The Cutting

The next section of track through a lawn area required a shallow cutting in order to limit the grade to the target 1 in 50.

First part of the cutting.

A section dug out for one 2.6 m long curve track.

Weed mat rolled out and the track supported at the correct height.

Track ballasted.  Because the rail connection to the ballast pit was severed while the cutting was being constructed, we loaded ballast into flower pots and transported them in the garden cart to be tipped into the ballast wagon.

Cutting completed.  Back on level ground, more or less.

A relatively late inclusion in the cutting area is a short straight filler section 170 mm long.  Its purpose is to allow for the future installation of a left hand turnout (point) for a possible passing loop between here and the driveway.  Although the radius of the turnout is the same as the curved track (10 m), the straight portion of the turnout extends 170 mm beyond the "tangent point", so a turnout won't exactly replace a curve section.  

Mini Train Systems made up the filler piece promptly once the need for it was identified.  The filler piece is so short, it doesn't even have one sleeper and is supplied as two separate rail pieces each with a welded on "fishplate".

Ballasting

 A local landscape supplier, only 1 km from the railway, was able to supply 10-12 mm cracked pea gravel, and delivered 3 cu.m inside our front gate.  We chose the brown gravel as it would blend in better with the garden landscaping.  Unlike normal pea gravel which is round, the cracked pea gravel is angular and would pack down nicely.

The first ballast was applied by hand, using a 4-wheeled garden cart to transport the ballast to the work site.

Ballasting going well but tedious.

It did rain a lot in June.

Then, we made a ballast wagon based on a large plastic flower pot.  It runs on 40 mm diameter 3D-printed plastic wheels, and the frame is made from timber left over from the track pallets.  

Two metal sliders release the ballast through 3 openings, one between the rails and one either side of the rails.  It works surprisingly well with no ballast on the rails themselves to derail the wagon.  A garden broom levelled the ballast to finish the job.

Note that the track is lifted up here on timber blocks to achieve a 1 in 50 ascending gradient.  As a result, deeper ballast was required here compared to the typical 50 mm depth.

Update:  When the loco arrived, the ballast wagon was fitted with basic couplers so it could be hauled by the loco.  Later still, it was fitted with metal bolsters so it could ride on a pair of DNC arch-bogies when required for ballasting duties.  

To improve access to the ballast pile, the track which is intended to curve to the left near the driveway was temporarily relayed curving to the right.  

With use of the ballast wagon, the first section of track alongside the driveway is looking pretty good.  No rollingstock at this stage, other than the hand-propelled ballast wagon.

Track Setting Out

The day after the track arrived, it was possible to set out nearly 100 m of track which, for the first time, provided an idea of what the railway would look like in the garden.

Securing the short curve section which has to be removed to allow the garage door to close.  The track is starting to take shape along the edge of the driveway.

View from the garage.

The solitary turnout in place, the intended junction for the loop track around the house.

Diverging from the driveway into a lawn area.

Through the lawn between the driveway and the front fence.

Across the driveway using 2 x 3 m long level crossing sections.

Alongside the lily pond.

Stage 1 Track Delivery

The first delivery from Mini Train Systems was approx. 150 m of track.  This was packed onto 2 large pallets, each approx. 3 m long, and offloaded by a truck-mounted crane.

Mini Train Systems provided this photo of the track prior to shipment.  Also packed on the pallets were the point operating lever and a generous quantity of M6 high tensile bolts, nuts and washers.

After unpacking each pallet, the track pieces were transported 4 or 5 at a time on a 4-wheel garden cart pulled by our ride-on lawnmower.

Most of the track was stockpiled undercover, sorted into curves and straights of various lengths, as well as one left-hand turnout (point) and two special "level crossing" sections to go across the driveway.

Despite it being a short winter's day, I couldn't resist setting out the first few sections which form the train storage area along one side of the garage before dark.