Supports or on the ground - challenges of a small garden

[Sarah Winfield]

I hope you don't mind but I've attached another 4 photographs of my small garden. The first shows the view from my kitchen patio doors along the LHS fence. The gate at far corner opens outwards and there will be a 90 bend around that corner to run along the back fence. This 1st picture also shows, on the LHS, a temporary length of track on gravel boards on supports underneath green garden sheets.

The second picture shows the far fence of my garden with a gravel board laid over 2 wooden shelves. The idea is to have a bridge structure between the shelves. It will then go through another 90 bend to run along side the RHS shed.

The 3rd photograph shows part of the shed viewed from the end fence, with a board laid to illustrate where the track would run. The final picture show the back of the house with supports in position for taking the track at the back of the house and round to a right hand another 90 bend to continue the circuit..

The BBQ can be dispensed with and large blue plant pot can be re-sighted, even to the other side of the LHS fence

This layout gives a continuous circuit. However, there have been plans for a dumb-bell layout as an alternative.

With the supports and gravel boards the tracks are about 15" to 18" above the ground which would make rail cleaning less arduous. Laying the track at ground level has its advantages. It would extend the run under the patio doors as there is enough clearance for my Stainz.

I would welcome members thought please.

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Capt. Jack]

Hi . Im jack . I am building my layout now too. The first phase is ground level. And yes I have already noticed that track cleaning is a back breaker . The other half of the layout is raised up which makes it a little easier to clean and it's where I put the loco's and rolling stock on because it makes it easier to get the wheels on track. But I also have a grade that connects the two sections. But you could get a track cleaner. I am going to try and make a sanding device on a poll so I can standup and clean the track. Good luck. I like your yard..

 

[Madman]

Sarah, I would vote for a dog bone layout, in your case. If i understand your description, you would like the track to pass by your patio doors, supported by some sort of pillars. When you step out of your house, onto the patio, you will need to step over the track, if it's permanent, or have the track removable. Both of those scenarios can get old real quick. Particularly when you get to be my age.....

A dog bone layout will allow you to have free access to your patio and yard. You choose a continuous double track dog bone or a single track with reverse loops.

 

[PhilP]

I would look into a 'tunnel' across the patio doorway, but DO make sure it is 1. Very stable, and 2. There is a way of getting access when the inevitable derailment occurs..
The track at (or very near) slab-level could be a dog-bone from near the shed, across the back of the house, and round to the LHS fence..
Then perhaps a raised line?
You could have a terminus (with a siding or two) above the loop on the left, run round across the bottom of the garden, and along the shed. - You could perhaps have a point before the shed, and one road going into the shed for storage?

 

[Fred Mills]

Sarah;
A suggestion...
Please consider a simple plan of your ground space, showing major dimensions, fences, buildings, obstructions, etc. With such a site plan, it is easier to suggest any number of track plans, one of which, or a combination of several, might be suitable for you. The picturs you have provided, are helpful too, the site plan would probably be the best starting point.
Fred Mills

 

[dunnyrail]

I do think that a step over will be a problem by the Patio Door and also by the Gate. But your Garden is quite small (sorry do not mean to be rude) and you probably have few other choices. Not even sure that one of the Dog Bone types of layouts suggested in another thread would work. But as LGB Track is very forgiving you could perhaps just try it out on the Ground before making the final decision. I did this in my old Garden at Hertford before I started to build Brick walls and rockeries etc. Certainly prototyped what I could do and illustrated in a way that a paper track plan cannot always what is possible and what is not.

As a thought re the 15inch line by the patio door why not just move some of what you have done to that position and see how you could live with it for a week or two! Better than a big job of doing the complete Garden and then realising "know what this railway in front of the patio doors is a complete pain".

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Just my two bobs worth.... I'd go ground level, or slightly raised as per preference, along the front of the existing patio.
Run along the fenceline, by all means, but do NOT put any track within one pace of the gate's swing.
Try to make it look likes it 'belongs' in the garden, rather than have it dominate permanant features like the patio.

 

[Sarah Winfield]

This morning after the important job of grocery shopping I spent a while thinking about my layout.

Firstly I have albut decided that it will be at ground level I don't think I can use the supports, not at this time anyway.

I have attached 3 photographs for your thoughts please.

The first shows the corner near the house with track laid on the patio and also on some slabs. I've opted for a dumbbell circuit which will go though 180 degrees on the patio and form a double track running along side the fence towards the end of my garden. It will turn right and form another 180 degree bend before returning to the patio.

Now comes the choice of what to I lay my track down on? The photograph shows it laid on slabs and beside the slabs are 2 x 150mm wide gravel boards. The disadvantage with the slabs is they are very heavy. The gravel board is light and the track can be screwed to it. (Perhaps though it might be better if it were allowed to float?)

An alternative to the slabs is shown in photograph 2. This is a sample of Ecodeck. Its advantage is it is light weight but extremely strong. The grid is infilled with for example gravel or chippings. It can be walked on and in the right setting can be driven on.

The final picture is looking towards the patio where one part of the dumbbell will be.

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield

 

[Rhinochugger]

This morning after the important job of grocery shopping I spent a while thinking about my layout.

Firstly I have albut decided that it will be at ground level I don't think I can use the supports, not at this time anyway.

I have attached 3 photographs for your thoughts please.

The first shows the corner near the house with track laid on the patio and also on some slabs. I've opted for a dumbbell circuit which will go though 180 degrees on the patio and form a double track running along side the fence towards the end of my garden. It will turn right and form another 180 degree bend before returning to the patio.View attachment 237317

Now comes the choice of what to I lay my track down on? The photograph shows it laid on slabs and beside the slabs are 2 x 150mm wide gravel boards. The disadvantage with the slabs is they are very heavy. The gravel board is light and the track can be screwed to it. (Perhaps though it might be better if it were allowed to float?)

An alternative to the slabs is shown in photograph 2. This is a sample of Ecodeck. Its advantage is it is light weight but extremely strong. The grid is infilled with for example gravel or chippings. It can be walked on and in the right setting can be driven on.

The final picture is looking towards the patio where one part of the dumbbell will be.

Thank you.

Sarah Winfield

I saw some of that Ecodeck in a garden centre today - or something very much like it.

I could be very tempted by that - it looks light and simple to place, I think it will hold the track over time if you very slightly surcharge the gravel / stones, as my experience with that size of ballast is that over a period of a few month's running, the track will settle into the stones.

I like it

 

[Chris Wright]

Maybe consider track through the shed with ‘mini-doors’ each opening and a storage fiddle yard in the shed as I have in my small area. Gave a different dimension to the layout and allowed a more flexible approach to the designed. Layout.

 

[38thfoot]

Could you make a folded dog bone with a branch coming off into a shed giving higher level access and ground level running?

Alternatively could you fit in a loop to allow continuous running with a run to a shed/terminus.

There’s a French based metre gauge layout (which I think is in Polynesia) which runs as a point to point but with a continuous run.

38

 

[Bill Barnwell]

Hi . Im jack . I am building my layout now too. The first phase is ground level. And yes I have already noticed that track cleaning is a back breaker . The other half of the layout is raised up which makes it a little easier to clean and it's where I put the loco's and rolling stock on because it makes it easier to get the wheels on track. But I also have a grade that connects the two sections. But you could get a track cleaner. I am going to try and make a sanding device on a poll so I can standup and clean the track. Good luck. I like your yard..

Get yourself a drywall sander works better than any thing else