# Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club 3rd. Annual Father's Day Meet



## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

Here is a mix of Live Steam and Electric trains run on the Portable Layout hosted by the Greater Vancouver Garden Railway Club at Elgin Park's famous historic Stewart Farm in Surrey, British Columbia,
Canada. Click the following Link: 

*http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wwRVyzpIPt8 *

This is a wonderful family event and it helps show families visiting the meet that is fun to get out from the video games and run trains. Hopefully more young people join this wonderful hobby.

Please share with non train friends. 

Enjoy and thank you for viewing,
All the best,
Peter.


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice Portable. How do you level it?


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## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

*Well Tom now that is a good question. We try to find the flatest piece of ground there is and then place all the parts onto the folding saw-horses. Then we take a laser level*
* pick a spot that looks to be the highest and begin from there by placing blocks under the feet of the sawhorses or if only a minor adjustment is required then we just use small plywood blocks between the base of the portable and the flats of the saw-horses. Set-up takes about an hour with about six of us and take down is in about fourty -five minutes. We use it to promote the club (gvgrc.ca) around our area
*
*and take to train shows and local conventions. July the first the portable will be set up in Port Moody's train station and museum, (British Columbia) to celebrate the 125th anniversary of the Canadian Pacific Railway's arrival on the West Coast of Canada after its first transcontinental run and joining the country from Sea To Sea.*
*Thanks for asking,*
*All the Best, *

*Peter. *


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Peter, 
Any other details on the construction of the modules? Plywood and one by 4 or 6 construction? Conencting details or system? 

Thanks in advance. 

Chas


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## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

Hi, the units are made of plywood with 1 X 6 pine or fir (can't remember). We went fairly simple on the joiners and placed steamer trunk style hasps on the flush joints and just use a 6 inch C-clamp
under the table at the odd angle joints where clips would not be effective on the sides. Some units are eight feet long and others are shorter but not less than four feet. 
The total area it covers is 24 ft X 40 ft.and the outside radius is (if my memory is correct) 11 foot and the inside one is 10 foot, easily handling most live steam and all electric engines and cars. Generally the inside is reserved for Sparkies and the outside is for the Teakettles. Those spakies like don't oil on their track. (He He He ) The track is code 250 narrow gauge ties on the inside and code 250 standard gauge ties on the outside. Most of the switches are no 8 and there is a nice three way switch into the yard. There is also a transfer table / turntable to turn the engines. The rail is connected wtih split jaw type clamps and are simply loosened up to separate the track when we are disassembling it. We also have continuous wiring with automotive connectors at each unit under the table for electrical continuity. This way the rail joiners are only for alignement and not for electric conduction.The sawhorses fold up into pairs and store quickly and easily. I hope I got everything and if you want to see more pics of this layout please visit out club site at ...gvgrc.ca.

Thank you for your interest and happy to answer all questions.
All the best, Peter.


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## Dan Pantages (Jan 2, 2008)

As I was the designer and builder I must add a bit to Peter's response. There is no pine or fir, the frame work is 3/4" plywood, 6" wide longitudinal stringers with 3" wide cross stringers, the deck is 3/8" plywood. There are two plastic pipes that fit into grommets at each joint for alignment. It can be set-up as a 24' x 32' or as a 24' x 40'. The outer track radius is 11.5' and the inner track radius is 10.5'. The track was donated by Accucraft. If anyone wants a copy of the plan, E-mail me and I will send you a PDF of it though I think it has already been on this site when it was built.


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## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

*There are some very nice pictures of Dan running his Aster Big Boy on the track at the First Father's Day meet posted on the club site. Please click the link to view.*
*http://www.gvgrc.ca/*
*Thank you Dan for the extra info.*
*All the best ,*
*Peter. *


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Just for info, we, The Michigan Small Scale Live Steamers, store and haul our track in a trailer...










For leveling, the legs have a course adjustment...










And a fine adjustment...


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## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

Tom that looks like a very good system and when it comes time to overhaul our portable, I will show the crew those pictures and methods. I also like the fact that you have a dual gauge track
to run "O" scale consists. Another possible retrofit. The brass looks new, how long has your club's portable been built ? Thanks for those pics and the embedded video.

All the best,
Peter.


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

I think that the best portable track that I have ever seen is the G1MRA (not actually owned by them) Anglia Roads. 
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dei9_GGxtic 
I showed it to the design team of the GVGRC when they were first deciding to build the track, but they wanted to do it 'their' way and have ended up with a VERY bulky track. 
I believe that it will fit into a van or a small trailer for transport. 
The legs are hinged on each section. 
It has neat inside scenic 'clip on' sections, and a sexy curve through the station area. 
It really does show what can be done to promote Gauge 1 model railways. 
All the best, 
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## steamtom1 (Jan 2, 2008)

Peter,

Our first outing with our new track was back in August of '08...




Notice that there was room for a third track, the dual gauge, which was added a year or two later.


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## deltatrains (Nov 25, 2010)

*It looks really great Tom. Everything seems nice and smooth and level. That surface appears to be that 'Diebond' with the two pieces of aluminum and foam sandwich*
*material that Dan used on his layout. I am sure it is lighter than our plywood version.* *Thanks for the extra info and video.*

*All the best,*
*Pete. *


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