French garden railway

Ron Wallman · French garden railway

The idea of a garden railway is very nearly unknown in France. I thought we might be able to build a minimum cost line for our children. The instant I tried to build a large toy rather than a large model railway the hobby took off. The line has served for about twelve years and is as rough and crude as ever. It works and looks as if it will see me out.
Everything is homemade and built to be tough. The line has survived three children who have moved on to other things but the line is still run now elevated as the now teenagers and early twenties complained about squatting. I am not any younger and found elevated track easier to ride.
Our garden is on a general one in eleven slope. When we moved in I was looking for a garden that could accept a modest circle. The buildings are contiguous to the neighbour precluding the idea of circling the house and due to levels would have been impractical. The end of the garden has trees and my wife announced I could have that as being useless to her. Standing at the lowest point imagining a line at nearly eye level seemed a bizarre idea at the time. I was beginning to think I would never do it. This impression was not helped by the first whack with a pick axe that sent a shock back up the handle enough to make me stop and sit down. The clay like soil is used as cement for the local limestone walls. In autumn this changed to tenacious glue that nearly tore my arm out of its socket when I tried to throw a shovel full preferring to stick to the blade. I discovered that when the top soil was frozen the soil would cut and cleave but I am not very tough and could only dig and shift three tons in a week end. The cutting needed sixty tons shifting. It was mostly done with a spade and wheel barrow although the tipper wagons were also used.
The rail is 30 x 6 bar stock in either 1.5 or 3 metre panels depending on whether it came home on or in the family car. Screwed tie bars are fitted every 200 mm and supported with not more than 950 mm gap and usually about 850 mm. The track will easy support 100 kg in the middle of a span. I use 100 x 25 x 3 fishplates both sides with four M6 nut and bolt pairs assembled with water resisting grease. Elevating the track to accommodate the children’s long legs showed that detritus and water fell through leaving the track clear and able to dry out quickly. Ground level track for all its charm needed at least a day to put it back into order after the winter. Apart from looks and having to step over the track the disadvantage is rail roar. This starts to be noticeable at speeds about 8 kph and gets worse with higher speeds. On the other hand speed is not the objective and in a small garden we find we go fast enough for pleasure without thrills. The narrow gauge stock usually runs at a scale 23 MPH( max 31 MPH) not far off the 25MPH maximum on the Festiniog and WHR.
The line is nominally level with seven metre radius minimum. We run at about 6 to 8 kph. The green locomotive can go to 10.5 kph but at this speed noise becomes a problem and we have to lean into curves. The circle takes 82 metres of five inch gauge track. The line cannot be seen from the air as it is under trees. It is difficult to photograph because of the trees and cutting. It is well hidden. There is the most curious sensation of going somewhere possibly because the line changes terrain aspect and it is practically impossible to see all the line at once. I attach two shots of the line when it was at at ground level one in autumn and the other in winter when vegetation allows more of the line to be seen.

5inchgaugetrains · Re: French garden railway

Ron Wallman · French garden railway

There is a club at Sannois that in common with so many others I left. This is a delicate subject . I will go no further than to say I am not used to kotow people who claim to be friendly. There are a few widely spread French little railways and because of sites like this we finding each other and are communicating.

James

Talking of French garden railways I found this... http://line.david.free.fr/mouline.html

James

The pictures of the line are great Ron. I guess they where taken before the line was elevated. What rolling stock do you use-is it all home made.

Thanks for the information on the line.

James

Ron Wallman · French garden railway

All my stock was home made because I am afraid we do not have much cash. I got metal from dustbins and scrap yards. I gained tools from Brocantes,( French flea markets.) I will try and write up notes to go with photographs over the next few days.

James

I wish I had the skills to make my own stock, if I could I would much rather do it that way than buy new

Ron Wallman · French garden railway

David Line reports on his site that his line is 7 ¼ inch gauge. It would take me four hours to drive directly to the location. France is two and a half times bigger than Britain.

James

Very true...
Mind you with your super fast TGV's soon to be AGV's the journey time must shrink!!! Very Happy

mucker

Very flattered that the Mouline Garden Railway featured in your posts. The choice of 7.25" was probably not wise in view of the curves I ended up with and the need to add guide rails on the sharpest examples. It meant that the scatch built replica of a BB207 had to be reduced in scale length by about 25% in order to cope with the curves.

I agree there are very few garden railways in France although I have a good French friend who lives in the northern Dordogne in an old crossing keeper`s house who has an excellent 5" circuit and a massive 32mm garden layout. The 5" circuit features an American style covered trestle bridge, sidings, engine shed and a neat station. Because he lives in a village called Hyds the station inevitably became signposted as Hyds Park.

About 30 km from my home is a massive 7.25" circuit - more than a kilometre in length - which is operated by the local commune and which welcomes visiting locos and rolling stock. They constructed a raised turntable with half-a-dozen access points at trailer height so that engines and wagons can be rolled onto a steaming bay or straight onto the main line for electric and petrol locos.

James

Welcome to the forums mucker

Ron Wallman · French garden railway

Welcome to the forum mucker.

Now you know why I decided to go five inch gauge. I calculated with somewhat devastating precision that we could never afford property that would allow me to build a circuit with reasonable curves in a gauge bigger than five inch. I also looked at machinery sizes that I would need to build stock and how much space it would take as well as transport, installation and all costs involved.

By going narrow gauge and then by building what others call free lance my stock is about 7 ¼ inch standard gauge outline but a lot more fun being less serious. I would have liked to have gone bigger and I go quite green with jealousy when I see what others have achieved on 7 ¼ inch. On the other hand my still unfinished DZ wagon weighs 51 kg and dragging it upstairs out or our cellar is quite an effort without thinking of a 102 kg version. The DZ is waiting for the winter when I hope to restart building again.

I have become a loner as I have not hit it off with “The confederation” Isle de France representative. The advantage of the forum is it allows me to communicate with others without travelling and to share miniature rail experiences and techniques. The snag with visiting is over night stay or more to make it worthwhile. I cannot carry much in the car and we do not have a caravan or trailer nor the funds or storage space to invest. What I have is partly a result of staying at home and putting what money I have into building miniature railway stock.

Your friend in Hyds is 380 km and 4H21 from Fremecourt 95830 so it is still quite a journey. On the other hand running on another line is always intriguing. I could not spot the line from the aerial views. My Ruston was meant to shuttle up and down a 14.5 metre line until we moved. It then showed itself to be wildly over designed by running thousands of kilometres and at a pinch will take three to four adults on a single car battery. There is not much point in building a super powerful machine as at Fremecourt it is adequate. As it happens the ALCO I have on the bench is American! It will some time before I get this running and even so probably as a battery electric.

Do you know http://vapeurmecanique.com/accueil.htm and Geerlig Voogd and his five inch gauge line at Barnac? It must be about 2H50 and 191 km from you.

Best Regards
Ron

French garden railway

Re: French garden railway

French garden railway

French garden railway

French garden railway

French garden railway