a photo of the K17 type . 2-6-0.  Have never ever seen this type modelled in any scale before. Apparently they were very powerfull engines. certainly looks powerfull. Love it. Looks like a steam loco should to my eyes!!

Hi Guys ,in the process of  extending the PIKO chassis cylinder housing forward a tad so I can get the steam pipes lined up properly with the stack on the K17 bodyshell. 1st I wrapped the Piko cylinder with fine plasticard glued in place with cyano-glue. Filled the new space with a couple of bits of thick balsa wood. Last job will be to finish off with body filler and sand the whole lot to shape. 

already lookin better

Both cylinder housings now ready for final finishing, detailing and painting

That is a nice project, Davy!  Your method looks like it will work out nicely!

@Mark Boyce posted:

That is a nice project, Davy!  Your method looks like it will work out nicely!

Hi Mark , aye, am lookin forward to seein it complete and up and running. Just been to the local model shop to get the stuff I need to complete it. Luckily theres not an awfull lot left to be done.

Next stage, cylinder housing ends filled with body filler. Note the big heavy weight on this Piko loco. Will haul !!

Hi Guys, well made the mistake of using a bit too little hardener in the body filler on the cylinders so it took about 3 days for the filler to harden enough to sand. Now it needs another skim . Meantime I cleaned the loco body and primered it along with the PIKO tender body. I wasn't sure if the decorative Christmas stuff would re-act and blister with the primer and if the tender sides would need re-sheeted but luckily it seems to have taken the primer OK , it will still need the bunker sides re-hashed with new sides and a coal load. The loco body shell needs a couple of small repairs done but otherwise the project advances well.

Helllloooooo DAVY!

I thought for sure we'd lost you to the OO scale live steam!

By way of an update to you: The K4 shell and tender you bashed and sent over here years ago is finally getting the attention from a proper PRR fan; my neighbor!

For those who don't know, Davy used to be a super crazy G scale guy!  And by way of a minor intro to me; here's my update for our virtual garden railroad open house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...RaAEA20Ig&t=159s

@Mark Oles posted:

Helllloooooo DAVY!

I thought for sure we'd lost you to the OO scale live steam!

By way of an update to you: The K4 shell and tender you bashed and sent over here years ago is finally getting the attention from a proper PRR fan; my neighbor!

For those who don't know, Davy used to be a super crazy G scale guy!  And by way of a minor intro to me; here's my update for our virtual garden railroad open house: https://www.youtube.com/watch?...RaAEA20Ig&t=159s

Hi Mark, long time no hear ! Often wondered if you did anything with the Pennsy bash. Look forward to seeing it when its finished. Pretty much everything Ive been up to the last few years in G and O scale garden stuff is posted here on this and other threads.

I see that! And it is like a novel to read and review!!! LOL! 

I've really gotten pretty good with a Cricut vinyl cutter.  Been doing all sorts of custom decoration for the trains.  Most recently, I've been redoing the wedding train locomotive, the LGB 2-8-2 mikado.  Trying to sort out the chuffing synch with a phoenix P8 board.

Did you get the BR-50 with the coal load that drops as the engine runs? That's pretty cool.

Hi Mark, aye the PIKO stuff is really well made and rugged. Pity that some Aristocraft stuff was never made to a similar standard or maybe they'd still be in business. But hey ho, all history now. Gave the K17 loco body and tender a repaint yesterday. Still have some minor things to fix ,otherwise its nearly ready for re-assembly

Hi Guys, well finally got the cylinder housing filled and sanded flush. Just about to head to the model store and grab some bits and pieces to get this loco finished . Not so much to do now

It is looking great, Davy!

@Mark Boyce posted:

It is looking great, Davy!

Hi Mark, a wee bit more progress today. Beginning to look how its supposed to...

Looking sharp Davy! I sure hope you will post photos when it done and on the track!

@Davy Mac posted:

Hi Mike,still need to re-hash the tender bunker and repair the front drawbar and add a coupla small details here and there. Also although you can't see it in that picture some of the green and red original Piko colourscheme is showing thru so more black paint required here and there. However once thats finished she's ready to roll. I think ??? I have a suitable decal sheet (somewhere in this house !!) to letter her authentically for the B&O.  The good thing is the original Piko engine has a pretty good American style sound decoder etc already fitted.I just have to fix the smoke unit in the stack and plug in the forward and rear lights and she's good to go. Hopefully I'll get her out in the garden for a spin this week some time. I might actually get round to building another one of these ?? ,but next on the agenda is gettin my Aristocraft pacific re-hash finished.

Hi Guys, well gave the tender bunker my attention this mornin.Just guestimated the height. Just some paint / a coal load and some handrails required now

K17 bash nearly finished, tender bunker fixed just needs a coal load and handrails, Loco front drawbar now also fixed. Sand dome still needs a sand filler lid. Now ....where are the decals ? In this house somewhere but "where!" is the 60,000 dollar question !!

Looking great Davy! I hope the weather there holds out long enough for you to get it on the tracks!

@mike g. posted:

Looking great Davy! I hope the weather there holds out long enough for you to get it on the tracks!

Good morning Mike, will be hard pushed this week Mike ,wet today and forecast ahead...wet wet wet !!  If I get a dry hour at some point I'll hopefully get her out for a spin. Before that I need to pull the loco body off and re-hash the wiring loom a bit and fit the smoke unit. Unfortunately in this case its not a pulsed smoke unit like my German outline engines.But I suppose its better than no smoke at all.The sound unit is pretty decent though.

It looks very nice!!  You are almost there.

Hi Guys,well can't find the decal sheet for the K17 so not much more I can do with it for now.However while am in G scale bashing mode tonight I started to the next project which is converting my Aristocraft basic B&O P7 model to Engine number 5309 as she was in her later years of service. Have done one of these before .Involves rehashing the walkways and the front steps etc., and quite a few other bits and pieces of detail. However I'll get there ! Started on the walkways .

Hi guys, well have made new steps for one side of the P7. Aristocraft made these P7 models more or less in their original build format. However for the P7c and P7e rebuilds the front ends were modified.I've used ordinary sheet plastic for the walk board extension but it will get a layer of chequerplate plastic on top which should bring it pretty much level with the original Aristo walk board.

That is certainly a nice looking job!

@Mark Boyce posted:

That is certainly a nice looking job!

Hi Mark, doin these steps has to be the most annoying fernickety pain in the butt job I'll do on this whole loco . They ain't perfect but they ain't bad . Cuttin out the holes on the sides of the angle plates was a real pain. Just used a sharp pointed scalpel. Then tryin to glue the ****ed steps in place while the glue stuck to my fingers more than the steps........however its done !! No pain no gain Well I'm doin no more tonight. My patience and concentration reserves are all used up for this day !

Davy, just looking at them, I know I would have had as tough a time doing them as you did.  So I'm not the only one who has trouble with things like that. 

@Mark Boyce posted:

Davy, just looking at them, I know I would have had as tough a time doing them as you did.  So I'm not the only one who has trouble with things like that. 

Hi Mark, why couldn't the B&O shops just have built those steps with ordinary solid plate sides ?? never mind , everything else that needs done will be (famous last words !) plain sailing !

Morning guys, next job is straightening out the rear walkboard. |This was another alteration applied to the B&O  P7c and P7e sublasses. One side done , one to go !

Hi Guys, well the B&O P7 progresses.  yesterday I managed to get the rear walkplate modified as per prototype. Also made a start to the air pump shield up front. Still have a bitta work to do on that and also need to make a couple of convincing air pumps for under the smoke box. Once thats all done not really that much to be done in the detailing department ,just fix new handrails at the front etc. Then the loco is off to get a sound decoder and smoke unit fitted. Once I get it back it will then get its final paint and decals.

Hi Guys, well had a look at westinghouse pumps and thought oh oh !! ain't even attempting to reproduce that mechanical concoction so took 8 bits of plastic pipe, two plastic straws and 4 bits of plastic sheet. Cut and shaped and glued to look sumthing vaguely like pumps. Behind the shield and painted I'm sure they'll look sufficently business like and will fill the necessary space .

Davy, I don't blame you!  I wouldn't even attempt it either.  Your rendition should be fine considering paint and a shield.  Looking good!!

@Mark Boyce posted:

Davy, I don't blame you!  I wouldn't even attempt it either.  Your rendition should be fine considering paint and a shield.  Looking good!!

Hi Mark, as long as the finished article captures the essence of the real thing than I'm happy with that. Just took this last picture for tonight. Got the pump shield put together and primered. The loco is booked in to go to Scottish Garden Railways in Stirling to get decoder and sound etc fitted on Sunday. I've also got lettering decals ordered from the states and a pal has printed me a sheet of B&O roundels for the pump shield. I was gonna do the loco in black as 106 (ex 5308) ,as P7 106 was supposed to be the only P7 ever to have carried black livery at the very end of her working days but I might just re-do her in all over royal blue as 5309 or 5317 . we'll see. Anyway ,bed time. catch you later  D

Hi Guys, well last bit of detail done this morning before the loco goes for decoder fitting. I believe the gadget forward of the stack is a feedwater heater ?? ,anyway again a guestimated  approximation dimension wise. I made and shaped  the basic box in balsa wood then faced it with thin plastic buffed to shape. well that'll be the last progress report till I get the loco back from getting the electrics fitted .

IT looks great!!

Hi guys ,well the pacific loco is away to get the decoder and sound unit fitted. However I managed to get the K17 2-6-0 out into the garden for a quick run between showers. So heres a very short film. Was just using a 12v DC controller . Quite pleased with the wee loco though. The decal sheets arrived from America this morning so am just about to get her tarted up in her B&O lettering. Then all she needs is a coal load in the tender and a couplka handrails fitted.

Very nice Davy! Congratulations on the maiden run!

Is there a forum to discuss G gauge? I have some questions, but I do not find anything, until I saw this post.

Hi Jeff, 

There are a few forums out there to discuss G scale trains.  I have been part of various forums since the late 1990s and they have changed quite a bit over the years. 

What kind of questions do you have?

Davy,

I saw you have lost your lettering for the loco.  I have a cricut vinyl cutter and could maybe see about making you some lettering for the loco.  These are permanent vinyl and I've been doing a lot of repaints here and relettering.  Unfortunately, I do not have all of the exact fonts.  If you have a digital file of the lettering you need in the size you want it, I can see.  Vinyl is harder to work with when the sizes get below about 1/4" tall.

@mike g. posted:

Very nice Davy! Congratulations on the maiden run!

Cheers Mike, here she is with one side decalled, will need to fix the "25" on that headlamp tho !

@Mark Oles posted:

Hi Jeff,

There are a few forums out there to discuss G scale trains.  I have been part of various forums since the late 1990s and they have changed quite a bit over the years.

What kind of questions do you have?

Hi Mark:

I am not doing anything real special, but my wife (and I) are wanting to put up a small G gauge track inside my work shop. I am wondering what type of track to use, brass or steel, and I have heard comments about the track needing quite a bit of upkeep to keep the electrical contact in check. i.e. cleaning the rail fairly often. Since this set up I am proposing is high up, I hate to think of climbing up on a ladder and reaching around to clean track. Also, some friends of mine suggest going with battery operated systems so as to not have to worry about electrical connections and rail needing cleaning. One of my friends has a Bachman Spectrum Shay which he intends to give to me, and would put in a battery system. I need to know how much a system costs, and if it is a real good idea for my situation. This layout will not be anything fancy, just want to have a dog bone loop to enjoy a G gauge in the work shop.

Any suggestions would be appreciated.

Thanks,

Jeff

@Mark Oles posted:

Davy,

I saw you have lost your lettering for the loco.  I have a cricut vinyl cutter and could maybe see about making you some lettering for the loco.  These are permanent vinyl and I've been doing a lot of repaints here and relettering.  Unfortunately, I do not have all of the exact fonts.  If you have a digital file of the lettering you need in the size you want it, I can see.  Vinyl is harder to work with when the sizes get below about 1/4" tall.

Hi Mark, thanks for that however I've got new decals from the states for the B&O lettering  and a pal of mine has done me a sheet of B&O roundels. I just bought another Aristo pacific from a guy down  in England  ,its the last production run with the better drive unit. I'm looking to knock it into a C&O F19 pacific with vandy tender. B&O didn't run P7 pacifics with vandies. So I might take you up on your offer as and when and if I get round to that. 

Jeff,

You can try the various facebook pages. I like gscale.net and G garden trains.  Forums can be rough but largescalecentral seems to have an active group, too.

To answer your question about track: brass track indoors is easy to maintain.  You might have to clean it once in a while, but not all the time.  I have stainless steel for outside which has worked well for me.  I believe Davy is using peco's nickel silver.   Bachmann's plain steel track is hollow and to be avoided. Piko, USATrains, LGB and Bachmann all make lines of brass track and are readily available.  Get the widest curves your space allows. The 4' diameter starter set curves are to be avoided, if possible.  Battery power is an option and simplifies things for wiring.  But for a railroad like what you describe, I'd stick with track power.  The trick is to mechanically connect all the track. Old Aristocraft, USAtrains and bachmann track have screws to hold the track sections together. For Piko and LGB you might want to consider rail clamps. Also, you can get track on the secondary market for about 2/3 the cost of brand new track, if that's a consideration.

The shay has a long and storied history. Early ones had some issues with split gears.  Not sure if yours will have those concerns.  A great resource from the late 90s is: http://www.girr.org/girr/ 

Davy,
Let me know and I can work on getting those made up. 

A friend in Georgia made vinyl lettering for me when I swapped tenders with him.  He wanted a standard aristo 'long' tender and had a vandy he didn't need.  So we traded.  I would like to have made these a little bit smaller but the 'weeding' becomes a real problem.

Here's  a video we made back in May.   Starts off at the roundhouse but the track wasn't super clean and I had some electrical issues at first.  https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=4ux9RT4hN_Q

Davy, The C&O with the Vanderbilt tender sounds like it will be great!  I always liked those tenders!

Thanks Mark for that information. Appreciate it.

jeff

@Davy Mac posted:

Hi George,aye the scenery is all too real.... and my back and old bones know it ..

Hi Davy! It’s been awhile! I hope your well. Any update on your garden outdoor layout.

all the best!

George

Hi Davy! It’s been awhile! I hope your well.

Larry