Garden Railway Dreaming.

KotangaGirl

Pre-Grouping Railways Nut
Something I've been working on is a garden railway to test out the 'G' scale assets Ray had recently uploaded to the DLS.
When it comes to narrow gauge I'm a 3ft gauge enthusiast so that's what I decided it have in my virtual garden. I found the new version of the track base Ray had uploaded easy to work with and laying track wasn't so hard either once I got into the rhythm of raising track to 6m height before moving it into position. The track base spline will try to grab the track though so keep your finger on the shift key. Having the track base in its own layer didn't prevent it trying to grab the track, but it's not a big deal so long as the shift key is held down while laying track.
I kept to a single Trainz baseboard and found I had plenty of room to build my virtual garden. I used <kuid:86311:1784>
Airport ramp surface 30X50 spline to make garden paths. The spline is a bit wider than I would have liked, but it worked out Ok. Ray's garden railway assets worked well to set the scene, but the only real issue I had was finding plants to put in the garden. Various Trainz trees became shrubs and bushes, but there wasn't really anything like enough that were suitable.

I borrowed a station building from a tramway on my Norfolk layout and dug amongst my collection of 3ft gauge rolling stock and engines to put together the inaugural train. The engine is a Manning Wardle that was an overseas export, but I don't know where to and the coaches are some of Steve Flanders Irish models that I reskinned ages ago for a light railway that I can no longer remember the name of.

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Nice. I must create a few more garden railway scenics when I have time. Yes, the track bed had to be classed as track - perhaps I could change that somehow? Advice welcomed. Of course, a ground level track would avoid that problem.

Ray
 
The track bed isn't a big problem Ray. Once i was aware of it wanting to grab the track I was laying it was easy to work around it by pressing the shift key.
I'll do some more work on the layout and most probably add another station where the passing loop is as well as doing a little tidying up of the gardens. The illusion of having the walls, buildings & etc at 'G' scale size certainly works with the Manning Wardle and its train very much looking like they are big models.
 
I think the problem could be solved by usin "istrack 0" - it was what I used for platform splines long ago but I'd forgotten. The base would then be in the scenery tab rather than track.

I'm thinking now about four-track splines and sections, transition bases from 2t to 4t etc, and wider scenic sections for stations and station buildings, signal boxes, etc. as well as other large scenic artefacts such as garden benches, and so on. Maybe an owner or two as well.

Ray
 
That sounds good Ray. I've been placing the 2t bases alongside one another at stations, but a 4t base and and a transition base would make a much neater job. Garden benches would be really good as it was one of the things I was noticing the lack of while working on this layout.
I'm not sure about people figures and I don't use them myself since I keep bumping into them and saying, 'Sorry', or 'Excuse me', when I go past them. I find them just a little spooky truth be told. BUT that does not mean that you shouldn't make any since I'm sure there are those who like to have scale sized people around.

I think the problem could be solved by using "istrack 0" - it was what I used for platform splines long ago but I'd forgotten.

I'm still getting used to the magical incantations used in config files, but that sounds like it would do it. Apart from that the track bases are very easy to use and I had no problems with them.
 
DDD GR Track Base Spline v2 just uploaded and awaiting approval. This has the tag istrack 0 and will be found in the scenery tab. No more problems with having to us Shift when laying track - I hope.

Ray
 
It will certainly make things a little easier Ray.

More from the garden. I've done some more work on the gardens & etc as well as finishing a few things on the railway itself.

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I like the green ice cream trees. Sorry Ray, that's a childhood impression that I've never quite got rid of. My old Manning Wardle engines burn oily socks for fuel.

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Looking really good. I hope soon to do a four track base and a 2t to 4t diverge, also bases for platforms and buildings.

Ray
 
I shall hold off uploading my garden railway then until you've been able to make the new trackbases and other bits and pieces Ray. No pressure at all, but the way I see it if I'm going to showcase your garden railway models I might as well make a complete job of it. In the meantime I'm having fun giving all my old 3ft gauge rolling stock an airing.
 
I've just picked up on this thread and I think it is brilliant. I never appreciated the versatility of Trainz plus it's so nice having a garden with no weeds and where the lawn doesn't need cutting. With your other recent posts I think you may have started a bit of a revival in some of the less used and seen rail gauges. Thank you. Peter
 
I've been thinking about how to place buildings etc. beside the track - which you have obviously done, Annie. The answer is obvious - place two or more track bed splines alongside each other - is this what you have done?

Ray
 
I've been thinking about how to place buildings etc. beside the track - which you have obviously done, Annie. The answer is obvious - place two or more track bed splines alongside each other - is this what you have done?

Ray

Yes that is exactly what I've done Ray. 'Little Mulling' is quite comfortably placed on two track bed splines with enough room for a representation of the road behind the station building. 'Mulling Bridge' (the terminus) is a bit more spread out, but again fits nicely on two track bed splines.

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I've just picked up on this thread and I think it is brilliant. I never appreciated the versatility of Trainz plus it's so nice having a garden with no weeds and where the lawn doesn't need cutting. With your other recent posts I think you may have started a bit of a revival in some of the less used and seen rail gauges. Thank you. Peter

Thanks Peter, it's good to have your feedback on what I'm doing. I think with Trainz it's very easy to drop into thinking that there is only one way to build a route or a layout; - miles and miles of accurately modelled countryside covering many baseboards with a railway running through it, - but it doesn't have to be so. Trainz should be a way of allowing one's imagination to have full flight and not be hemmed in by what is regarded as the expected orthodox method of building a simulated railway/railroad.
 
I've made a list of possible models to enhance the garden, but first I think I should make some track at 6m above base level so that it can be placed directly on the base without so much faffing around.

Maybe a mod of my old Metro track.

Ray
 
It would certainly make things a bit easier Ray. I'm used to doing it now, but when I first started positioning track it was a bit of a learning curve with having to raise the track first before laying it in place.
 
The updated track bases are good Ray. One problem I was having was placing rolling stock on track laid on the old version and the track base was grabbing those too.

Further progress. There's now two terminal stations with junction connections to the main oval which makes for a total of three stations in all. I feel that this makes for much more interesting operation than how it was before with just two stations. Having the oval track is really useful too as I've been able to properly fettle the engine spec files for my 3ft gauge engines to work properly with the 'realistic advanced' steam controls which hasn't been possible to do with the end to end layout they normally live on.
I think I'm going to stay with this track layout and any further work will be to do with additional detailing.

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Map.

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One problem I was having was placing rolling stock on track laid on the old version and the track base was grabbing those too.

Yes, I had the same problem, of course, and the rolling stock was hidden by the track base! It's all experimemtal stuff and I'm not sure that it's possible to make track which is already at +6m - but I'll give it a go. It will be fairly "cheap and cheerful" track if I succeed, but it will be very small in relation to the overall garden.

I'm guessing this is four baseboards - correct?

Ray
 
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