| Archive for The 5" Gauge forum A forum for people intrested in 5 inch gauge trains |
| ilvaporista |
G.E. & S.B.RailwayHere is a pic of my first 5" line, still there 20 years or so after being laid in my parent's garden.Standard 5/8" ally rail nailed to softwood sleepers with batterns underneath. Laid on a compacted earth bed on plastci sheet and topped with 2" of concrete. Road chippings as ballast. It gets a coat of preservative every year or so. Gradually fading away as it only gets used when my kids go and see their grandparents. Total length about 140'. Called the Guildford, Elstead and South Bourne Railway or more realistically the Grazed Elbow and Sore Bum Railway due to tight clearances and un sprung rolling stock. Has given loads of fun and created many happy faces over the years. Used regularly in the past for the local railway club BBQ evening and steam up. 
|
||
| James |
Looks brilliant. What motive power are you using?
James |
||
| ilvaporista |
It is mostly battery electric locos though the Simplex gets a run there every now and again. My father started a Rail Motor 20 years ago and it's still just a set of frames.
The battery electric locos are a mixed bad, from temporary lash ups in plywood to properly sprung industrials and a Toby tram. Motors are a mixture of C5, windsreen wiper and car blowers. Control circuits are home made and one 4QD unit. Number varies between 3 and 5 as new ones come and old ones fall apart... I am not sure I have any digital pictures as it's so long ago... Thesedays the kids push each other along the track on the driving truck and passenger trolley. There were great plans to go right round the house and make a run of about 400 feet but I moved to Italy and the line stayed in the UK. Some stock came here and I use it in the garden on temporary track. |
||
| James |
I am sure one day the railmotor will be finished
Do you have plans to finish it yourself? All the best, James |
||
| ilvaporista |
Too many other projects on the go for me to take on anything else....
www.ilvaporista.it But it's all in Italian (apart from the photos!!!) |
||
| James |
Is the yellow loco on the "Locomotiva elettrica, taglio laser"page scratch built? Superb website!!!!
Janes |
||
| ilvaporista |
That one was built from off cuts from a friends workshop. It is dual gauge and uses a C5 motor and home made controller. Conversion is by the use of split spacers round the axle, wheels are locked in place by geb screws. Not the best method but quick.
Still without a cab roof after all these years. My web site is a source of shame as it is over two years out of date... |
||
| James |
Was the home made controller hard to make? The reason I ask, is because I am possibly going to make my own loco and the controllers tend to be the main issue. | ||
| 5inchgaugetrains |
Re: G.E. & S.B.Railway
 My stock is unsprung too and I know exactly what you mean
|
||
| ilvaporista |
The controller was pretty easy to make, after I had read the circuit diagram. Cost was very low as well. My mistake was in missing off one wire.
The article appeared in ME and I used that. I can not remember the issue number but it was by a guy called Ray Stuart and used FET's rather than thyristors. If you can solder electrical components then no problems. If you can't, practice. Make sure everything is clean, use a flux (in small amounts) and add solder to the joint. Any problems let me know. |
||
| James |
Just been browsing through your website again. I love the homemade signals!! |
||
| ilvaporista |
The lattice post signals are welded up from 15mm angle and 6mm rod. Using my hand bender (knocked up from odds and ends) I made a saw tooth set of bends in the 6mm rod and welded them inside the angle. One came out a bit twisted but a few nudges in the right direction helped set things up. The singal arms are in 3mm plate and the lenses are from perspex double galzing sheets with a layer of tranparency film printed in green, red or yellow. They do fade under direct sunlight but it's no real bother to print out another set from the pc.
The ladder is 12mm x 6mm strip with holes drilled through whilst clamped together. The outer side is countersunk and a 6mm rung is welded in place filling up the countersinsk with weld. Using my faithful angle grinder the weld and excess material is ground off. I do one side first and then the other. My advice is get a welder and have a go on a few things. Like making some track. It really does not matter if you have never done it before. After a few welds you will be OK and making track that way you will have plenty of practice. |
||
| James |
Hi Adrian,
How is the line doing-has there been any progress? James |
||
| ilvaporista |
I'm getting ready for a house move in June, just come back form 3 weeks working in China and Brazil and my eldest lad has his exams so there are no updates from me.
The new house has no space for a permanent track but I am on the look out for a piece of land to lay a track. |
||
| James |
Thanks for the info-If you find some space I'd love to see some pictures of the line in action!!! | ||
| ilvaporista |
VideoDuring the last trip to the UK it was dug out again and a loco charged to run.Here is a short clip of my middle son disappearing off in to the undergrowth. We only managed to uncover a short section, about half of the remaining track but we still had a few goes up and down. http://uk.youtube.com/watch?v=vjf4mARloXg House move still ongoing and I am back in Brazil next week so no chance to make any progress |
||