New garden layout

Hi George, just couldn't get the choice and variety of  locomotives in 1/29th scale I wanted.Plus with the O scale I'll get more in less space.  Davy 

Hi Guys well, only had a wee while to spend working on the layout today so heres the latest. I layed and pinned down some track and have tried the track ballasting method I described. I put  couple of handfulls of damp quarry-grit/dust in a plastic tub. A handfull of cement powder,mix well till all the grit is infused with the cement powder. (This is a dry mix,no water) pour the mix over the track then brush into place with an old paint brush. Some bit of grit tend to stick to the sides of the rails so I flicked away any offending particles off the rails with a sharp knife then brushed everything smooth. The dampness already inthe mix will set the cement over night. I then covered the whole lot over with plastic bags incase of heavy rain coming on and disturbing/soaking everything,. Tomorrow I'll take the bags off and see the results. Pics attached. Oh...and I also ran that steel wheeled coach up and down the track to make sure there were no offending grit particles to cause potential derailments when it all sets.    Cheers  DAVY

Hi Guys,

          Apar from the actual layout itself,the whole garden is gettin a make-over at the same time. Wish I could spend all the time on the actual track and train stuff but unfortunately its demolish and rebuild everything as I go kinda thing. Anyway with fair weather and a few weeks a big transformation will take place.....I hope. heres the latest pics. The double track is laid along what can be seen in the pics and is working smooth with a coach as a tester however I won't be permanent fixing track/ballasting round switches etc, untill all my locos have been tested thru the switches.  Cheers  DAVY 

Hi Guys,

          Been plodding away. First locos on the line for a wee photo shoot.Thigs to come !!. Sunset B&O Big Six 2-10-2 and a Q4b in the frame.  The Y is starting to take shape. In one photo you can see the shelf in the shed where that spur the Q4b and coach are sittting on is  heading for,(where the blue plastic bottle is sitting). That will be the train store. Anyway ,thats the progress to date. Wish it was all done and up and running but Rome wasn't built in a day eh ?? Cheers  DAVY  

"Y" almost complete.   DAVY

Davy, Wow.  It is great to see the forum getting more international members.  Keep the up dates coming.

Good thread, Davy.

I live in the Vancouver area, and I'm interested in what you're up to...

I've got a nice O gauge collection that really should be operated on a larger layout... I've got ample room, on my property, for a nice outdoor layout but, having to lug my equipment in and out, every time I wanted to run my trains, just seems to be a wee bit unappealing.

Watching you, while I'm enjoying a pint of Guinness or a bottle of Belhaven's Wee Heavy, will have to suffice... for the time being.

Some of my Scottish ancestors lived in Currie, in the Midlothian area. I enjoy learning/and hearing about Scotland.

Cheers Lad,

Rick

 Looking great Davy. To bad I live on the other side of the world, I'd be there watchin, learnin, and even helpin.  Sad thing is I can't find anyone in the US that sells Peco O scale track.  Maybe I need to contact Peco and become a dealer as I already sell "G" gauge products. I can branch out into O scale also.

Keep up the great work. BTW raining here so I guess I'll be in the shop today instead of out on the railroad.

Chuck 

Hi Guys, glad you're enjoyin the thread. "Currie" you say Rick,thats to the Edinburgh/east side of the country ,I'm nearer Glasgow in the west but no so far away. As for the Peco track, it really is great stuff ,easy to work with too and very good quality. As for buying it. The best price I could find in the UK was from Hattons of Liverpool in England. £60 per box of 12 yards of flexi.Thats exactly £5 a yard and the medium switches are £36 a piece. Hattons are an excellent retailer and their service I have found to be second to none.I don't know how that compares to US track prices.But I'll say this in all honesty, American or German G scale track I found to be an extremely poor second to PECO stuff.Cumbersome ,clumsy,and over complicated.  But maybe American O gauge nickel silver flexi is just as good? ,I don't know. Peco make some nice curved turnouts too which I'll probably use on the layout at certain places. Anyway guys,just in for my dinner. Need to go and get on with things.This layout won't build itself !  ha ha !  cheers  DAVY

Chuck heres the peco website.....  http://www.peco-uk.com/

Hi Davy,

Yes, close to the Edinburgh university lands... is my understanding. I was born in Vancouver, and I have been to Glasgow, in the early 70's... back in my Jock-the-lad days, but not to the parish of Currie. In those days, I didn't care much about ancestry... I just wanted to look cool and meet the babes.

I remember registering at a Glasgow hotel, and there being a language barrier. The proprietor had a strong Scottish accent, and she was having a hard time understanding mine.

She kept asking me... "what's your satin name"? Three times I told her, but she just wasn't getting it... Finally, she accepted my satin name and the boys had a place to stay.

BTW, apparently, in Canada, we call our rail companies railways. Yours, your railway or railroad, is coming along very nicely. Good job, me son.

Cheers,

Rick

Really great stuff!  Thanks for sharing it all here.

Hi Guys,

          "Y" trackwork complete ,now I can get this area landscaped and the track ballasted. In the UK ,I believe the term "railroad" was the first to be used then gave way to "railways" which is the term now used . Today we tend to think of "railroad" as USA-speak. But I think most folk over here think of "Railways" when it comes to Canada. "Canadian Pacific Railway" "Canadian National Railway" ,or "Canadien" mes amis Quebecois ,non ?   ha ha !    DAVY 

Merveilleux Davy. Please give us some close up pictures as you ballast the tracks and the turnouts. Seeing your layout revives in me the desire to build one outside, as I will never have enough space for an O scale layout in my home. I cannot wait to see the other parts of the layout.

Yves

Aye, tis a fine looking wye ya have there, Davy Mac. A nice visual feast and useful, as well. I wouldn't mind having a wye, myself.

I'm noticing that, at least on one side, there's not much of a barrier between your joint and your neighbors yard( I think you guys call them your gardens). Anyway, how do the Frohmeyer's, Vic and his clan, your neighbors, like your trains etc?

BTW, I only just recently read the bit about Canada calling it's rail outfits railways. Before that, I always wondered why there was two different terms?

So the Rebs use railroad, and the True North Strong and Free uses railway... got it.

Thanks for sharing... cheers,

Rick

Here's a thought... a little late for Davy, but something to ponder -

EMD uses a rubber gasket, or something similar, to lessen the vibration felt inside their isolated cab models.

Would some type of gasket, maybe even that thin foam(sill gasket) used on top of cement foundations, to prevent moisture from reaching the wood sill plate, work - to mitigate the effects of frost? A gasket might reduce or eliminate the ground shift/movement, associated with frost?

I would suggest lining the sides, as well as the bottom.

Rick

Hi Guys,

          By the time I have the ballasting done the timber is encapsulated in cement.Also with the amount of drainage I don't enviseage any problems with frost. A waterproofing plasticiser in the cement also keeps water out. Anyway guys,did a wee bit landscaping in the "Y"this afternoon. beautifull warm day here. Anyway,all I did was mix up some crushed rock (same as I use for the ballast)with some compost to make a gritty mix for alpine plants, Edged the trackside with stones then filled in with the grit and compost mix.laid pea gravel over the top. Keeps weeds down and also helps to hold moisture and also stops the compost from getting splashed all over in heavy rain. Another tried and tested method that works well. DAVY    

 WOW!!! Thats looking great. BTW thanks for the Peco web site. I guess it's easier to get your Peco product where you live then in the USA. Other than Walthers I can't find anyone who carries it and Walthers only sells things at full retail. Anyway I'm still looking.

Chuck

Hi again guys ,heres a shot from the other end. As for the neighbours, we get on fine.Quite a close knit wee community. No problems there Rik. Oh well thats me for the day. Cheers   DAVY         

Very informative post Davy. How are the neighbors once you have trains going with sound?