Garden Railways Garden Rail Garden Railways Garden rail Garden Railways Garden rail Garden railways
Spring Valley Railway by David Tarrier
Photos by Eddie Phelps
The railway in question is the G-scale Spring Valley Line, which runs along the side of our garden and
the answer to the question is, Well, actually no, it isn't finished yet. To adapt a proverb - it is better to travel in hope than to arrive, especially by rail!
Like many model railway enthusiasts I started with' 00' gauge which continued for some forty years, until I visited a local model railway exhibition where I became spellbound by what turned out to be an LGB Stainz locomotive steaming in a station set-up. I was totally hooked; sending off for a catalogue the following day, and putting my substantial '00' gauge collection up for sale. The proceeds from this enabled me to buy my own Stainz locomotive, complete with two coaches and little more than an oval of track. The love affair with LGB however, continues…
The Spring Valley Line has been under construction for five years. It is situated on a raised bed, (the spoil resulting from a large pond), and is contained with a York-stone wall, and is at present about forty feet long and fifteen feet deep. Originally the intention was to go along the entire width of the garden - about ninety feet. This would take it beneath a large ash tree, which sheds leaves copiously in autumn, so common sense eventually prevailed. Access to cut the background hedge is difficult and poses a seasonal problem. Leaves and railways just don't mix. However, in spite of these problems I am reluctant to sacrifice the opportunity of something in the order of a hundred and twenty of track. The 'board' (which consists of myself and my wife - the MD) is split on this. She tends, unfortunately, towards common sense.
Utopian World of Leisure
To me, much of the pleasure in building a garden railway is in creating realistic scenes and paying attention to the details of modelling. Considerable time is spent in constructing and maintaining models - a ‘Forth Bridge’ job in itself. Such time consuming effort explains why I am frequently asked the title question. The models come from different sources and the period of the layout is 1950's, set in a Utopian world of leisure and pleasure. All buildings are lit and some even have interiors, but with an average layout depth of fifteen feet, I quickly realised that the effort of creating interior detail was largely wasted, benefiting only visiting insects.
Rolling stock is all LGB, at present totalling nine engines, seven steam and one diesel powered, plus a track cleaning locomotive together with fifteen coaches and twelve mixed goods wagons. An important aspect of learning has been in experimenting as to the method of track laying which has been until now a 3" bed of concrete but this may change to the insertion of tanalised blocks within the concrete or to tanalised planks alone mounted on concealed stilts. I am also considering fibreglass track bed sections from Tuxcraft featured in a recent GardenRail. The track is both LGB and Tenmille, and all connections have a soldered loop of wire to aid conductivity. The layout is controlled from the 'railway room' - a wooden construction with a panoramic view of the line. My wife hasn't quite grasped the terminology and will insist on calling it a 'shed'!
Early Retirement and Backache 
The adjacent pond has a large colony of frogs, some of which occasionally visit the railway and it is not unknown for a frog to be seen limping indignantly away after a collision with a locomotive… Unfortunately the local cat population cannot be so easily deterred. Models of people are much loved by the moggies. One unfortunate passenger was kidnapped and found on the other side of the garden behind the conifers. All figures are therefore now fixed in place. Does anyone have any ideas for deterring our feline friends? Our dog has learned that the railway is out of bounds but he enjoys watching the trains go by, puzzling over the sound effects of station announcements, engine noises, whistles and bells.
So, when will it be finished? I have recently taken early retirement and backache, weather and money all permitting; the railway will become more of a priority. This year should see the extension and perhaps completion of the track, construction of tunnels and cuttings and of course, more models and scenes to build. Many models are already built including a thirty-five inch girder bridge, water mill and smithy, and new scenes will include a ruined castle, a mountain with cable cars and a logging area.
Perhaps I never will be able to say 'yes' to the question posed. But - do I really want to?
I am rather fond of the delicate tracery of this magnificent footbridge and signal gantry, which adds I feel, to the atmospheric ambience of a minor but often busy country junction. 0-4-0 ‘Godfrey’ pauses for custom on an afternoon local.