Garden Railway – Frédéric Zamit

No.1 Porter: Snow Plough

Underway on the cleared track with the flatcar.

Last week, after many years we finally had snowfall. I couldn’t miss out on that one, so out came the rolling stock and off we go!

Januar 17th, 2021: Operations in the snow, for the first time since the 1990s.

The joy got somewhat marred, though, since the falling snow caused all the wheels to build up ice and caused many derailments. However, the snow remained and when the snowfall finally stopped at 11 o’clock the next morning, the whole layout was covered in a white blanket. I just couldn’t miss out on that opportunity! So, off to the workshop.

Below, I’d like to show how one can improvise a working snow plough in less than one hour.

New Garden Railroad: The Lead Road Railway

A loading gauge template serves as a station building.

Those of you who have been following along for some time will remember, that I started my first own garden railroad during 2017. After I got stuck with it, so to speak, it was at the end of 2019 with a heavy heart that the railroad got deconstructed and I refocused on rolling stock. However, on the one hand I do need some sort of test track and on the other hand I don’t want to banish the dream of some future garden railroad altogehter.

So I’m pleased to announce that during the summer of 2020 the Lead Road Railway came into being.

Summer Operation Session 2020

The first short train, consisting of bulkhead, test waggon and the new flatcar.

This operation session was scheduled rather spontaneously and spurred me into building a prototype for a flatcar. Accordingly, I was quite expectant concerning the experience I’d gain with the new waggon.

Since we only had a relatively short time for operations and I was preoccupied with test runs, there are only a few pictures. In return, I learned lots of lessons.

Model Railway: New Priorities

As I’ve already written in my post concerning the removal of my garden railway, I got hopelessly lost during the last years both from a financially and contentwise.

Today I’d like to explain to you the consequence I’ve drawn. In one word, it is:

Modesty

Garden Railway: Removal

It’s been more than one and a half years, since I last posted on the garden railway. In the meantime I decided to remove it. The reasons are simple: no time, no money, too many ambitions.

Garden railways are expensive on both accounts. Paul Race recently published a very good article on his wonderful website: Which Comes First, the Garden or the Train? One of his core arguments is:

Initially you should plan to spend over twice as much on track as you do on trains. And over twice as much on your garden and landscaping as you do on the trains and track put together.

I concur. Besides the financial aspect I didn’t (couldn’t?) take enough time to work on the railway. And so it came during spring that my wife mentioned the perpetual construction site, which really was no pretty sight to see.

Road to Prime Lens (95%)

98/365 Garden Railroad (35mm, F/11, 1/6, ISO 100)

Work on the track foundations proceeds

Picture 95 of 100 on the road to the prime lens.

Road to Prime Lens (87%)

77/365 Loco Kitbashing (35mm, F/5.3, 1.8, ISO 400)

The little engine is growing, too

Picture 87 of 100 on the road to the prime lens.

Road to Prime Lens (86%)

70/365 Garden Railroad(55mm, F/10, 1/100, ISO 400)

The track is growing slowly

Picture 86 of 100 on the road to the prime lens.

Garden Railway: Breaking Ground

Since I found my way back to model railways, I had the wish to build my own garden railway. When we moved back in 2015, a garden became available and this spring my father left me over some tracks. But it wasn’t until this autumn, that I could find enough time and money to actually start with construction.

Garden Railway: The First Oval

Die erste Testfahrt im Garten — First test drive in the garden

Today was a very special day for me. After years of planning, after months of constructing my porter tender, after weeks of waiting for vacation – today, I finally got to lay my own rails out in my own garden and I let my own loco run a few rounds.