Ever so slightly off topic but a friend of mine near San Francisco built one in 7.5" gauge (and I do mean seven and a half as it is a US West Coast railway)from the photos in the Southern Railway book that Alan mentioned with details added from photos that I took for hm of one that is on the Isle of...

Thanks Eddie. Some good pointers in your posting and I will have discussions arond them. Just hope that the messenger doesn't get shot ;-). You highlighted some stuff that I already know ito be an issue so your remote analysis is actually very useful. For my own track in the garden - about 250 yards...

Thanks again Eddie. The track has been down for years (decades?) and so changes to what's there is a huge problem especially as it is all welded steel! We've been getting derailments at some points and forcing use of wider back to back seems to be the way that some folks think the problem will be fi...

Thank you Eddie. I went through my stock and found that my tank engine, one raised track ride on truck and all my Aristocraft coaches are 4 5/8", my U and Merchant Navy along with my ground level ride on truck are 4 11/16". Other club members are apparently doing similar checks as if the 4 11/16" ba...

We had a bit of a argument today at my Club's AGM (that'll teach the chairman to have AOB as a agenda item!). The unexpected dispute was over what is the correct standard wheel back to back measurement. In the GL5 standards it talks about wheelies that have 4 & 5/8 back to back and also 4 & 11/16ths...

I am in agreement with Ballan Baker .. don't open the forum to non-members; anyone can read today, but not post. My own disappointment is the lack of postings on the forum. It feels like sometimes weeks go by without a posting. Is this because members are uncomfortable with using this? Perhaps that ...

Thanks Ballan. Input appreciated. The logistics and economics of using concrete make it a non starter - the track will be over 250 yards in length so using pre-mixed has the challenges of getting a truck in, or hand mixing which would take a hell of a long time, preclude this. Also the track is alon...

Might well be worth reminders. Less than 10% of members actually are members of the forum. On the basis than membership number is number joined up we must be near 1,000 now and only 85 subscribe to the forum. As a newbie I see the forum as a great way to bounce ideas or ask for guidance as most memb...

Dave, Useful comments; thanks. On sleeper spacing I have a lot of pre-assembled track, some with PNP sleepers and some with wood. The PNP ones are either spaced at 70mm or 110mm . The 110mm ones came from a working railway. However they were used by a diesel shunter and a couple of lightweight kids;...

I'm about 1/3rd way through a project laying a GL track - some 200 yards already laid out on the surface to make sure that the route looks OK and the curves are not tight; the ground has not yet been dug. I am pretty sure that I have enough rail though I could probably do with another couple of hund...

Well now I've done the introduction page I'd like to ask for views on what I've uncovered on laying a 5" gauge railway track. I have done a fair bit of research, visiting several ground level tracks and have driven on a couple. Also I have asked members at the GL5 stand on various exhibitions for th...

Hello I'm Gordon de la Mare and have had a very long fondness for miniature steam locomotives since I was a member of the long defunct (due to vandalism in the late 1960s) St Mellons MES near Cardiff. I'm now living near Lymington and as part retired I finally have enough time to really indulge myse...