Brokenback & Black Creek Garden Railway
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This web page has been put together purely for fellow rail enthusiasts to enjoy & hopefully that I may be lucky enough to have some ideas sent my way. I don't pretend to know it all. I really am learning as I go.
Location:
Home for "Brokenback & Black Creek Garden Railway" is in the Hunter Valley area of NSW Australia. Whilst I think it is the greatest place on earth to reside (given that the well known Hunter Valley wines are produced on our backdoor step), it is also an area which can experience very extreme temperatures in both winter & summer. With these extremes in mind I have had to design my railway around these varying conditions.
My Personal History:
My interest in "all things trains" has been with me since I was a little boy of 5. As a young child I remember riding the trains in & around Sydney with my parents & grandmother. As a young adult I became involved in "HO Railway Model Clubs" . Up until this year I had continued to "play" with my HO's & have only recently disposed of those locomotives. In addition to the "garden railway" , myself & two friends have a "business interest" in full size trains, so as I said earlier "I love all things trains".
The Beginning Of Brokenback & Black Creek Garden Railway:
My wife after listening to my constant complaints about "not being able to see" when working with my much smaller HO Scale Layout decided to buy me a G Scale Beginners Kit for Christmas 2004. The rest is history!!
The Gardens:
I guess I was lucky when I commenced building my railway, in that my wife who is a keen gardener had already established many gardens in the backyard.
A Section Of Our Established Garden
The backgarden has been designed around a "rooms theme" this has enabled me to edge each "room" with the rail track.
I am not saying for a minute that this was all smooth sailing....many a time I have had to explain to my wife on her arrival home..why the garden had decreased ...or why her well tended plants had disappeared..I am still on "L" plates when it comes to recognising weeds & plants.
I never thought that I would say that I was a gardener, but I have to say that I am becoming more & more interested now that the railway is taking shape.
The Track (my specifications):
For those train buffs out there I will endeavor to explain in some detail the method I have used in laying my rail track. Some two years later I have laid approximately 600 feet of "G Gauge" track.
Most of my railway meanders around the edge of the gardens & after mapping out the line of the track I lay a 3" mixed base of equal part cement & crusher dust. It is important at this time to ensure that your levels are correct. Once I am satisfied with the base I spray with water to set the base hard. Once dry I then lay the track, again with the same mixture packed well around the track. As I said before, the levels play a huge part in all of this. Once I am happy with the track I clean off loose residue from the track before spraying with water.
A Section of Our Back Garden
The rail layout consists of two large loops generally meandering around the edges of the gardens & a line now meanders down to the back of our garden where I have built a wooden trestle bridge & running shed. The two loops join together near Sulobin Village. The smallest of the two loops is basically flat with three road crossings incorporated into the loop. A section of this loop meanders underneath overhanging azaleas. The second & largest loop has a section with a long uphill haul (Lilly Pilly Hill).
At the crest of the hill the track crosses a wooden trestle bridge before meandering through a rock edged track down to Sulobin Station.
S00 Travelling Along Geranium Straight
The Electrics:
The garden railway is now powered by three RCS Radio Control system. This is an area in which I have had to experiment to find the best results. I am constantly looking for new ideas & I guess this is part of the fun of the railway!!
A Diesel Approaching One Of The Newly Installed Scratchbuilt Signals
In June 2006 I spent a fair amount of time designing & building from scratch my electric signals. The signals are constructed from copper & brass scrap. Brass shim is also used for the lens covers etc. Ladders are made from scrap wire & soldered together. The first signals were rather crude, but the latest signals that I have just completed are far more advanced & more prototypical.
Rolling Stock:
My all time favorite is the "diesels". My beginner kit gave me a steam loco, a passenger car & two freight cars. I quickly started to add to these & I now own a mixture of both steam & diesel. Most of my stock is ordered direct from the USA & generally arrives inside of a week of placing the order.
 New York Central Steam Engine
My pride & joy has to be the New York Central Mikado 2-8-2 & six Pensylvannia Passenger cars. The detail in these passenger cars has to be seen to be believed, right down to the little table lamps on the tables in the dining cars.
As time permits I will update more information on my rolling stock.
Azalea Tunnel
Names & Places:
Our garden railway is now starting to take shape & we have started giving various areas "names" in keeping with the plants growing there. We have Lilly Pilly Station; Azalea Avenue: Crepe Myrtle Corner; Bernie's Bend to name a few.
Sulobin Village
One village is Sulobin Junction. The station is aptly named Sulobin as a result of the sulobins (the name of our garbage bins) being stored in this area. We have several timber buildings in the village as well as a concrete rail platform. My wife is now getting more involved & has just recently started to experiment with trackside signage. Again, I have only just started to build up this area & will keep you updated.
Sulobin At Night
Trackside Signage
Retirement:
I have always been a person who just can't sit still. The thought of having to sit each day & vegetate is just not me. The garden railway in my retirement years has been an absolute "god-send". I spend many hours outside doing trackwork & experimenting. My wife basically looks after the garden (her domain) & she loves to tell the tale that she has never known me to keep the garden edges so neat!!!.
As you can well imagine our grandchildren think we live in Disneyland. The older ones are now taking "crash courses" in train driving techniques. This has been a very necessary part of the railway, as it often happens that certain littlies decide to change "the points" when I am otherwise occupied & suddenly we have a train disaster on our hands!!!
One of the tunnels that leads to the newest extension .
Many of our friends (& most are not train nuts) comment on how relaxing it is to sit back in the garden & watch the trains go by.
Two Alcos departing Sulobin Flat 
One of the "busy" areas on the edge of Sulobin Junction
Bridges
For those who have a regular "look-in"...I have now completed a removable steel bridge. The bridge which is placed over our second (& not often used) driveway entrance connects to another rail line that leads down to the "running shed". The shed which has doors either end, has a rail line that leads out onto a wooden trestle bridge (known as Bernie's Bend).
Meanwhile I have been built myself a "turntable". At this stage I'm not 100% sure that it is exactly what I want. It does the job for the moment ..but must admit I love the excuse of doing rail maintenance so experimenting etc is all part of this on-going hobby.
A Gossip Session On The Station
Timber Trestle Bridge
As mentioned earlier I have extended the railway towards the rear of our property. The track weaves its way around several ponds & then down into a "Running Shed".
Tracks Winding Behind The Rock Pools
Rail Diesel Cars Heading West To The Running Shed
The wooden trestle bridge commences from the rear of the "Running Shed" & forms a nice curve back towards the main rail line. This area is now complete & we are waiting patiently for the gardens around the Trestle Bridge to grow.
Australian Red Cedar Trestle Bridge
Updates
I am now starting on the "little things" ie scratchbuilt loco sheds etc. We have also recently joined a Garden Railway Club. I am hoping that it will prove to be a way in which I can collect & share ideas etc. & of course enjoy some "train talk" .
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