Garden Railways Page
'Dinas', 'Exe' & 'Russell' on display at Bicester in May 2000 (photo - Dave Cooke)
Until fairly recently Garden Railways were only available to those who were comparitively well off. This is now a thing of the past however, as many more companies are producing locomotives and rolling stock either ready to run, in kit form or just as detail parts for those who wish to build from scratch, at prices to suit most pockets.
Garden railways are available in two main gauges and scales, the most popular being SM32 which means a scale of 16mm to the foot (1:19) running on 32mm (1.1/4") gauge track. This covers most Narrow Gauge railways with a gauge of around 2 foot (600mm) such as the Lynton & Barnstaple Rly., Welsh Highland & Ffestiniog Railways. Alternatively, there is 'G Scale' which has a scale of 1:22 running on 45mm (1.3/4") gauge track and represents 3 foot gauge used in Ireland or metre gauge as used on the Continent.
Some garden railways are electrically operated (similar to indoor 00 gauge) but many are run with locomotives which have their own power sorce, either battery or steam. The former are obviously cheaper and easier to operate but the latter have a much more real feel (and smell) to them. Steam locomotives are available in three basic types, the simplest being 'pot boilers' which are usually fired by meths (methylated spirits), but these are now being replaced by locomotives which are internally fired by a gas burner (butane). The main advantage of the latter is the control of the burner and being able to run in windy conditions. However, there is a third option, namely coal firing, just like the real thing but as you might expect these locomotives are very expensive and are not user friendly (but they do smell good!
'Mamod' at speed at Bicester in June 1996 (photo - Dave Cooke)
My own experience with garden railways started in 1995 when my eldest son decided he wanted a 'Mamod' steam locomotive for his 15th birthday. These were originally sold as 'toys' and as such had to conform to various safety standards such as being fired by solid fuel tablets which were difficult to light tended to run out just as steam was raised. However, with a few simple modifications (Mamod Mods) it was possible to convert even the most sluggish Mamod into a working model even it only had two speeds (stop & go fast). The example shown above cost around £60 (second hand) and has been fitted with a meths burner, regulator, lubricator and improved safety valve all of which cost another £40 but the improvements in performance and control made it worthwhile.
In the past seven years I have managed to build three steam locomotives from scratch starting with a 'Dacre' 0-4-0T designed by Peter Jones (Dinas), a Lynton & Barnstaple Manning Wardle 2-6-2T with parts supplied by Roundhouse Engineering (Exe), and Welsh Highland Railway Hunslet 2-6-2T Russell, the former being a meths fired pot boiler with slip eccentric valve gear and the latter two being internally gas fired with simplified Walschaerts valve gear. Following on from the locomotives I have scratch built a number of Welsh Highland and Lynton & Barnstaple Carriages. Apart from a number of Mamod wagons purchased all other rolling stock used has been scratch built by my son Richard being loosely based on either L & B or Talyllyn Railway designs.
During the same period a railway has been constructed in our back garden in the form of a continuous circuit (approximately 100 feet long) at ground level with a station loop and adjacent two road engine shed plus working turntable, a second passing loop and siding at one third distance and a lattice bridge over the pond at two thirds distance. The gauge is 32mm and the track is mainly Peco SM32 with a number of point kits supplied by Tenmille.
WHR 2-6-2T 'Russell' Ex-works in May 2000 (Photo - Dave Cooke)
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