I Hope that this account of the construction and subsequent development of my railway will be an inspiration to all who would like a standard gauge garden railway but think that their garden is not big enough.
 
My Adventure into Gauge 3 (or standard gauge G scale also known as G64) started with a trip to GRS (Garden Railway Specialists) in Princes Risborough, a place that I had always wanted to go to but had never got around to.  For someone who was a confirmed ‘0’ Gauge modeller, it was an eye opening experience, an Aladdins’ cave of goodies, so much so that I came home with an 08 diesel shunter kit and a few yards of track (try smuggling that into the house under your jacket!).  

The loco was built into its basic format and, within a couple of weeks, I had it running unpainted on track power.  The bait had been taken and I was hooked!  Initially the railway was laid on my old ‘0’ gauge boards that I had up one side of the garden.  I had a few lengths of track and I ordered a three way point, a few more lengths of track and a handful of wagons from GRS : I now had a small shunting layout.

At first, the line was powered through the rails but I discovered The Gauge 3 Society and, after visits to a couple of garden get togethers, I decided to convert the 08 to be powered by battery with radio control, using equipment I still had from my model warship days.  Bliss! I could now run in the garden with no electricity to worry about, no cleaning the track first and I could also join in at the get togethers.  I was enjoying my new found scale and having a different but useful loco to boot, which had enough power to move 12 coaches or a poorly live steam loco.  

A few more visits to GRS with the Boss Lady followed, to build up the stock for the shunting puzzle.  During one of these visits, she became very interested in the buildings and it was suggested that I develop my shunting puzzle with the addition of some buildings and then it was, “ what else can we do with our railway”. “Why the sudden interest?”, I asked. “Well this size looks better and would fit in with the plants”, was the reply.

Grand schemes were pictured in my head and dismissed.  A plan of the garden was drawn but, in 25ft x 25ft, I guess we can forget about the twin track mainline or even space for a branch line.  A plan was drawn up for two small goods yards separated by 6ft of track with each yard having run round facilities so that I could operate just using one loco.   A second engine was built (this time a GWR 1366 class pannier tank converted from a GRS 1361 tank).  From a construction point of view, I used pressure treated fencing gravel board made into 4ft x 2ft base boards and mounted on 3in x 3in legs.  The base boards were laid in position and gravel board linking sections used to join the boards.  The whole lot was then covered in heavy duty roofing felt.

This gave a summer full of running days and much thought provoking of, “How do I get out of this predicament”. The yard nearest the house gained a scenic platform, a signal box and a warehouse as a flat backscene and the line was about to enter a new phase.

The branch line theory started during the autumn of 2005, when a good friend brought his ex-LSWR O2 0-4-4T over for a run also bringing with him his Grandfather's Maunsell coach, to provide a "workers' train".  In the short space that I had, I was pleasantly surprised to see that the coach ran well, it negotiated the curves OK but also did not look out of place (up until this time I was convinced that I would not be able to run coaching stock in my garden) and so plans of turning one of the yards into a station and the other into a fiddle yard, as per many model railways, was put into place.  Over the winter, a station building was built out of Plastic Card. A visit or two to GRS saw some of my wagons and the 08 Diesel Shunter traded for an O2 0-4-4T and two coaches, which were built into a push-pull set and ideal for a small branch.  This was a great combination as I could now run a train in the winter from the comfort of a warm house.  So now the two shunting yards represented a branch station at one end and a fiddle yard with run round facilities at the other end.

During the Easter of 2006 the line was extended to give a longer run, but we now had a ‘U’ shaped line.  An extra siding was added to what had now become the station yard, to form a coal siding.  The other end of the line was fitted with a sector plate to allow run round facilities and during June we had an open day which, ran well but…all was not to my satisfaction.  
I was so impressed with the performance of the O2 that I bought a second one, which I built into an Isle of Wight large-bunkered version.  The next addition was to replace the sector plate with a point and headshunt, to be ready in time for the September open day, but the run round loop was terrible.  It looked more like Robin Hood's bow and something had to be done to correct the situation. It was a close run thing but it was ready for the open day!

Fresh thoughts entered my head : If I were to take that point and create a kick back siding (to hold a loco or some goods wagons) and then have two dead end sidings, platform in the middle…  Aha!.... a second station!   

During the mild weekends of October and November the alterations were put into place, platform built and water tower moved.  The new track plan seemed to work also the second O2 was running well.   The final part of the plan was to convert the original small-bunker O2 to an Isle of Wight version.  The Wight Garden Railway was born.

Now to put everything to the test.  A quick call to Steve to check his availability (he was suffering from Garden Railway withdrawal symptoms) and  the date was set for an impromptu running session. We had four locos, four people, two trains (one Goods and one Passenger) and a couple of hours of fun, despite a torrential shower.  Trains were running well, there were no mishaps and everyone had a good time.  

Development of the line continued with the addition of a station building and signal box at Medina Station and the platforms were relocated to make room for a run round loop to the front and a bay platform to the rear.  At the Blackgang end of the line, two new lineside huts were delivered from the SR concrete works at Exmouth Junction on the mainland!  Rolling stock additions saw a new bogie parcels van to run with the GRS SR PMV and a few open wagons were built to boost the lines freight capacity.  The line saw much operation during the summer.

Just to recap on the current  state of the line, starting at Blackgang, we have a small single platform station with a run round loop and a small siding off the loop which can hold a loco or a couple of wagons.  The loop runs into a three way point, the other leg of the three way point leads to the goods shed siding.  Next up the line is the entrance to the coal siding.  This siding can hold 3 or 4 wagons.  As we travel further we take the curve past the signal box and over the bridge on to the rear curve.  Approaching Medina station we cross the level crossing and pass the coal yard on the right into the main platform of Medina station.  The main platform has a run round loop with a short spur and there is a bay platform that also acts as a head shunt for the coal yard.

Stock on the line consists of two Class O2 tank locos one of them push-pull fitted plus any visiting locos, a two coach push-pull set, a parcels train and a short goods train of about 10 wagons – quite enough to keep 1, 2, 3 or 4 drivers well occupied.  

So there we have it : Two stations, two coal yards and a goods yard all in a 25ft x 25ft back garden!  Yes, you do have the space!
      

Part 1. Is Gauge 3 Really For Me?

Part 2. Advice on Planning and Pitfalls.

Part 3. Taking the Leap and Getting Started.

Part 4. Sit Back and Enjoy!