Essential Track Maintenance

The Wychbold and Stoke Prior Railway has been closed for essential track maintenance.

Around two years ago I ballasted part of the mainline. IMHO it looked pretty good.

However, the mainline was rapidly disappearing under a blanket of moss and weeds.

The only way to get back control is to take up the ballast and the track.

While I was working I had the distinct feeling that someone was watching me.

The track has now all been taken up and the whole area cleaned. I will put the track down again in the next few days but will not be replacing the ballast until the spring.

Needless to say, the filming of Thomas' next adventure is currently on hold.

Thomas and Friends in The Railroad Comes Through The Middle of The House

"The trains all come through the middle of the house since the company bought the land."

I remembered the song from my childhood and thought what a good video I could make using it as the soundtrack.

Firstly I needed to make a suitable house. The size of the house was dictated by the size of the tunnel needed for the trains to pass through.

Making the house took the best part of a month, although I did take a holiday in the middle of construction. Filming took 4 days and editing another 2.

Here's the finished film.

Diesel Saves The Day Part One - The Landslip

 This is the third film featuring Devious Diesel's shenanigans since he arrived on the railway.

A New Thomas and Friends Character!

Great news for G Scale Thomas fans. Bachman has sent me a prototype of the next loco to be released - Duck.

 

Diesel Saves The Day - Part One The Landslip

 Thomas the Tank Engine and his friends have been quite busy over the last few months filming another garden railway adventure.

Here's a short promotional video for the film which will be uploaded to YouTube on 11th June.

Saltworks Sidings Refurbishment

In preparation for filming Diesel Saves The Day, I have refurbished the Saltworks Sidings area of the railway.

Preparation

Re-painted

Sir Topham Hatt's Paint Store has been repaired

The Right-hand side of the garden

All yards need some rusty wheel-sets

Making G Scale Gabions

For my gabions I used 6mm galvanised welded mesh. A 600 x 900mm sheet can be purchased from Wickes for £5.50.  This is enough to make 20 gabions.

My finished gabions measure roughly 107 x 40 x 33mm which in G Scale equates to gabions measuring approximately 8 feet wide by 2 feet 6 inches tall and 3 feet depth. I've no idea of the sizes of real gabions but these look about right to me.

1. Cut out a rectangle 28 squares wide and 23 squares high. Obviously these dimensions can be altered to suit.

Note: The bottom edge is cut as close to the cross wire as possible.

The left, right and top edges are cut so as to leave as much wire as possible sticking out.

2. Cut out this shape.

Carefully Note: The left and right edges of the centre piece are cut close to the vertical wires.

The edges of the two side pieces have the wires sticking out.

3. Fold to make this rectangular shape, 6 square by 5 squares. The sticking out pieces of wire on the top side poke through the top row of holes on the side piece.

4. Using the flat blade of a screwdriver carefully fold the sticking out wires over the top wire on the side piece. Use a pair of needle-nose pliers to finish the folding and crimp tight. 

5. Fold up one end and use the sticking out wires to crimp it in place.

6. Upend the gabion and fill with pea gravel.

7. Close the other end in the same manner as before.

For about the first 20 gabions I closed to two ends first and filled the Gabon from the top, but I've found that closing the top and leaving one end open has been more successful.

The completed gabion wall.