This article is all about how The Brick Tree Railroad came about and how it ended up as it is now. For lots more pictures of the railway as it now please CLICK HERE to view the Brick Tree Railroad picture page.

I moved into my present house about a year and a half ago and after moving twice in as many years with railways built at both properties it was time to settle down and look at the long term with the railway and garden this time. When I first arrived it was nothing just worn away grass and mud with a very slight incline towards the top of the garden that leads around a corner to a small garage. the garden is about 14foot x 50foot so not the most spacious of areas and I had to add some garden for my partner and leave a bit of room for a large dog and small kiddie to play as well, looking like a challenge already.

Well it came the time to start and as with all my railways before this it started of with no real plan at all I just threw some track down on the ground to see what would fit and what would look right, oh how I had wished that I had put something down on paper first as this approach to railway building has resulted in lots of changes to get things right, most of which could of been found at the planning stage had there been one! I just moved up to LGB MTS DCC and LGB R3 curves and points so I was looking to build something simple knowing that space was at bit of a premium.

I started off with a small terminus station at the bottom of the garden by the patio doors and worked my round the garden from there seeing what would work.

I was also basing everything with a European outline look and feel, but that to was to change later but more of that later, As the railway was built at ground level once it left the station area things moved on very quickly and soon I had a line laid down to play with as I had not put in any changes of level and the garden areas just being log roll borders.

But this to was to change not very long after this with the inclusion of a tunnel and with the top loop getting bigger with the swing being moved. I also nicked a bit more garden and ran down both sides of the garden and added the first of many different water features. At this point the rest of the garden was laid with grass but this proved to be a no go as the dog was killing it within months. So things looked like they would have to change again.

The next phase was change the inner part of the track work to make two small lines instead of just one as before with just a choice of runs. This also brought about a change in the grass area and this was laid with patio slabs and the water feature grew again. At this point the railway was named The Woodside Railway.

This how the railway stayed for a while but then the devil inside me got the better of me and off I went again this time selling all my European stock and going over to American outline lock stock and barrel.

And then it happened not being happy with all the log roll and the small water feature and the position of the station area I pulled most of the bottom end of railway back up and started again but this time with Cotswold stoning. I moved the station to the other side of the lower patio and changed the tunnel position to where the old station junction used to be and the water feature became a pond and a tunnel. All this was built out the same Cotswold stone that made everything neater and stronger. The railway also got it's new name of The Brick tree Railroad at this point.

At this time I also changed my power unit to a Massoth DCC system that currently powers the whole railway with more than enough power and some. Now this was meant to be it as far as any changes came about but there's just something about taking on a new challenge so I have now changed things again by taking up over a third of the track and converting it back to a single line with the railway just taking up one side of the garden as it runs up and down in simple dog bone shape. This has resulted in a longer run on the one remaining line by using the best bits of the two lines that where in operation and it looks bigger as it now runs in and out of many new planting areas much to partners liking. The back half of the tunnel under the pond has now been bricked up and just the front tunnel is in use. I have put a passing loop in at the top end of the line so as to help with running more stock per session.

Well that really is it now for changes with this railway as I am now very pleased with the look and feel of the whole railway and garden and would like to use the next 18months playing and not building, and what's that dearest oh yes and to decorate the house as well.

I hope you enjoyed the history of my railway so far and if you would like to know more then please feel free to email me on - jason.gscalemad@ntlworld.com

JASON PALMER  -  AUGUST 2005.