Live Steam?
 

I have had 00 gauge model railways on and off since I was a kid and a breif dabble into n-gauge as a teenager before two-legs took over from two-rails in my life.

Last year I made a small 00 gauge layout and sold it with half-hearted plans for a compact N-gauge layout later in the year (winter project).

Now I am thinking perhaps my real hankering is for a Mamod-type live steam effort in the garden on a short continuous run like a dog bone, purely for fun, nothing serious. But looking on-line the prices of these things are very steep!!

Are they worth it? Anyone got one? Other live-steam fun at affordable prices?

Live steam? Gandalf builds his own! I'm sure that if he notices this thread he will post about his creations.

As far as an outdoor line goes, it's possible to do it on a budget. John has given me many ideas over the years about using cheap battery controlled toy cars as a basis for various models such as steam outline trams, for instance. It's something that I'm looking forward to pursuing in the next few years. As long as you are prepared to accept that your models are unique, and don't have any prototypical reality, then I reckon it can be a lot of fun.

Hi Trev,
Added some photos of Decauville model plus some originals for comparison to the Gandalf album
. For those not familiar with the Decauville I am modelling they were for 600 mm and I use 45 mm around the garden. The model is being built using a set of drawings freely available on the internet but all in French but since millimetres are the same whatever language is used the only problem is deciding what the French names for different metals are. It will of course be coal fired rather than have a gas fired boiler as originally designed and I have deviated from the drawings in various other areas to suit my own preferences.
I now work in 7/8ths scale for 2 foot or 600 mm gauge and on 45 mm the effect is like a small 5 inch gauge model which is logical both being to more or less the same scale and a scale driver needs the same headroom for both gauges. Building to a large scale means lots of detail can be added that will not get knocked off if fitted but these days with fumbling fingers the small 2.5 mm screws are easier to pick up.
The wheel castings posted previously are all part of the project so hopefully the pension will stretch to purchasing useful items I cannot make myself such as new electronics for the motor controllers on the milling machine.
John (G)

Sounds great but I certainly don't have the time/skills/patience to build locos!!

Try the battery power route then! I'm going to give it a go once I get moved.

I was trying to go steam route for the sake of steam! If I go electric I might just go N gauge instead....

Yeah, but just think how you could evolve the history of the line. The line is built and first worked using the contractors small diesel shunter...while the lines backers (ie you) save up for a second hand steam engine! I think it'd be fun. :)