STARTING OUT IN GAUGE 3
Part 2a. Advice on Planning and Pitfalls.
Starting Out in Gauge 3
Now you have reached the stage of seriously considering a move into Gauge 3, you will want to know where to start and what mistakes to avoid.
This is where the experience of the Society's Members can help you avoid the pitfalls and help with your crucial decisions when planning your railway.
A few tips are listed here but you can always seek help on specific points by posting a message on the G3 Forum.
Advice on Planning
Before you start, read a few books on the basics, for example:
“The Garden Railway Manual” by C J Freezer, (PSL) or;
“Railways in your Garden” edited by David Pratt and David Joy (Atlantic)
Write down a few ideas on what you want from your railway – do you favour a humble branch line or a main line setting? Will you construct at ground level or on a raised structure? Keep to general considerations at this stage.
Join the Gauge 3 Society and meet with other members in your area. We are generous with advice and are always eager to help.
Visit some Gauge 3 railways in your area to see how others have developed their ideas. We hold a number of get-togethers around the country where we meet to play trains, chat, drink tea and generally help each other along. You are sure of a warm welcome.
This is where the experience of the Society's Members can help you avoid the pitfalls and help with your crucial decisions when planning your railway.
A few tips are listed here but you can always seek help on specific points by posting a message on the G3 Forum.
Advice on Planning
Before you start, read a few books on the basics, for example:
“The Garden Railway Manual” by C J Freezer, (PSL) or;
“Railways in your Garden” edited by David Pratt and David Joy (Atlantic)
Write down a few ideas on what you want from your railway – do you favour a humble branch line or a main line setting? Will you construct at ground level or on a raised structure? Keep to general considerations at this stage.
Join the Gauge 3 Society and meet with other members in your area. We are generous with advice and are always eager to help.
Visit some Gauge 3 railways in your area to see how others have developed their ideas. We hold a number of get-togethers around the country where we meet to play trains, chat, drink tea and generally help each other along. You are sure of a warm welcome.
Pitfalls
Don't be over ambitious in the initial phase or try to take on too much at once. Start in a modest way with a few yards of track and a wagon or two. One of the great advantages of our hobby is that you can start small and grow both your talents and your railway.
Work out a budget you can afford and stick to it. It is only too easy to visit a model shop and spend more than you can afford and then regret it later!
Having visited other members’ railways you may be tempted to expand your initial ideas. Bear in mind that many of our members have built up a sizeable railway and large amounts of stock but this has been achieved over many years.
Work out a budget you can afford and stick to it. It is only too easy to visit a model shop and spend more than you can afford and then regret it later!
Having visited other members’ railways you may be tempted to expand your initial ideas. Bear in mind that many of our members have built up a sizeable railway and large amounts of stock but this has been achieved over many years.
Going for Live Steam?
Basic requirements for Gauge 3 live steam operation
Most garden railways built for steam operation are continuous and there are good reasons for this. Each circuit of the track will require small adjustments whether manually or radio-control operated and, especially if coal fired, will require stopping occasionally to replenish coal and water. So, to the operator, running round and round does have considerable interest - with no two circuits the same. Continuous circuits also mean that axle driven water pumps can easily refill the boiler which is sometimes difficult on an end to end line.
Track levels are another issue to be considered with steam operation. If you have radio-control operation slight gradients are OK, but for manual operation it’s best to have the track level – unless you really want to chase after your loco making speed adjustments!
Again, ground level operation is OK with radio-control but with manual control you really need to be above the ground – unless you like maintaining your loco on your knees!
When it comes to track radii 3’ radius has recently been demonstrated for small tank locos (0-4-0) but generally for small locos 8’ is feasible. Larger tender locos are happier with 12 to 15’ radius depending on their wheelbase and bogie wheel to cylinder clearances – but some tank locos with long coupled wheelbases require surprisingly large radii. At the design stage of locos, it is sometimes possible to taper in the frames of locos to achieve greater clearances. Tight radii will also slow down a train due to flange friction requiring more adjustments to the regulator. It is also feasible to widen the gauge on curves but care is required not to make this excessive. Generally have the largest radii that will fit into your available space.
To avoid buffer locking when shunting, pointwork radii needs to be as generous as possible.
Steam locos need to be as accessible as possible so long tunnels are not a good idea and disappearing behind bushes can also be difficult.
Don’t forget to have a steam up area that is comfortable for the operator and has areas where fires can be dropped and ashes disposed of.
Sticking with Two-Rail Electrics?
Track levels are another issue to be considered with steam operation. If you have radio-control operation slight gradients are OK, but for manual operation it’s best to have the track level – unless you really want to chase after your loco making speed adjustments!
Again, ground level operation is OK with radio-control but with manual control you really need to be above the ground – unless you like maintaining your loco on your knees!
When it comes to track radii 3’ radius has recently been demonstrated for small tank locos (0-4-0) but generally for small locos 8’ is feasible. Larger tender locos are happier with 12 to 15’ radius depending on their wheelbase and bogie wheel to cylinder clearances – but some tank locos with long coupled wheelbases require surprisingly large radii. At the design stage of locos, it is sometimes possible to taper in the frames of locos to achieve greater clearances. Tight radii will also slow down a train due to flange friction requiring more adjustments to the regulator. It is also feasible to widen the gauge on curves but care is required not to make this excessive. Generally have the largest radii that will fit into your available space.
To avoid buffer locking when shunting, pointwork radii needs to be as generous as possible.
Steam locos need to be as accessible as possible so long tunnels are not a good idea and disappearing behind bushes can also be difficult.
Don’t forget to have a steam up area that is comfortable for the operator and has areas where fires can be dropped and ashes disposed of.
Sticking with Two-Rail Electrics?
DCC for Gauge 3
I am new to gauge 3, having only recently upgraded from 4 millimetres (00). One of the technologies I brought with me from the smaller scale was the excellent Digital Command Control system, or DCC, which has had such a spectacular success in the smaller gauges. Without going into unnecessary detail, DCC is a system in which a two-rail track is continuously powered at 18-20 vac and digital signals are sent through the rails from a command post to individual engines or accessories to tell them to start, speed up, slow down, stop or even make prototypical noises as required! Each engine or accessory has a digital address (just a number) and is fitted with a small electronic decoder to respond to its own messages and ignore those directed to other addresses. The decoder is programmed (by you) to convert the ac power in the rails into whatever power requirement a particular engine or accessory has. Thus for a gauge 3 engine the ac power is converted into dc in the range 0 to 25 volts, and a point motor or signal can be given either a short burst, if it is solenoid operated, or a continuous small 12v current if it is a slow-motion type as in the ‘Tortoise’ point motors. The latter are the more satisfactory for gauge 3 and have a useful switching feature, which enables the use of live point frogs, the polarity being switched with the point. Alternatively the switching can be used to operate light signals.
That is just the bare bones of it and there are many other useful features. The number of voltage steps in the speed control can be varied to give very fine slow speed control and each individual engine can be programmed, for example, with an inertia characteristic which determines its speed of acceleration and deceleration and thus gives highly realistic operation. Unlike all the older systems this one also has a braking system, which can override the programmed inertia, and an emergency stop that cuts power to the whole system and thus deals, for example, with a derailment short circuit. Other features include a sound system realistically linked to wheel movement and programmable to suit individual engines. For the live steam brigade there is no fundamental reason why the system could not be used to control regulators and reversers instead of radio control, but there is a snag here – you will need insulated wheels. Amazingly, for a gauge that has many electric devotees, insulated wheels are almost unheard of in G3 live steam locos. More on this later.
So what are the main advantages? Firstly, one can control several locos at the same time – even on the same section of track. The track does not have to be divided up into switched sections as in the traditional cab control. By using slave controllers several operators can each be allotted a train to control and simply have to obey the normal signalling control. This makes for thoroughly enjoyable and realistic operation. Secondly, points and signals can all be operated by the same system – no more rushing around on hands and knees to operate manual levers or fiddling with a mass of small switches. Thirdly, most other accessories can be operated such as lights, turntables, and sound systems- ‘the train arriving on platform four is for Oblivion…’
Now for the disadvantages. The most obvious one in Gauge 3 is that it is essential for all locos and rolling stock to have insulated wheels and, obviously, for the track to have been constructed as a two-rail electrical system. There is a compromise here that I have settled for and that is to accept that electric locos and steam ones cannot be operated together. By separating a switched track power supply from a cable providing power to the point and signal decoders the track can be turned off whilst maintaining power and control over all the points and signals. In the long run, however, it would be better to design steam locos either to use the currently available GRS/Slater wheels or to devise a clever way to insulate cast iron wheels. I’ve tried machining a gap between the tyre and the rest of the wheel and filling it with epoxy. This works but is technically rather difficult to do and it is essential to maintain concentricity. I’ve also heard of a method which cuts and epoxies alternate spokes and, when set, does the same for the rest. Any other ideas?
A DCC system also has all the usual problems of any electrical system. The track must be kept clean and all joints electrically bonded. Incidentally, the best method is to run a heavy gauge cable alongside the track, with feeds to the track every couple of metres or so. And don’t be fooled into thinking this is unnecessary if you have brass track, the latter has far greater electrical resistance than good multistrand cable of the right cross section. At least you don’t have to keep charging batteries or fiddling with the more touchy aspects of radio control.
Part 2b Planning & Pitfalls continued
Part 3. Taking the Leap and Getting Started.
Part 4. Sit Back and Enjoy!
That is just the bare bones of it and there are many other useful features. The number of voltage steps in the speed control can be varied to give very fine slow speed control and each individual engine can be programmed, for example, with an inertia characteristic which determines its speed of acceleration and deceleration and thus gives highly realistic operation. Unlike all the older systems this one also has a braking system, which can override the programmed inertia, and an emergency stop that cuts power to the whole system and thus deals, for example, with a derailment short circuit. Other features include a sound system realistically linked to wheel movement and programmable to suit individual engines. For the live steam brigade there is no fundamental reason why the system could not be used to control regulators and reversers instead of radio control, but there is a snag here – you will need insulated wheels. Amazingly, for a gauge that has many electric devotees, insulated wheels are almost unheard of in G3 live steam locos. More on this later.
So what are the main advantages? Firstly, one can control several locos at the same time – even on the same section of track. The track does not have to be divided up into switched sections as in the traditional cab control. By using slave controllers several operators can each be allotted a train to control and simply have to obey the normal signalling control. This makes for thoroughly enjoyable and realistic operation. Secondly, points and signals can all be operated by the same system – no more rushing around on hands and knees to operate manual levers or fiddling with a mass of small switches. Thirdly, most other accessories can be operated such as lights, turntables, and sound systems- ‘the train arriving on platform four is for Oblivion…’
Now for the disadvantages. The most obvious one in Gauge 3 is that it is essential for all locos and rolling stock to have insulated wheels and, obviously, for the track to have been constructed as a two-rail electrical system. There is a compromise here that I have settled for and that is to accept that electric locos and steam ones cannot be operated together. By separating a switched track power supply from a cable providing power to the point and signal decoders the track can be turned off whilst maintaining power and control over all the points and signals. In the long run, however, it would be better to design steam locos either to use the currently available GRS/Slater wheels or to devise a clever way to insulate cast iron wheels. I’ve tried machining a gap between the tyre and the rest of the wheel and filling it with epoxy. This works but is technically rather difficult to do and it is essential to maintain concentricity. I’ve also heard of a method which cuts and epoxies alternate spokes and, when set, does the same for the rest. Any other ideas?
A DCC system also has all the usual problems of any electrical system. The track must be kept clean and all joints electrically bonded. Incidentally, the best method is to run a heavy gauge cable alongside the track, with feeds to the track every couple of metres or so. And don’t be fooled into thinking this is unnecessary if you have brass track, the latter has far greater electrical resistance than good multistrand cable of the right cross section. At least you don’t have to keep charging batteries or fiddling with the more touchy aspects of radio control.
Part 2b Planning & Pitfalls continued
Part 3. Taking the Leap and Getting Started.
Part 4. Sit Back and Enjoy!