Line Closed for Bridge Repairs

 The railway is closed until further notice for essential bridge repairs.

Waiting for the Signal

The railway has a new signal from Garden Railway Structures. 

Some Views of the Railway

Looking up the garden. The branch line runs up the lefthand side of the garden. The bridge which carries the mainline over the branch line can be seen in the background. The waiting room aka train viewing area looks out across the garden.

Looking down the garden. The main line runs along the top and righthand sides of the garden. Stoke Works station is halfway down the righthand side of the garden and Brookside station (an intermediate station on the branch line) is halfway down the lefthand side of the garden. This photo shows what the railway looked like before (cutting on the left) and after (cutting on the right) adding stone walls and ballast. The cutout in the lawn is where the landslide happened in Diesel Save the Day Part One.

The spiral carries the branch line from Stoke Prior station down under the mainline. Stoke Works station can be seen in the background and the passing loop of Brookside station can be seen on the righthand side of the photograph.

Looking up the mainline side of the garden. Stoke Works sidings can be seen on the righthand side of the photograph with the station beyond it. In the distance the viaduct and bridge leading to Stoke Prior station is visible. New stone effect walls are being added to edge the lawn as the railway sinks below it. A stock of walls is being held in Stoke Works sidings. Brookside station is marked by the patch of pink flowers in the background.

Looking up the garden. Wychbold station is in the foreground (behind the raised bed). 

How I Made The Stone Effect Walls

 It's been quite a busy time on the railway.

Plans for the 2025 Season

It’s that time of year to bring the railway back out of hibernation and film some more adventures of Thomas and Friends. However, there’s some work that needs to be done on the railway before filming can begin.

Walls Part Two

 I've now cast over 40 walls and the mould seems okay for a few more.

A stockpile of walls

As I'm not quite ready to film Diesel Saves the Day Part Two just yet I decided to experiment with the walls on the other side of the tunnel. This is what it looked like before starting work.

Unloved and uncared for

With the trackbed cleared and the walls temporarily positioned it looked like this. Oh, and I re-profiled the edge of the lawn too.

Looking much better, I think

And here it is finished.

Just add trains

Walls

Back in January I had an idea for a new Thomas and Friends video called Diesel Saves The Day. The story involved a landslip and remodelling the cutting section of the railway leading up to the tunnel.

It started with Mrs Edwards' old planter which had been neglected and unloved, but looked to me just like a G Scale low stone wall.

The planter we a G Scale figure for scale

I volunteered to clean it up. It turned out well, but I discovered that the base had holes in it. Mrs Edwards said, "You might as well throw it away." However, I had a cunning plan.

Cleaned-up planter

I cut off the two long sides, purchased some mould-making solutions and attempted to make a mould. So far so good.

Meanwhile I got on with filming part one of Diesel Saves the Day - The Landslip.

It was then time to take the originals out of the mould. They were stuck, completely stuck, stuck solid, immobile - like a fly stuck in amber. Screwdrivers, scrapers, chisels proved to be of no use. I cut down the sides of the mould. That helped a little, but most of the walls remained firmly wedged.

After months of intermittent hammering the walls were still entombed in rubber and part two of Diesel Saves the Day looked like it was never going to be filmed.

Eventually, eight months after making to mould, it relinquished its hold! One of the originals was broken in several places, but I didn't care. I'd given up caring months before.

I cleaned the mould and spayed mould release agent on all of the surfaces and mixed up two parts of sand to one of cement to the consistency of thick custard. I filled the mould and with little expectation waited 48 hours.

Casting drying in the mould

The walls come out easily. I couldn't believe it. There were a few air bubbles, but nothing too bad.

I am very pleased with the result and the second pair of walls is now drying in the mould. This time I've vibrated the mould to dispel air bubbles using an old electric sander.

If the mould proves to be okay for casting 20 walls then they will work out at about £4 each.