7mm The Rhubarb Triangle Line

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
The lovely bank holiday weather has had Chris out in the garden thinking about it's future. Over the years the garden has evolved to it current design to suit both of us but the reality is that once the hard landscaping is done it's Chris that does the maintenance and enjoys gardening.

Her illness has made her re think many things and the garden is one of them. In an effort to encourage me out into the garden more we have talked for some time about possible routes for a garden railway and how it might be achieved.

The garden is handicapped by being on multiple levels and having an open land drain running across the bottom of it - marked in red on the photo below it continues behind the decking that you see in the right hand rear of the garden - The decking is built above the slop into the drainage ditch to give more usable space.

Garden railway  levels - 1024.JPG

Having discussed it we are going to quite radically redesign the garden to make quite a bit of it flat and lawned. There is a planned housing development upstream of the drain which might in time make the drain dry up and be able to be filled but it might take a few years to get to that so we are working on the theory of it not happening and planning accordingly.

This will be the route of the railway once the changes are in place.

Garden railway Route 1024.jpg

It is approximately 28 feet by 20 feet which when the corner is taken into account, will give me a an out and back run of about 40 feet. At the moment the plan is to double track it, with run around loops at either end.

Posting this thread is a little premature as we won't have the funds to start on it until next year but I thought that I would share the plans and update as it develops.
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
A great project and worth airing here - you never know what ideas are going to come from the assembled masses.

Where does the garden get into shadow at the times when you might wish to run trains?

How much of the conservatory is available for a terminus?

If Chris wishes to encourage you into the garden then put a shed in one corner for the far-end station, install a CAMRA-approved dispenser and enjoy the moment.

regards, Graham
 

Ressaldar

Western Thunderer
sounds interesting, I'm looking forward to seeing the progress in the near future - in lots of photos of course.

cheers

Mike
 

Steve Cook

Flying Squad
Another garden railway, excellent :D

You have a nice garden as it stands Rob, and in some respects many ground levels actually make the resulting line more interesting - depending on what height above ground (and which one!) you go for of course :)

I know its far too early for suggestions, so the only one I'd put up for the moment is to try and maximise the distance between fence and line, assuming you are going for a scenic approach rather than pure test track. My track bed runs as close as 7.5" to the fence, a gap too small for most screwdrivers, let alone drills etc - it made for some convoluted and interesting methods of baseboard building - at least a 12" gap opens up the planting possibilities too.

Steve
 

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
Very interesting mate just a thought, could you not work in a return loop somewhere, as an out and back could become a little bit tedious with 3 links, even if it was something you put up for the days running session and dismantled when finished with and put away
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Another garden railway, excellent :D

You have a nice garden as it stands Rob, and in some respects many ground levels actually make the resulting line more interesting - depending on what height above ground (and which one!) you go for of course :)

I know its far too early for suggestions, so the only one I'd put up for the moment is to try and maximise the distance between fence and line, assuming you are going for a scenic approach rather than pure test track. My track bed runs as close as 7.5" to the fence, a gap too small for most screwdrivers, let alone drills etc - it made for some convoluted and interesting methods of baseboard building - at least a 12" gap opens up the planting possibilities too.

Steve

Thanks Steve and I appreciate the thoughts/suggestions.

I am planning on doing slightly more than that, at least along one of the runs. Because it borders on a drop off and I want to make sure that it is comfortable height wise as I get older. The plan is to have the run along the back fence as near to the ditch as possible by removing the rockery slope and building it up with sleepers and then having a walkway between it and the fence.

Chris will then plant small bushes etc. below this to tumble over the sleeper wall.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Very interesting mate just a thought, could you not work in a return loop somewhere, as an out and back could become a little bit tedious with 3 links, even if it was something you put up for the days running session and dismantled when finished with and put away

Thanks Ian, that's certainly something to consider.:thumbs: It would be do able at one end at least I think.
 

Phill Dyson

Western Thunderer
I would try & go for some sort of continuous run if at all possible, maybe a dog bone if it is not feasible to go right round the garden or as Ian suggests a removable section:)
 

iploffy

OC Blue Brigade
I remember the first run I did in the garden just out and back it fired me up and I spent the next 2 years joining both ends up I have had 150mph class 86's on 10 coaches and loved it just sitting back and watching it fly round
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
I would try & go for some sort of continuous run if at all possible,

Thanks to Phill, chatting to Chris:thumbs:. We have had a re-think and a continuous run is now on the cards. The landscapers start on Monday and I will get a couple of shots of the current state of disarray tomorrow weather permitting - it looks nothing like the photos above having spent the last couple of months recycling various materials and plants.
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
As promised a few shots of the garden as it stands today - compare these to those in the first post.....

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I planned to take these when I got home tonight but Chris beat me to it.[/url][/url][/url][/url][/url][/url][/url]
 

Dog Star

Western Thunderer
Nice photos - Robin, if possible, please add the line of the water course which runs across the back of the garden (just a blue line on the photo in best Rolf Harris tradition).

ta, Graham
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Nice photos - Robin, if possible, please add the line of the water course which runs across the back of the garden (just a blue line on the photo in best Rolf Harris tradition).

ta, Graham


I can do even better Graham.

These two photos show the watercourse - the gravel path between the decking and the log roll on the banking

9575968319_6c1946665b_b.jpg

The rest of it (180 degree opposite to the photo above) the water course is at the bottom of the steps and runs through the wire mesh into next door when it's flowing in wet weather.
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This photo is shows the bridge where Chris stood to take the photo above - the black tub is sat in the water course
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BrushType4

Western Thunderer
Rob, I've been thinking that your water course could be easily sorted by filling up with the stones from your garden. As long as you put slabs or hardcore on top to stop the top soil from filling up the water course you should be able to reclaim quite a bit of garden.

Just a thought.
 

Osgood

Western Thunderer
As Phil says, by covering over you could transform your baseboard garden. You can run heavy gear over this stuff with no bother. Depending upon run it may be good idea to put an inspection chamber in for remedial work if ever needed. There are minimum sizes if it is an official watercourse. You should have a local distributer at good prices (check out land drainage contractors in your area, I've picked up some really cheap stuff on occasions):

http://www.drainageonline.co.uk/Twi...age-Pipe.htm?gclid=CNeSkKSslLkCFUbHtAodiEcABQ

Tony
 

Rob Pulham

Western Thunderer
Rob, I've been thinking that your water course could be easily sorted by filling up with the stones from your garden. As long as you put slabs or hardcore on top to stop the top soil from filling up the water course you should be able to reclaim quite a bit of garden.

Just a thought.


Sadly it's not one we can go with Phil - I checked out what we can do with it when we moved in and the answer is not a lot, we can't fill it in or even cover it. Working for the local council doesn't help in this instance as I would have no excuse if I did and there was a problem down the line - I could possibly lose my job so it's not worth it:(
 

taliesin

Western Thunderer
Is there any way that you can take advantage of it and incorporate it into the scenery? track alongside it or bridges over it, shades of the Llangollen Railway :), cheers Rob
 
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