Garden Railway

Masboroughlad · 18th July 2012, 22:35

IF...if I was to buy a house where a garden railway was a possibility.....

Never had a layout outside, only indoor baseboard layouts. Hope to have a garden where I can build a layout.

Where do you start with an outdoor layout? What track / underlay do you use? How do you stop the weather affecting it?

No idea where to begin, but keen to!

142094 · 20th July 2012, 19:02

Not sure if you can buy special track for the outdoors, otherwise I'd be using the cheapest track I could find as no doubt it will rust or tarnish.

Newshy 37 · 21st July 2012, 07:49

I have built several "G scale" outdoor layouts (45mm track) which is designed for outdoor. Were you looking at "oo"?

I guess the infastucture would be the same though. I used Marine ply cut so shape and fastend to tanalised pegs driven into the ground, the scenery was then built back up to it. Some people use a concrete bed/ blocks and some people will just lay directly onto ballast (usually in a trough)

If you use top quality marine ply it will last 20yrs+, well, some of mine has. Have a look here http://www.gscalecentral.co.uk/ Tons of piccys and stuff to see for the hard of thinking.

AdamW · 21st July 2012, 09:42

Maybe this series on YouTube could come in handy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcMe1QKuEyQ

CarltonA · 13th August 2012, 20:09

There is a specialist garden railway shop in Princes Risborough near the station. The track on sale appeared to use aluminium rails. Sorry, I don't have any of their contact details.

fsmr · 6th September 2012, 22:01

my G scale LGB garden railway uses brass rails which dont corode. However nickel siler rail for 00 should last outside as well, but i would probably use DCC as the constant 15v ac will be more reliable than analogue 0-12vdc. Note however that whereas LGB locos are designed for some outside damp conditions, your prestine 00 bachman may not approve of it
On the subject of base board, you can buy concrete panel board such as Aqua board from wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/220561 etc designed for wet room floors and walls which can be cut to strips, screwed onto pegs in the ground and give a firm flat strong rotproof base for rails to be laid on or scenary
Marine ply as suggested is also good

DXMachina · 10th September 2012, 22:45

I'd say outdoors OO calls for older stock - old triang, lima and wrenn/dublo locos (rewheeled if necessary, and repainting certainly will be) are far more resilient to poor conditions than i imagine modern stuff is.

102 fan · 12th September 2012, 17:26

What scale are you thinking of using? I'm a 16MM NG modeller, any track for this scale, 32 or 45 MM is OK for outdoor use.

18th July 2012, 22:35	#1
Masboroughlad Member Join Date: 2 Mar 2011 Location: Midlands Posts: 850	Garden Railway IF...if I was to buy a house where a garden railway was a possibility..... Never had a layout outside, only indoor baseboard layouts. Hope to have a garden where I can build a layout. Where do you start with an outdoor layout? What track / underlay do you use? How do you stop the weather affecting it? No idea where to begin, but keen to!

20th July 2012, 19:02	#2
142094 142 aficionado Established Member Join Date: 7 Nov 2009 Location: Newcastle Posts: 7,764	Not sure if you can buy special track for the outdoors, otherwise I'd be using the cheapest track I could find as no doubt it will rust or tarnish. __________________ Stand Clear of the Doors, Please.

21st July 2012, 07:49	#3
Newshy 37 Member Join Date: 3 Mar 2012 Posts: 39	I have built several "G scale" outdoor layouts (45mm track) which is designed for outdoor. Were you looking at "oo"? I guess the infastucture would be the same though. I used Marine ply cut so shape and fastend to tanalised pegs driven into the ground, the scenery was then built back up to it. Some people use a concrete bed/ blocks and some people will just lay directly onto ballast (usually in a trough) If you use top quality marine ply it will last 20yrs+, well, some of mine has. Have a look here http://www.gscalecentral.co.uk/ Tons of piccys and stuff to see for the hard of thinking.

21st July 2012, 09:42	#4
AdamW Established Member Join Date: 23 Jan 2012 Location: Exeter (term-time) & Gloucestershire Posts: 1,163	Maybe this series on YouTube could come in handy? http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qcMe1QKuEyQ

13th August 2012, 20:09	#5
CarltonA CarltonA Member Join Date: 22 Apr 2012 Location: Denham Posts: 127	There is a specialist garden railway shop in Princes Risborough near the station. The track on sale appeared to use aluminium rails. Sorry, I don't have any of their contact details.

6th September 2012, 22:01	#6
fsmr Member Join Date: 11 Feb 2009 Posts: 371	my G scale LGB garden railway uses brass rails which dont corode. However nickel siler rail for 00 should last outside as well, but i would probably use DCC as the constant 15v ac will be more reliable than analogue 0-12vdc. Note however that whereas LGB locos are designed for some outside damp conditions, your prestine 00 bachman may not approve of it On the subject of base board, you can buy concrete panel board such as Aqua board from wickes http://www.wickes.co.uk/invt/220561 etc designed for wet room floors and walls which can be cut to strips, screwed onto pegs in the ground and give a firm flat strong rotproof base for rails to be laid on or scenary Marine ply as suggested is also good

10th September 2012, 22:45	#7
DXMachina Member Join Date: 24 Oct 2011 Posts: 478	I'd say outdoors OO calls for older stock - old triang, lima and wrenn/dublo locos (rewheeled if necessary, and repainting certainly will be) are far more resilient to poor conditions than i imagine modern stuff is.

12th September 2012, 17:26	#8
102 fan Hunslet 102 that is! Member Join Date: 14 May 2007 Location: Outside Belfast Posts: 177	What scale are you thinking of using? I'm a 16MM NG modeller, any track for this scale, 32 or 45 MM is OK for outdoor use.