Do I need anything else?

Gotcha! The one condition for me having a model railway in the garden is that my wife didn’t want to see it and it had to remain with my allotment area. Unfortunately putting it on the top it would be easily seen :(

What’s g-scale like with climbs? I could put a ramp up to it off a switch and just lay the track temporarily when needed.
Probably not worth attempting.

So then, what you've got to do is have it at a raised level just inside that top timber rail so that the loco chimney is just visible as it goes by - that'll get her, and she'll allow you to put it in full view then ;);););)
 
Thanks for all of your replies

I'm about 20 mins south of Reading. There is a Model Railroad Club near me Prospect Park Minature Railway <- doesn't look like they do G-Scale though.
They do, but they don't know it.

Look at their blurb, see the 5" and 7.25" dual gauge...…. well, G guage stuff (usually) fits the 'small' gauge in between.
 
I built my line on 4" timber, so only slightly above ground level. Coming from an indoor layout background I dealt with curves by creating several small blocks bolted together.
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I agree with using blackened round-headed screws on the *outside* of the sleepers. The one exception was the "golden spike" ceremony :D

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Daniel,

This is another solution that you may want to consider.

 
Back to fishplate grease - yes, that will do the job.
 
...

What’s g-scale like with climbs? I could put a ramp up to it off a switch and just lay the track temporarily when needed.
if you stay with 2% (one in fifty) you are on the safe side.
i have a ramp of nearly 6% (one in 17) but that is for strong, short locos and short trains only.

and welcome!
 
Gotcha! The one condition for me having a model railway in the garden is that my wife didn’t want to see it and it had to remain with my allotment area. Unfortunately putting it on the top it would be easily seen :(

What’s g-scale like with climbs? I could put a ramp up to it off a switch and just lay the track temporarily when needed.
The main bane of the garden railway man, SWMBO!

You could get from ground level to that height with Rack, but there are limited locomotives available and some cost the earth.
 
if you stay with 2% (one in fifty) you are on the safe side.
i have a ramp of nearly 6% (one in 17) but that is for strong, short locos and short trains only.

and welcome!
I have to agree, I have 4% (1:25) gradient and some locos do struggle, especially on the curve. Keep it level if you can and 2% max if you can't :)
 
I built my line on 4" timber, so only slightly above ground level. Coming from an indoor layout background I dealt with curves by creating several small blocks bolted together.

I agree with using blackened round-headed screws on the *outside* of the sleepers. The one exception was the "golden spike" ceremony :D
Thanks, that looks good I might save it for a backup solution. Going to try and bend this wood first to see if I can get it around an R1 curve.

I have to agree, I have 4% (1:25) gradient and some locos do struggle, especially on the curve. Keep it level if you can and 2% max if you can't :)
Good tip, i think i am going to try and stay level for now.

One other question how wide does the trackbed have to be? I was going to keep it to the width of the track.

Back to fishplate grease - yes, that will do the job.
Thanks - brought.
 
One other question how wide does the trackbed have to be? I was going to keep it to the width of the track.
The track bed needs to be about the width of a wagon/coach, and wider on corners for overhang, however is you are talking about the structure supporting the track, then yes as wide as the track, but i would go wider, because when you come to "fix" the track it may have moved, and with expansion and contraction during the winter and summer again it can (and will move).
 
I would suggest a visit to Prospect Park when things open up: railway modellers tend to be railway modellers: the scale just changes. So whilst we appear to be Garden Railway people, there are plenty here who also have railways running on 71/4", 5", O, OO, N in all sorts of scale/gauge combinations. So whilst G might not be their headline scale/gauge, I imagine you will find people who dabble in the garden scales.
 
I would suggest a visit to Prospect Park when things open up: railway modellers tend to be railway modellers: the scale just changes. So whilst we appear to be Garden Railway people, there are plenty here who also have railways running on 71/4", 5", O, OO, N in all sorts of scale/gauge combinations. So whilst G might not be their headline scale/gauge, I imagine you will find people who dabble in the garden scales.
I will second the statement in bold.
I moved from HO to G (I still have a HO layout) and except for the size difference the construction principles are the same, that is track laying through to buildings (including bridges)
 
I urge you to join either the G Scale Society - mostly LGB and its cousins - or the 16mm Association. both have really excellent magazines every quarter, but the 16mm Association has a joining pack that includes what is probably THE answer book to all your questions right there in about 120 pages of useful information. It is actually sold for quite a lot of money as a separate item, but it's free to noobs.

Both magazines foster get-togethers of like-minded people of all ages - not at the moment, for obvious reasons, but when this is behind us all will be back to as normal as it can be.
 
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I do not secure my track with nails or screws, I just let it float like the real rr's and assembled with rail clamps. I did dig a trench, lined it with weed block and then filled with ballast. Track floats on the ballast.
20 years with no issues.
 
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