The Railway's Second Birthday

Today is the second birthday of my garden railway.  🎂

It's reached the toddler stage.

It's still not finished but here's a short video of what has been achieved to date.

The Single Track Branch Line

 I've also been experimenting with the route that the branch line will take from the bottom of the spiral to Brookside Station.

Stoke Prior Station - Experimenting with Track Layout

Stoke Prior Station will occupy an elevated location, about 20cm above ground level.

In order to try out different track layouts I have built a wooden frame. I'm now experimenting with the layout. I need to ensure that Emily plus four coaches will fit in the terminus and there is enough space to allow Emily to run round her train.

Also the branch line station must allow Thomas to run round Annie and Clarabel.

The changing design of Stoke Prior Station

This will be the station at the top of the garden where the double track main line will terminate and the single track branch line will begin.

Here's the first design, done before any track had been laid.

As the undergrowth was cleared and the railway progressed around the garden it soon began apparent that the top left hand corner of the garden fell away quite a bit so I decided that the railway would need to pass over a viaduct - see previous post.

I then decided that possibly the best way to lose height would be to incorporate a spiral and design number two was sketched.

I've now completed the bridge and the next job is to decide on the final station layout. To fit in the spiral with a minimum radius of 3 would necessitate building curved platforms. Although this wouldn't be a problem the curves would be quite severe and quite frankly it would look rubbish, so here is design number three.

I can now have nice straight, and slightly longer, platforms at the terminus and a run round loop for the branch line which I think increases operating potential enormously.

First Trains Over The Viaduct And Bridge

The first trains have passed over the widened bridge and viaduct.

Shuttering in place ready for concreting.

Toby heads for the Salt Works pulling a train of empty trucks and Thomas with his faithful coaches heads for Stoke Prior Station.

Thomas', yet to be constructed, branch line passes under the bridge.

Diesel Has Arrived

 Diesel has joined Paxton on the railway. He looks very mean. I do hope that he won't cause any trouble!

Bridge and Spiral

The bridge used to cross the pond on the Sandwell Valley Railway. It was made to carry single track.

Its new home requires it to be both shortened and widened.

Rivets drilled out and sides separated.

The shortened bridge held temporarily together with wood and bungee cords.

The bridge will carry the double track main line over the single track branch line. A short section of the branch line has been laid in order to check clearances.

After the bridge the main line will enter a station, Stoke Prior. The single track branch line will then descend on a spiral before passing under the bridge.

The timber on the right of the photo is where the station will be. I'm then reusing curved viaduct sections reclaimed from the SVR to carry the first part of the spiral.

The lower part of the spiral.

Looking along the main line towards the station site. The first part of the spiral can be seen in the background.