A Garratt in the Garden

The Baguley Dreary diesel brings a goods train for the Garratt to take up the valley.

The Garratt has backed onto the train and is now setting off.

The train rounding the curve below the viaduct.

Waiting by the signal box at Birdlip Junction.

Starting off up the incline from Birdlip Junction

The track is rapidly disappearing under grass.

Garratt Repair and Conversion 5

Finished and hauling a train of IOM coaches.

Garratt Repair and Conversion 4

It's all finally coming together. The loco is back in one piece and finishing touches are being added.

Custom made battery pack and fuse in rear tank

Cable from front tank disguised by matt black paint

New number plate

The front tank houses the motor controller and radio control receiver. It's a very tight fit. A couple of millimetres had to be shaved off the controller and the receiver has had to go in diagonally.

Garratt Repair and Conversion 3

Testing the new smoke generator before final assembly.

Shortly after this photo was taken disaster stuck. Trying to stuff everything into the small space at the rear of the boiler, I've managed to break the on/off/charge switch. I think I'm going to have to remove the lead weight from the boiler to create more space, and get another switch of course.

Garratt Repair and Conversion 2

First the first time in about 5 years the loco moved under its own power today. A 14.4V battery pack and fuse from Peter Spoerer fits in the rear tank with all of the radio control stuff in the front tank.

Garratt Repair and Conversion

Since my last post there's been a lot of head scratching. As well as repairing the front pivot I needed to find space for a battery pack, R/C receiver, motor controller, sound card and speaker.

Front Pivot
This has been made from a 1.2mm thick piece of brass plate and will eventually be glued and screwed in place.

Motor Controller and R/C Receiver
Finding space for the electronic components has been a real headache. I've bought the controller (URC11) and receiver (URX1) from Timpdon Electronics. The URC11 incorporates automatic control of directional forward and reverse lights. I've managed to shoehorn both these components in the front tank.
I was hoping to create more space by removing the lead weight from the bottom of the tank, but this made the front end far too light.

Not only has all this lot got to fit in the tank, also 7 cables need to be run to the main part of the loco - battery +ve and -ve, motor +ve and -ve, aux 1, aux 2 and cable to rear light. The thick white cable is 8-core. I obtained this from Maplin Electronics -it's burglar alarm cable.

It was a very close shave but all components and wiring are now in the front tank. I will paint the thick white cable matt black and hopefully it won't be very noticeable.

I've ordered a custom made 14.4V battery pack and sound card from Peter Spoerer. Finding room for these bits has been equally challenging. I'll post another update in a week or two.

Abandoned Garden Railways of the West Midlands

Due to a fall resulting in pelvic and spinal injuries I haven't been able to do anything in the garden since October last year. The SVR is now looking like an abandoned railway. I'm hoping to be able to start work in the next couple of weeks with the aim to be able to run trains sometime in March. Meanwhile here's a few photos to show the task which faces me.

Looking down the garden towards Birdlip Junction.

Viaduct Station hiding behind elephant grass.

Birdlip Junction with a few leaves on the line.

The engine shed at Birdlip Junction.

The cutting below Birdlip Junction.

A blocked tunnel.

The bottom of the garden.

A siding at Viaduct Station.