What might be the maximum length of run I could expect from my small garden?

[Zerogee]

The tank engine and truck in my photo is actually cement and is a two man lift....very heavy

I've just done a quick hypothetical pricing with Interparcel to ship from UK to US via UPS delivery; assuming a parcel weighing 50kg, and dimensions of 80cm x 60cm x 60cm (all guesswork, of course), you could get it shipped in about 2 days for about £182 (which is actually less than I'd expected for that sort of weight.....).

Jon.

 

[Bill Barnwell]

I've never been one for intricate train movements, shunting and the likes. I prefer instead a train of carraiges or wagons behind a locomotive which passes my viewing point at regular intervals. (Might that have something to do with being bought up on the ECML?)

Thus I shall try and get as much track into my small garden as practical without it looking like a roller coaster.

What length of track could I run without, as I said, it looking too unrealistic or silly.

Thanks,

Sarah Winfield

PS. On reflection I suppose there are so many imponderables that a simple answer might not be possible. However, assume R1 points and curved rails.

I too am in the process of creating a new layout if by back will ever agree, when I built my first lay out I started with bricks in cement for road bead and everything fixed. I then ran into an older gentleman who also had a out side layout, quite large and it transfixed from one side of his back yard to the other but it also had to clime 7 and 1/2' in height. So there was a lot of back and forth looking like you were in the Rockies watching a train. I noticed that every time I visited him something was always different. Why I asked, he replied just put on the ground and run it and if it doesn't look good or doesn't go the way you want, change. I took his advise, and though still under change when the storms took it away I had wound up with a very realistic looking layout, track spanned a gully because it was there, made a turn because there was a tree in the way, etc. currently I have drawn a temporary layout as a starting point, designed 2 loops 1 oval and the other a figure 8 giving the illusion of trains going in 2 different directions also incorporating reversing circuits and a switching system with 4 switches + 1 crossover in as where I can have one train traversing both loops without having to monitor the operation while running, like the add says "set it and forget it" like during spirit doing time. good luck with your layout, just remember you can sometimes over plan and under enjoy, Bill

 

[Bruce in NZ]

Personally, and I'm a track nut, I would avoid using R1 curves/points if you can fit R3s into the space (the points cost a bit more, but it is a once only payment). The R1s to me look too toy like, and the stock will run much better over the R3 points