Construction.
Construction.
After several months of hard graft in the garden which has involved moving trees, building a green house, mixing and pouring several cubic metres of concrete and building raised beds out of sleepers -and then sifting the several cubic metres of soil needed to fill them -I can at last begin to look forward to the construction of my railway....
As in the last railway I built I am running my track on planks stuck on top of posts. In the US they call this the “wooden stringer” method -which is far more poetic sounding to our UK “plank on post”(!) The planks will be std 1.8m lengths of 19mm x150mm “gravel board” with two 50mm x 25mm lengths running under them. The whole lot will be glued and screwed together, then clad with hot melt roofing felt and it should take even my weight (105Kg). The main problem on the horizon as it were is the point where it crosses over the concrete path to the garden. This also crosses two manhole covers which might need removing if we ever get the drains blocked up for “rodding”. This is going to have to be a removable section rather than one fixed to the posts. However the Gauge ‘3’ Society has a system that they are expousing called “Connect 3” which is a method of building sectional track that will fill the gap nicely, (thank you very much Mr Turner!)
The problem with any “plank on post” system is that it has problems turning corners. However I have cheated (typically) and adopted the standard method for “cable trays” as used by the computer and telecomms industry. This is a sectional 36 sided polygon (i.e. each section is 10 degrees), and the cables feed down the centre. So far so good, but the system is going to have to be produced by yours truly here, and to be honest, I find the prospect of having to make the same piece 48 times over -somewhat daunting....
The first thing to do is dig the holes for the first posts on the first corner. This defines everything from there on in and must be done with nail biting accuracy. My wife is not looking forward to the appearance of my method of railway construction which very closely mimics the real thing circa 1829 -stretched strings with marker pegs... However the string is bright blue and the pegs yellow. I am always reminded of the myth of the Midland Railway employing professional boxers from Nottingham to beat up the surveyors from the Great Northern. There is another one that they crept in during the night and moved some of the marker pegs “just a bit” so that the railway line went straight through churches and houses of the “Gentry”. Although in my case it might be more a case of going too close to Peonies, Hostas and Roses -as its path through the Fruit Garden and (soon to be) Orchard is all very carefully mapped out!!!
The corner will consist of nine of the cable tray modules, three of the modules will first be bolted together and a post fitted to the central module. Then another two sets of three modules produced and posts fitted to the central modules of them. Thus each curve will consist of an end post with three posts along its axis.
Having purchased the total stock (8) of 75mm sq 750mm long “Metposts” from the local B&Q and de-rusted my trusty sledge hammer, I now feel in a position to bash them into the ground. It has rained heavily over night and the ground is rather less than its normal concrete like structure. My wife DESTROYS trowels trying to weed her rose garden and if you ever wondered why the Alamo, made of mud bricks, defeated the Mexicans for so long -try digging our garden!!!
I suppose that I had better show you what I am constructing...
This is the “Great North Straight”.
As you can see there is a direct run between the fence and the fruit garden, (the black compost bin behind the cherry tree will get moved), and the track will then vanish around the back of the Summer house and travel in front of the “Rock Garden” before returning back to the house via the “Great South Straight”. There may, (or may not be depending on who you are talking to), a “Koi Bridge” from the (to be built) deck in front of the Summer house to the pathway in front of the “Rock Garden” -which the locos will pass under...
There was a comment on one of the Forums of people building “Race Tracks” for steam engines -this can only be classed as a “Drag Strip” for Diesels and Electrics!!! I will be the first to admit that the, (to be), lawn is a complete disaster area -but after having filled a few “skips” with what was in there and despite initial fears -a “Corps de Ballet” of JCBs were not required to level it. Some of the lumps and bumps turned out to be partially buried items; an Anderson Shelter, a fridge, a 70’s Black Vinyl 3 piece suite, a washing machine, the complete smashed glass from a green house, (not the one in Picture 3), and worst of all -large bags marked “BR Danger Asbestos” which REALLY has us running for cover!!! Fortunately the contents of the bags turned out to be plasterboard.
Well after waiting for “The British Summer” to stop raining -it is now the second week in June.... I have this morning been occupied with the basic construction of my track -that is I have bashed into the (now softer?) ground the “Metposts” I started off at the one part of the track that is going to have to be removable -as it has to cross over the manhole cover. This does actually mark the datum point for the track -as this is the level at which all the track work will be set. The lengths of stretched twine were anchored from one side of the fence to the other and the “Metposts” positioned at 1.5m intervals along it.
In the picture you see; a plant that has to be moved, (but it is only there “while it grows a bit” -she says), the “Metpost” fitted with the “Driving Tool” which is actually a length of rubber with a wire handle, and most of all just visible at the bottom -a 5 kilogramme sledge hammer. The Man Hole cover is on the left of the picture. Where the two runs of “Metposts” cross is the corner -which is the first place to lay track -but paradoxically the last part of the post work to be put in(!) Having aligned the intersection of the two runs (which by a strange co-incidence is dead in line with the second pillar of the window of the living room...) an upturned “Metpost” is used as a marker.
The twine has been tied to a brick because anything stabbed into the ground at this point might injure a plant (and cause some trouble!) Measuring back a radius on the one side gives me the start of the corner.
And then the same process gives me the end of the corner on the other side.
The corner is the sub divided into 30 degree sections and “Metposts” pounded into the “soil” to suspend the track bed from.
I have been busy over the past few summery evenings with dwindling collection of 750mm "Metposts" and my 5Kg sledgehammer. I did initially start out with the premise that I was going to build a circa 1920's style layout in my new garden. Slowly and surely I hit my thumb and swore as I made all the lengths of track!!! I am now at the position where I can see the end of the first run of "Metposts"... As I was having my weekend breather from this I sat down and read a few entries on trackbed construction and I have been horrified that there has been no new "ideas" on the subject since about 1970(?)
My own installation will be a classical "Plank on Post" setup running at what is at one point, (maybe two?), ground level. Living in Derbyshire means the concept of "level" is unknown... I have had to use the books of Tustin, Freezer and Evans to get my ideas from. The method I am using to produce the trackbed resembles more a "cable tray' as found in large computer installations as I now intend to use a plank of 150mm x 50mm with longitudinal stringers of 50mm x 25mm. This should give me something strong enough to walk on and take the weight of my locos -ideal for "rescues"...
Certain friends have jokingly offered the use of Laser and Gyro-Gravitic positioning tools because I have something of a "thing" about straights being straight and curves being "just so". However "snap" with a length of garden twine and blue chalk will do for me -after all it is similar to the original techniques! One of the problems NOT envisaged by the placement of my marker posts earlier this year, was that a few of them would be "colonised" by clematis, glory vines and a passion flower...
After having spent some time reading my books... The Tustin book "Garden Railways" is dated 1949, "Railways in your Garden" is dated 1994 (I have the 2001 edition too -it was a freebie), "Outdoor Model Railways" by Martin Evans is dated 1970. Cyril Freezers "The Garden Railway Manual" is dated 1995 but the illustrations and drawings in it are clearly from an earlier time... The only other source books seem to be American and quite firmly biased towards 45mm gauge and American railroad practices.
What is interesting is the sections on Gauge ‘3’ in all the books concerned.
1949:The Tustin Book gives quite few pictures of inter wars period Gauge ‘3’ layouts.
1970:The Evans book notes that 2.5 inch gauge exists -but there is nothing about Gauge ‘3’...
1994:The Freezer book gives 1 and quarter columns out of 160 pages to it(!)
2001:The "Railways in your Garden" book devotes some of the introduction and there are at least a few "inspirational shots" of Gauge ‘3’ in it. (It also notes that Gauge ‘3’ is enjoying something of a revival!!!)
But since then there hasn't really been anything new on the subject of building a Gauge ‘3’ railway. I LOVE the illustration in the Railways in your Garden of the classical 1920's wood work and steam engine (actually taken in 1997) and I would adore to have this in my garden -however "domestic authorities" would never have it. Similarly a Barbie Pink painted greenhouse was outlawed by me -she has had it painted Barbie Pink on the inside and Apricot on the outside, (it now matches the summer house)...
The Greenly book gives very little detail about constructing a track bed for a Gauge ‘3’ loco -other than the raw facts. I puzzled over this for some time -then it struck me. In the period when the book was written the construction of it would have been “farmed out” to a jobbing carpenter who would do the work. This is of course an era in which DIY was unknown!
Other than the commercial retailers I haven't found any longevity rating on preservative paints. I normally use "Tanalith" treated timber and "C16" treated timber where it comes into contact with plants. This, plus a good slathering with “Cuprinol”, seems to give me about 5 years worth of playtime -but as I am getting old I think I would like something a little more robust. So I am going to use an epoxy glaze to seal the wood in. I don't know how long this will extend the life of the timbers, (it could even shorten them) -but I think the risk is worth it. This is normally used to embed cables in, and I have a good local supply -all of it out of date stock from the local skip!!! The stuff slowly oxidises in the tins and after 6 months a sealed 5 litre tin has the consistency of rice pudding -but I am not fussy...
The summer of 2010 progresses and I have exhausted the available collection of “Metposts” from all the local DIY centres -so I am having to wait while they re-stock(!) I have killed the lawn with Sodium Glyphosate, this works by causing the root fibrils to stop absorbing water. Two to three weeks are required for this to reach full effect. There is no lasting effect on the soil as it is inactivated on contact with it. I personally find that Sodium Glyphosate irritates my skin and I have to wash very well after having used it. Then I hit it with Ammonium Sulphanoate which keeps killing for 6 weeks after application. It does this by breaking down into Ammonia gas which the plant roots take up as if it where Nitrogen. Much in the same way that Carbon Monoxide is taken up by Haemoglobin -with pretty much the same effect(!) I doubt that “Agent Orange” was as lethal as this cocktail. I did it over the course of three weeks and the results have been spectacular, the grass has turned from green through orange to yellow and finally died. In between times I have been using the “weed wand” to torch the dead grass in areas. The result looks not unlike the “after” picture of an RAF bombing practice range after a week of saturation napalm....
The area designated “the fire pit” has been burning dead wood and bits of boxes off and on for a few days now. The trees that will make up the orchard and the major planting that the railway line will go through are slowly being delivered. I did originally want to have some of the “Ye Olde” and “Victorian” varieties of fruit trees -but after having studied the books and read up on the pollination problems inherent in living high on a hill in Derbyshire I have decided to go for more modern varieties that will take the strain of trying merely to survive in the local “soil”...
As my son has just commented “Soil Daddy -what soil? You could start a china clay quarry there!”
However despite this I have some clay loving trees and fruit bushes. I do however have some of the things that I have always wanted -a Quince tree and a Medlar Tree. The quince because I alway loved quince in my apple pie (I was a small boy once!) and I was always fascinated by the medlar fruit. No-One I knew -knew what it tasted like....
So, what does the Orchard part of the railway look like and why did I choose what I chose?
When I was starting out my original railway was in a fruit garden, and it became my custom to forage while playing trains. I see no reason to change this highly desirable habit!!!
The Apples are: Bountiful, Braeburn, Bramley’s Seedling, Elstar, Gala, Golden Delicious, Jonagored, Katy and Sunset.
The Pears are: Conference, Comice, Louise Bonne de Jersey, Concorde and Beth.
The Cherries are: Napolean, Stella, Morello and Sunset.
The Stone fruits are: Lord Napier (Nectarine), Moor Park (Apricot), Red Haven (Peach) and Peregrine (Peach).
The Plums are: Oulins Gage, Victoria, Cambridge Gage, Marjorie’s Seedling, Czar, Yellow and Purple Pershores.
The Medlar is a Nottingham and the Quince is an Aromatnya.
The Apples all belong to the pollination groups B C & D (the only risky one is the Jonagored which requires two pollinators in group D). The Pear Beth is also a late pollinator -but can be pollinated by Apples(!) All the Cherries bar Napolean are self fertile and (surprise) the perfect pollinators for it are; Stella, Morello and Sunset... All the Plums are self fertile but I have selected them as if they were not -so they are all pollination partners for each other. The Quince and the Medlar are also self fertile -which is fortunate as I doubt there is another locally for miles!!! The Medlar flower is very pretty and HUGE and it smells like celery...(???)
After two days of rain it was time to think about extracting the rotavator from its packing... This was one of the first things we bought when we moved here -along with the garden trolley. They say that a good quality thing is a joy for life -but to be honest I was quite worried about this. We had bought it and it had stood in its packing sleeping in the shed and it was now 2 years after the end of the Manufacturers Warrenty.... I slit the poly wrap and assembled the beast. After about 30 minutes the kitchen floor was graced by a “new” rotavator and I went in search of some petrol. Typically enough the sort required by the rotavator was not the type used by any of the family vehicles. So, armed with my new “green” petrol jerry can I duly emptied the dose of synthetic 2 stroke into the bottom of it and added 2 litres -shook madly -then added the final 2 litres -and shook madly. The instructions for a Japanese named machine were written in American and no-one was sure if ONE GALLON OF GAS meant 3.75 litres or 4.15 litres and what “Premium not Ethyl” was -we had no idea. So, I poured in 4 litres of “Super Green” and hoped!!!
The starting “ritual” was almost witchcraft like in detail. But after having pumped the priming bulb 7 times, set the choke to “full”, pulled the starter cable 5 times slowly, switched the ignition “on”, set the choke to “Half”, pulled the cable FAST -IT ACTUALLY STARTED!!!. After the required 20 seconds of full throttle the choke was set to “Run” and the wilderness beckoned. After a day and a half of marching the bouncing baby up and down the length and cross ways of the garden I am very sore and stiff -but I have 2 litres still left in my jerry can. It would appear that the consumption is 200 sq metres area per litre.
To Be Continued...
