New to Garden Railways and new to the Forum

[Zerogee]

Mamod locos Tac (I think, or are they methylated spirit ?)

Meths burners.... sometimes referred to (possibly over the Pond?) as "Spirit Fired"?

Just to be pedantic (what, me?) about the list of motive power methods, there is also the strange hybrid of "Track power R/C", where you supply a constant voltage to the track (a bit like DCC has but as DC current rather than AC, and with no superimposed control signal) and then a radio module/decoder in each loco picks up signals from an R/C handset which tells that loco what to do with the electrickery that it is picking up from the rails.... Such a control setup is quite cheaply available from TL45 using a tiny "key fob" style transmitter.
I'm only pointing this out for completeness of the list, NOT to recommend this as a viable type of system....

Jon.

 

[maxi-model]

.... sometimes referred to (possibly over the Pond?) as "Spirit Fired"? Jon.

AKA - Sterno, if you like yours in gel form over the pond. Mmmmm - Meths and jelly together, what a tasty combination.

 

[JimmyB]

Sandy Taylor at Scottish Garden Railways advised me to go with a minimum 8ft radius and I'm forever grateful that for once I listened to some advice.

So a quick look around for 4ft radius 8ft diameter (R5 (LGB R3) part# 16000, new from £11.50 second-hand (ebay) some over £20.00; can't believe people will pay so much over the price without checking first!

 

[Rhinochugger]

So a quick look around for 4ft radius 8ft diameter (R5 (LGB R3) part# 16000, new from £11.50 second-hand (ebay) some over £20.00; can't believe people will pay so much over the price without checking first!

Ah, and another thing

If you buy carefully on evilbay, stuff will come up at sensible prices. You have to be patient (not my strongest characteristic) and obey the rules of all auction houses - know when to sit on your hands.

Also, if you buy at reasonable prices, lots stuff can be sold on at sensible rates - in other words, you can have it, play with it, change your mind and move onwards.

First rule of ebay selling - list your stuff to end after chablis o'clock

 

[PhilP]

So a quick look around for 4ft radius 8ft diameter (R5 (LGB R3) part# 16000, new from £11.50 second-hand (ebay) some over £20.00; can't believe people will pay so much over the price without checking first!

Many people hang their common-sense up with their coats!
See many examples of track, points especially, go for more than cost of new on EvilBay.. - I think people get carried away 'in the moment'? There will always be another one along!

If you hang around here long enough, you will quite often find what you want becomes available in the 'Classified' section.

 

[PhilP]

It can also be better value buying a 'job-lot' (where perhaps a whole railway of track is being sold-off)..

Normally better value, and you can then pick and choose which bits to keep / use, and sell-on the rest.

 

[Paul M]

If you join a club or group, you may find someone who has some going, or someone who knows where there's some going. Then you can actually see what you're buying, also of course there's always someone on hand to give you advice on laying it. You can never have enough advice!

 

[JimmyB]

If you join a club or group, you may find someone who has some going, or someone who knows where there's some going. Then you can actually see what you're buying, also of course there's always someone on hand to give you advice on laying it. You can never have enough advice!

Paul, I have joined both the G Scale Society and the 16 mm Society, hopefully this summer I will be able to get around.

 

[Paul M]

Paul, I have joined both the G Scale Society and the 16 mm Society, hopefully this summer I will be able to get around.

Probably one of your wiser moves!

 

[stockers]

If you look around you can find R3s at about 6 quid on the second hand market.
Dont be fooled into thinking R1s will save you money - true they are cheaper but they are also much shorter in running length. i.e you will need more straights to make up the shortfall.
Try to get to one or two of the big exhibitions coming up.

G Rail - Nottingham
National Garden Railway Show - Peterborough

 

[Gavin Sowry]

You didn't mention the coin in the slot meter.

Yep, seen that done. Shopping mall in Sioux Falls SD has a rather nice glass enclosed Lionel layout, you pop in a quarter, and watch it run.
Lionel is, by the way, THE American model railway.... all others scales and brands are just bit players.
My statement is based on 'personal' observation of toy and hobby shops.... and locals perceptions of the hobby. No doubt, some here will quote figures obtained from suveys made by reputable model magazines to the contrary.... but when a 'scale' publication asks the question, you certainly don't expect to many 'tinplaters' to be involved.

 

[tac foley]

Mamod locos Tac (I think, or are they methylated spirit ?)

Mamod models use solid fuel tablets, or, if you convert them, butane gas, just like most other 16mm models. I bleeve that the little Regner 'easy' series loco that had the appearance of little DeWinton ran on Sterno.

Many Gauge 1 locos, three of mine included, run on ethanol, or, if you can't get it, methylated spirits.

tac
OVGRS

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Gavin, in terms of what you can see in toy and hobby shops, Lionel is common, but the biggest scale is HO, followed by N.

These are more competitive in price and have far more items available, so you won't find them in shopping malls.

But Lionel is not "THE" model railway, it is toy trains that have a recognized name.

Greg

 

[maxi-model]

It can also be better value buying a 'job-lot' (where perhaps a whole railway of track is being sold-off)..Normally better value, and you can then pick and choose which bits to keep / use, and sell-on the rest.

Most of the established garden rail retailers take in a lot of 2nd hand stock, particularly track where people are selling up for one reason or another. The main societies mentioned sometimes get involved in disposals too. Due to the very mixed nature of what arrives at shops, set track and flexi', and it's awkwardness for photographing it is not always listed - ask around. Going rate for LGB and its compatibles seems to be around £3 per foot. Max

 

[tac foley]

National Garden Railway Show - Peterborough

I'll be there with my brother-in-law - it's only 20 minutes away from where we live.

See you there?

tac

 

[tac foley]

Gavin, in terms of what you can see in toy and hobby shops, Lionel is common, but the biggest scale is HO, followed by N.

These are more competitive in price and have far more items available, so you won't find them in shopping malls.

But Lionel is not "THE" model railway, it is toy trains that have a recognized name.

Greg

I guess you haven't watched Youtube and Eric's Trains recently? Their top-of-the line models are breathtakingly good - the only detractor is that third rail.

tac

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Eric's trains are mostly MTH... that have a lot of concessions to working on sharp curves, but that has nothing to do with my comment or Lionel, or Gavin's comment.

The comment from Gavin was that Lionel was "The Model Railway" in the US.

not so.

Greg