A simple Gauge 1 garden line

[Steve Cook]

Ah, OK Graham, get you now (thank you) - you threw me off the scent with the knitting comment
If you need any advice about tackling the jungle there are plenty of us here who will offer advice and encouragement (just go easy on the LGB ).
Steve

 

[lancer1027]

SUPERB !!!.

I love the second pic. Its amazing how you have sculptured the box hedgey stuff to form trees, Wonderful

Rob

 

[iploffy]

Seems like good weather for varnishing so I really ought to stop playing and do something...

Steve

I bring your attention to the last statement and add WHY

 

[Simon]

Rob and Phill are right, that last shot is more than a bit special.

It's something to do with the way in which you have got the plants to grow, how you have sculpted them, the reverse curve and the foreshortening in the picture - quite magical

Keep having those 1/32 inspirations - you know it makes sense

Simon

 

[Steve Cook]

I bring your attention to the last statement and add WHY

Yesterday was a 'doing day', today is enjoying the results of yesterdays 'doing'

 

[Steve Cook]

Rob and Phill are right, that last shot is more than a bit special.
It's something to do with the way in which you have got the plants to grow, how you have sculpted them, the reverse curve and the foreshortening in the picture - quite magical
Keep having those 1/32 inspirations - you know it makes sense
Simon

Is that proper special or short bus special
I was just mucking around whilst sitting on the patio door step and thought it would make a nice photo. It'll make a nicer one when some of it somewhere is actually in focus I'm pleased with how its all working out, I just need to get a handle on all of the extra' distractions'...theres not a lot of chance of that

Steve

 

[Simon]

Proper Special!

Simon

 

[Simon]

A belated snap from last Saturday evening week, when I was over at Cookies and we ran a few trains.

My shots were mostly rubbish and then my battery gave up, but here's a shot of Steve's lovely halt with my toad parked in it.



Thanks for your company and hospitality Steve

Simon

 

[lancer1027]

What a looorverly pic. The halt has settled nicely into the landscape.

More pics required though as it helps me get through my very very slow progress on my garden railway

Rob

 

[Simon]

I agree Rob, us garden pioneers need all the inspiration we can get

This is really the only other decent picture I managed on my last visit.



Simon

 

[Bob]

Wow! That looks good.

Must resist garden railways.......must...............damn it

Seriously though, that is a superb picture.

 

[Steve Cook]

That Ruston shot is excellent Simon, you can't beat a bit of dappled sunshine
Always good fun having you over, my line doesn't know whats hit it with multiple trains running head on towards each other...so much for the sleepy branch (twig) line

Some shots of mine from that weekend

Simon's 22 saunters up the line








The Pannier waits for the off



There has been a bit more growing over the last couple of weeks. The mud monster was sown with a variety of seeds, all with the aim of attracting bees, butterflies and insects into the garden. I'm hoping it will add a bit more life and some extra colour for a few weeks at least, the lavender is loosing out to some of the other plants though and my nastartium's seem to have gone into hiding





And if you squint carefully, you can just make out a hut on the line



Its the same as Rob's hut, bought ready built for the same price as a kit - its a quick space filler as this year seems to be accelerating by already - a quick coat of paint and varnish will do until winter when I can build a more durable hut from Daifly's provided drawings with lights and smoke.



Steve

 

[Simon]

What those photographs also highlight is the subtle but very worthwhile dulling down of Cliff's stainless steel rail that you have achieved by the application of acid.

Just refresh my memory, did you use Cliff's jollop or straightforward brick (Hydrochloric) acid?

It will definitely be worth doing on my line

Simon

 

[Steve Cook]

S'funny, I don't really notice that when looking at my line in the flesh, the rails sides are still too shiny even with the acid application. I did use Cliff's stuff, 18% hydrochloric acid according to the bottle. I'll bring it down over the Larkrail weekend and you can use it on some of your line - you can do a compare to brick acid then

Just been comparing your line with mine and it certainly shows it up more in the photos on here, definitely worthwhile although paint would probably be best. As a point to note, put one good coat on, try to keep it off the top of the rail and leave it. I tried a second coat and all it achieved was cleaning up the sides, that'll be the descaling bit working

Steve

 

[Osgood]

OK - let me try again.

The photographs make me so envious that I want to rush into the jungle and get some LGB stuff running through the nettles and past the dustbins......

Now then - how about an elevated line running from alongside the kitchen window to chutes over the dustbins (if your local authority is like mine you'll have 3 wheels bins - recyclable, landfill and compost able).

A scruffy old shunter coupled to a rake of side tipping wagons can bubble away by the window, and very time you need to dispose of rubbish you can simply open the window and chuck (in small pieces obviously) the waste into the wagons.

When they're all full, a quick trundle over to the bins and by some devious remote control you could tip into the desired wheely receptacle. Oh joy!

 

[taliesin]

You have immaculate taste when it comes to huts Squire, , cheers Rob

 

[Steve Cook]

Wow! That looks good.

Must resist garden railways.......must...............damn it

Seriously though, that is a superb picture.

Give in Bob, you know you want to

Oh, sorry, you said resist, not encourage, my bad...

Steve

 

[Steve Cook]

You have immaculate taste when it comes to huts Squire, , cheers Rob

Salesman patter
Steve

 

[Steve Cook]

Tis the end of an era, I have planted what I think will be the last plant
It is partly good (very little mud visible from kitchen), partly bad (no more planting to do).
As it turned out, I liked planting and watching things grow - a big surprise as up to the start of the garden railway, I struggled to be even remotely interested in anything green and growing. Mind you, I didn't expect to be writing about bench ends either so you never can tell Anyway, enough prattle, pictures:

The gap. Nestling next to the support post and under the box is the 'mind your own business'. Well, this appears to be minding its own business rather than fulfilling the 'rampant' tag I expected - I'd be more inclined to tag it as 'reluctant' I had hoped it would start to spread over the embankment but no such joy.


Volunteering to fill the gap are more box plants (do not want the massive growth rate of Lonicera Nittida here) to match the other side of the path.



After annoying the ants that have made their home in this raised planter, the plants have taken up residence with enough room to expand a bit and perhaps to see if the 'm-y-o-b' responds to a bit of shade.



And the view from the other side



Despite the appearance of the greenery above, it hasn't actually formed a tunnel. That is good news as the SM32 track needs some remedial work, the gravel objects to the close proximity of the flymo and tends to travel towards the centre of the circle. Well, thats when there is enough of it left around the rails after the blackbird and his sons have been down. They are getting fairly boisterous these days - I'm not sure whether it is just the time of year or some sense of familiarity - but as they gorge on creepy crawlies that hide in amongst the mud monster plants neither the gravel or any seedlings stand much chance of survival. However, I prefer the entertainment to the sterility I had four years ago, laugh it off and go out and tidy up after them...I reserve the right to moan about it a bit on the internet though

Steve

Steve

 

[lancer1027]

Very nice Steve.

The piccies give it the real impression of a tranquil setting on a little GWR branch........................ just perfect.

Oh by the way when i said tranquil i still expect to see lots of pics of trains running

Rob