Garden railway in 16mm: Wilmington Light Railway

[Greengiant]

I got bored ballasting with a small dropper so bought a much bigger one.



Being at the height the layout is, makes it more comfortable to sit down while ballasting. This was on a very hot day, the house kept the railway in shade until early afternoon.



Lifting more points to add switch timbers.



Some of the points relaid.



My track level checking wagon in use.



Signal box has been lifted and a holding plug has been put in while I add ground work up to it, when dry the plug can be lifted and the signal box planted back.



Signal box plug lifted, to the right of the Baguely is a plug for what will eventually be a fuelling coal/diesel stage. The engine shed has levitated down the line while the groundwork is done.



Working up the engine shed area.



Engine shed now back in place.



I stained the Grano Dust with this cement dye.



I got bored with ballasting, so played trains instead!



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

I cannot warm to super shiny stock on the railway.



So made an initial start on toning down this one.





It did a bit of evening shunting with some ballast wagons.



I will be working on this one in the winter evenings, as and when the mood takes me.

Martin

 

[Greengiant]

I have moved the site for the yet to be built goods shed, for which the drawings are already done.

It has moved about 10" towards the engine shed, for no other reason than, when I sit in the conservatory having a coffee, I will be able to see the cattle dock without it being obscured by the goods shed.

The plastic wrapped bits of MDF represent the building's footprint, the sidings are yet to be shortened.





I have never liked the inner curve on the far side by the bush, it never looked right. I think I rushed it using what track I had to hand at the time, rather than cutting a better fitting piece. Plus the bush at the back was getting ever nearer the track.



The track has been completely lifted and plonked across the grass while I sweep up the ballast.



Here using my track spacers to set the new route.





I use a small hand mirror to 'eye in' the curves.



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

We are now in November 2023...

It is that time of year when the garden railway modelling moves indoors. I cannot guarantee the weather will be dry and warm enough to do anymore trackwork, except for the crossing sections which will done in the workshop as units.

I have yet to make space in the main workshop to accommodate the indoor section of the garden railway, otherwise I could have started that, but the 'First Sunday in June' layout is taking up that space.

Thoughts have turned to rolling stock and the pile of started and yet to start kits.

This one is an IP Engineering brake van kit, which I began an embarrassing 13 years ago!





Roll on 13 years...

I have now added rivet detail. Seen here next to the standard gauge grounded van body.



The roof is a thin piece of ply, I wanted this removable to aid interior detailing.



I laser cut from ply, a subframe to to hold the roof to shape and locate it in the body frame.



From 2mm MDF, I laser cut a gluing jig, the ribs coincide with the roof subframe ribs.



This made gluing the subframes to the roof top a simple process.



Using some very thin strip wood, I glued on rain channels.



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

The IP Engineering kit is a good basic base to detail up.

Next I wanted to glaze the end windows, so laser cut some frames from PolyBak. Each window uses two of these frames and sandwiches the glazing between. The glazing I cut from an old CD case cover, for no other reason than I had a load of empty cases kicking around.



Enough frames for the two end windows.



Here can be seen two frames with a CD case sandwich.



Installation testing before painting. Painting is very easy before final assembly, then glued in with the glazing, no masking required.





I did not like the step boards that came with the kit, I felt they were too short. New ones were laser cut along with a drilling guide.



The drilling guide was clamped in place and a pin vice used.



All four in place using nails as supports, just need painting and refitting.



The W irons were bolted on rather than glued.



Finally I sploshed some paint on. This will do for now until I get enthused to add some more details, lettering and then weathering.





Martin

 

[Greengiant]

Rather pleased to discover that moss seems to like Grano Dust ballast.





Martin

 

[Greengiant]

More progress on the grounded van body shed. The window now has a peak above it.



Ironwork I laser cut out from Trolase before they changed the specification of the material.



The roof canvas was made with old cotton bed sheet, flooded with MEK to stick it down.



Patches were cut out to represent torn canvas, in this instance a piece also folded back. Wood grain was scribed into the planks that are exposed.



Once the MEK had gone hard, it was a simple matter with a razor blade to trim the edges.



The completed covering.



The main parts were primed in suitable colours.



A close up in the primer stage.



The ironwork fixed in place and the base with some initial colouring.



Here pictured alongside a narrow gauge box van.



There are plenty of little details and weathering to do, this will happen when the whim takes me. For the time being it sits on the shelf awaiting inspiration.

Martin

 

[Greengiant]

I missed a bit of the build somehow!

Go back a year and a pile of new sleepers had been delivered.



These were made into a raised bed with water feature. Behind this you can see the hedge cuttings have made good progress.
The water pump I bought about 30 years ago at a boot fair for £5.00.





This finishes the groundworks for this area of the garden. The next major groundworks are for getting the line across the footpath and into the main indoor section, although there is another smaller indoor section that may be reached first.

Martin

 

[Greengiant]

Now we are in August 2024...

Back in July, with the nice weather, I planed to get back on with the trackwork. Currently covered over with sheets of felt, held down with bricks and timber and all manner of stuff just dumped on top!

The plants are establishing nicely, the hedge especially so, that needs a fortghtly trim. Hard to believe these started out as cuttings from my friend’s hedge many years ago.

I need to give some thought to the track layout in front of the workshop. It will occupy an area roughly 34’ x 10’, contain a continuous run and eventually raise the track level by 12” to enable it to enter the workshop at the far end, just above window cill level. Once in the workshop it will enter a 12’ x 28’, ‘L’ shape industrial scenic section.

This section of the line will need to share space in the workshop with the 7mm layout ‘The Yard’ and the 16mm layout still under construction, ‘First Sunday in June’.

In this photo Wilmington signal box and engine shed can be scene to the right of the photo, in the background.



The hedge is really establishing well, the planters are filling up nicely. The domestic planning authorities craft cabin gets plenty of use.



Not so great was this area.

On the left is the site for the station, which I think may become known as Horton Junction. The girder bridge will be rotated 90 degrees to take a track from Horton Junction into the garage. This may just be storage or may end up being an industrial area. The garage does have a good view of the line if the weather is a bit rough.



This will be Horton Junction goods yard and engine shed facilities, with main line running past. Bottom left of the photo is the eventual site for a lifting bridge which will take the line across the main garden path. I saw a rather nice lifting bridge on the Southgate Light Railway YouTube channel. I may just have to pinch the idea. Update: Recently the builder of Southgate Light railway has given me all his CAD files for the bridge, Rob has been a great help with information on his bridge.



The same location looking in the other direction. The Hydrangea may have to move unless I can come up with a work around.



In front of the workshop. The swing seat needs to be moved and refurbed. The line should eventually enter the workshop at the far end. This whole area needs to be visually pleasing, have a continuous run, rise about 12”, contain a trestle bridge (already built) and a rockery to use up the many rockery stones I have. The earth in front of the shed was shifted by a fox in just one night!



From the far end of the workshop where the line should enter, a view across to the craft cabin. In the foreground I have made a start clearing the area.



We had a new fence installed this side of the garden, I had to clear back some of the shrubs and trees.
Could be a nice little run down here, but not mentioned that to the domestic planning authorities yet!



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

In early August a friend brought his steam loco round for testing.

The main line overhanging vegetation needed a trim first.





When I do a full prune, the railway is strong enough to take my weight standing on it while using the hedge trimmer.

Martin

 

[Greengiant]

After the loco testing day, I continued with my upgrading of the liner and ballasting.

I lost enthusiasm with loose ballast, rain and animals manage to shift it everywhere, in amongst point mechanisms being the most annoying.

I used a VAX vacuum with a reusable bag to remove a lot of the ballast.



A wooden track support needed cutting, this was very easy with a multi-tool.



A neat cut without needing to remove track.



Track and wooden supports lifted in one.



Dustpan and brush, along with the VAX removed the last of the ballast.



Weed membrane held in place with wood strip. It was breezy today which lifted the membrane on occasions.



I used my original track spacer, which made lining up the screw holes very easy.



My new method of ballasting using Grano dust. The other line is due to be ballasted with Grano dust.



Damped down, it was getting late, so SBR will be applied the next day, or so I thought!



The next day was rather wet, so radio on and sort the ballast into grades in the shed in the dry for a few hours.
In this view you can see the ally greenhouse shelves under the layout. Handy for loco servicing items and handsets on running days, rather than spread all over the ground.



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

Finished ballasting this part of the main line.



A video of when I ran a loco before replacing the ballast. It was a bit windy that day!

Martin

 

[Greengiant]

I made a start on building the first of two crossovers required for Horton Junction station. This I did on the bench, makes it a lot easier than on the actual railway and not dictated to by the weather!

Laying out the track and cutting to fit. I made some track spacers from timber offcuts.



My railway is made from secondhand track bought over many years. I clean the railhead when laying because it makes it a lot easier when looking down the track for alignment.



Got carried away with this point, leaving the check rails dirty as per prototype. I really must get out more!



All track now cut.



I use a small mirror when ‘sighting’ track alignment.



I plan to use radio control aircraft fittings as point rodding, allowing one switch to throw both points.

A crank and some end clips which have 2mm threaded rod, this will enable very fine adjustment.



This gives a rough idea.



Cutting the track webbing allows the control cable to pass under the rail.



The total crossover mounted on timbers. I will probably paint the blue rods black. Ordered some flat ally strip which won’t arrive until later, then I can finish this off and install on the railway.



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

The metal strip arrived, I made some temporary metal straps to hold the crossover in formation prior to fitting to the railway.
Also made a start on making small brackets to hold control cranks.





Martin

 

[Greengiant]

A start has been made on the second crossover for Horton Junction.

I have found not all Peco straight left and righthand points are indeed straight, some are more like a ‘Y’ point.

It makes straight track sections look uncomfortable to my eyes.

This straight point has a distinct curve.



I straightened the point by fixing each end first, while using a small clamp to pull the point straight, I fix in place with a screw.



Checked with a mirror, looks a lot better.



Martin

 

[Greengiant]

I dropped in the two crossovers and laid the first track into Horton Junction. I used a builders line to get the track straight.

Annoyingly, part way along Horton Junction station there is a distinct rise. This coincided with one of the leg supports, so digging out the brick supports to lower them about 15mm was today’s project.

Not helped by all the plants that had now grown up around the area. It was also the least accessible of all the legs, but at least it is done now.

This shows the hump. Ordinarily not a problem, but I just know it will complicate things later when making the platform, plus uncoupled coaches may start to roll.



Making a start digging out the front support brick.



Brick out with the aid of a shovel to slightly lift the leg. Soil was scrapped out and brick placed back.

The rear brick was worse to get out, but luckily I had a block paver that was about 15mm lower than the brick removed, this then became a simple swop over.



Martin