Member's Tracks 6

Pictures are submitted by members of the group to be exhibited here

Darley Light Railway  (DLR)

Station master Charles Darley

It all started with a chance encounter with G1 for me and a search of the internet revealed "G scale" So I wrote to the local men Andrew and Paul as was invite to look at society's the web site and come along to Paul's open day at the beginning of 2007. It did not take long to decide to join the society and then I went along to the open day. Paul and Andrew gave me a great welcome and were surprised to learn that I had already joined.

I took on the challenge and from the end of August 2007 was planning in my mind what layout would be possible to meet the criteria laid down by my wife that the track must follow the edge of the lawn right round the garden.

Also the track had to be ground level NO concrete and NO gravel clippings and accommodate what ever the gardener who cut the lawn wanted. A quick chat to him revealed that he would accommodate what ever I wanted. Bingo no confrontation.

The entire track base that was laid was linked up and ready for a coat of preservative especially for the exposed ends. I have decided to lay the base on plastic DPC to give some protection to the wood from the damp ground beneath!!!

Some ask "Why does my wife have a say in the track". Well for 21 years she and she alone had tended the garden making it what it is today. My efforts with the railway have only taken 20 days but now I cut the grass and clear leafs and general help out !!

More can be read about the track at the

DLR web site

The DLR at night with the signal lights shining out well. The lights are white LED set behind thin coloured filters.

Leaves on the track have been a common problem for me and although use of the petrol leaf vacuum does the job of clearing the leaves I needed something that could clear just the track during a running period.

My first leaf sweeper was developed in 2007 but this proved to be totally inadequate.

The 12V motor uses a reduction gearbox and the leave "flicker" wizes round at about 2500rpm and when it encounters a leaf propels it off the track.

The OD of the flicker is 90mm but I am thinking of building as bigger MKIII version with a flicker of 110mm and having the motor articulated by the bogie, to follow the track, so that the problem currently encountered of the flicker bashing the track on tight corners is much lessened or negated.

Unfortunately when the snow came on 2nd Feb 2009 it proved to be a total failure. Wrong type of snow. If it had been the light fluffy snow that might have made a difference. Still it was worth the effort just to fail !!!