Peter J. Moore
Photographed by the author

My venture into O gauge started way back in my OO modelling days, when I decided to try my hand at building an O gauge loco. Having had many years’ experience in building locos and stock for my OO LNER period layout, the appeal of the larger scale was mainly the much greater amount of detail that could be achieved, and not the old cliché of failing eyesight. So, diving in at the deep end, I built a V2 from a DJH kit. In the meantime, I continued to run the OO layout, but found myself becoming more and more involved with O gauge through friends and my local Guild group, the Gloucester gauge O group.

It soon became apparent run O gauge I needed a lot more space, and to start with I had to rely on friends and my local group to be able to run anything. The room in which my OO layout was located was too small for O gauge, other than perhaps a small end-toend layout which is not my idea of fun. What I wanted was main line running with some decent length trains. This then set the scene to go outdoors, where I have plenty of space. So the decision was taken; dispose of the OO models and go all out for O. I sold all of the OO system at auction, to friends, and on Ebay. This financed all the track, controllers, and materials for the garden railway, and some stock.
In the meantime, I had been building more O gauge locos, including an A1, A3, W1, and a C12 tank, as well as some goods wagons. I also acquired a rake of Gresley corridor coaches and an articulated 2-coach suburban twin-set. These were all basically built and finished in primer, but needed all the fine details added as well glazing and a full paint job.

Ideas were then formulated on how to construct the circuit in the garden to provide a long continuous run of double track. The first major decision was that of height as I did not have the right environment or indeed want a ground-based system. I therefore decided to start with a main running board with a full length loop on each track, and set this to normal worktop height, in other words about 87cm high. From this board position, I then used a laser level to check the run at various points around the circuit. As I wanted a lengthy run, this meant taking the track bed down the side of the garden with cantilevered supports off concrete fence posts. At each end of the long straight are return loops making the whole run into a continuous circuit some 85 metres long or the equivalent of 2.3 scale miles.

The two loops are are quite large as I wanted an inside radius of at least two metres. So at one end where there is a barn housing the motorhome, I made a set of removable curved sections on legs with dowel connections and quick release electric plugs and sockets. These units, six in total, are stored on the walls of the barn when not in use and the motorhome put back in. The whole lot only takes about twenty minutes to erect.

At the other end, the problem was more taxing. Part of the loop runs around the fence line, but then has to go across a lawn in a compound broad curve to finally link up with the main board. This was achieved by casting solid concrete viaduct sections around 84cm high linked in the centre with a removable girder bridge. The viaduct consumed 1.5 tons of concrete.
The main running and setting-up board itself is fitted to the rear of a six metre oak-framed car port and hinges up in one piece for storage. It has four drop down legs with height adjustable feet on to blocks in the gravel.

Because the property is on a slight slope, over the length of the main straight, in excess of 20m long, an incline was created. This has a gradient of 1in150 which the locos can manage easily. The track board structures are supported on custom made stainless steel brackets off the concrete posts which are three metres apart. Halfway between each post is a support tube made of 68mm drainpipe fitted with special height adjustable feet units to enable accurate levelling.

I did not intend to go ‘scenic’ as I simply wanted to run trains. Having said that, the viaduct over the lawn does provide a nice photographic location and this is where the main viewing area is. It has been landscaped into the garden and is the focal point of the railway. For track laying, all Peco, I had custom templates made in stainless steel (similar to Tracksettas for OO) and these have proved invaluable. I also had 2 and 4 track spacers made to accurately set the ‘6 foot’.

Power to each track is by Helmsman 0-20V DC controllers, each with long-lead hand-held remotes. I also have one radio controlled remote from which I can run a track from anywhere on the layout. This is very useful when attending to the odd derailment as it negates the need to go to the main control panel. A second one will be purchased based on the success of the first one.

All the main running boards that are permanently fixed outside are made from Filcris. This is a smooth surfaced, totally rot proof, 19mm thick board made from recycled plastics. It is easy to plane, saw, and drill but has some awkward thermal properties which necessitated some serious expansion allowances - it does not like hot days!

From the start of construction to the first test run, working when time and weather allowed, took 20 months, and cost around £3,500 in total. It was a big challenge, but now it’s complete, myself and friends, even the non LNER folk, have great fun running it.