Traditionally, for me anyway, spring track work begins the weekend after ECLSTS. Since I didn’t make the trip to the show that wasn’t, and weather has been great, I got a jump on track work today. Last weekend I pulled up all 3 #6 switches at Indian Hill Junction for repair. With the switches out I noticed that either the concrete switch pad had sunk (doubtful) or the track on PVC roadbed had risen. In either case, the track needs to come back down to the level of the pad or the switches will have no support. After much digging, sweeping and hammering; all connections for switches are back even with the pad…

If I get cranking on finishing up the switch work tonight, maybe I can get a train past this point tomorrow.

In the mean time - Post up pictures of your spring track work for all to see

Don’t have none…(https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Buildings on the other hand…Chandlers is on the work bench and about ready to go back out.

Haven’t got any pictures either, however so far a few switches have had the switch stands replaced, as they

were some old tenmiles that had been out for years… A few sections of track had to have a few ties replaced.

Gradually, track is being ballasted and leveled when the weather allows… Work had been done on a few buildings

during the winter and being put back out on the railroad.

Been working on rehabbing buildings. First was the Shell Station.

Adams Station that was made from all recycled materials. “Mik’s Year of The Door”.

Last is a Station that I picked up (along with a cough) at the last Greenburg Show. Was broken in pieces. Still working on it.

Yeah, working on the building and the cough. The outhouse came with it. That is the Golf Pencil Company in the background.

rehabs are the best

What kinda track you got there, Jon?

Michael Kirrene said:

What kinda track you got there, Jon?

That is Aristo stainless. When I started; I was all track power and chose stainless to prevent the need for heavy cleaning. It worked great in that regard for many years with only a soft cloth cleaning before running.

Heavy track work continued today. I didn’t get the switches in; except for the spring switch. With a lot of effort expended; track was open to the front door; or Northville. And after leveling a diamond crossing; the North leg of my wye was also placed in service; albeit with a slow order. It seems that my track has risen nearly an inch over the years. When I installed this crossing; I poured a concrete pad to support it and incorporated connection points for PVC ladder. When I excavated it today; I found the track had risen nearly an inch which had filled in with ballast. Here you can see the pad under the track suspended in mid air…

The track crossing left to right is on ladder, while the other track is floating in ballast. I needed to excavate the fill around the ladder for several feet back in order to get the ladder to push back down where it came from. Here is an after shot. Got the ladder all the way down to the shelf…

I’m not sure of my work status next week. Most of us are over 65 and/or have medical issues; so mixing with the public, or even leaving home, is “risky” according to our governor. If I end up home I might be able to socially distance myself in the front yard getting the railroad in the best shape it’s been in years

First train to Northville…

I really need to paint that wall this spring!

Jon,

Thanks for sharing. Our track just floats on gravel, but I have a few areas where turnouts come off the level and cause stalls. I had been wondering if a concrete pad underneath some of the these areas might eliminate these problems. I can usually get through things if I set the trains at “all ahead flank,” but that is visually unappealing.

At any rate, while not pictured, I deployed the last of my split jaw rail clamps in trouble spots and ran a jumper from where power hits the inner “plantation loop” to a perpetual deadzone (the latest GR issue reminded me of that trick). The former sort of helped. The latter worked great. I plan to extend these jumps around both loops…once I order more rail clamps!

In the spirit of MOW work, though, below please find Emelala (Emerald) outbound from Pu’u’oma’o last week:

The work - real and imagined - enabled a flawless weekend of running as we went about our business. Glamor shots to follow:

The buildings in the picture are my father-in-law’s handiwork. The exception is the foam and craft-stick item just to the right of the church. Kid-zilla thought we needed a station, and he designed, built, and placed it.

The joys of being able to run all year!

Eric

Some of us run all year … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Some of us run all year … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

But no new shots of the spring cleaning, Sean?

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Some of us run all year … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I used to, then I got smart

And built INDOORS!

Honestly how many shots of the LGB track cleaning loco do you need …I have been a little busy to tackle the leaves…

It sure is funny how the concrete sinks and the tracks rise over time. It must be the gnomes at work. The same thing happens on my RR where I have used patio blocks to keep the switches level but they can still get wonky. It is all part of operating a RR outdoors. Keep up the good work gents.

John Wilda said:

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Some of us run all year … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

But no new shots of the spring cleaning, Sean?

Oo Bother … it’s raining …some spring maintenance pics you say … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/49/6f/02/26adc_fe9c.jpg?c=2ce7)

I’m trying fo clean this up (https://www.largescalecentral.com/public/album_photo/4d/6f/02/26ae0_9a7e.jpg?c=56e3)

Todd Haskins said:

It sure is funny how the concrete sinks and the tracks rise over time. It must be the gnomes at work. The same thing happens on my RR where I have used patio blocks to keep the switches level but they can still get wonky. It is all part of operating a RR outdoors. Keep up the good work gents.

I said the same thing until I talked to my friend that worked on a railroad, in the track division.

So as things expand and contract, ballast works under your track, and the track moves up… try laying a piece of track on a board, then sprinkle ballast between the ties… after a while as the track moves up and down with temperature, more ballast works under your ties.

Concrete is just weight, as it is heavier that the dirt under it… works down into the soil if you just have heat and moisture

But if you have frost, then you get frost heave… up, which also makes sense, like the ballast issue…

All makes sense, and real railroads have the same issues.

Greg

Sean McGillicuddy said:

John Wilda said:

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Some of us run all year … (https://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

But no new shots of the spring cleaning, Sean?

Oo Bother … it’s raining …some spring maintenance pics you say …

I’m trying fo clean this up

That looks like fun. Although… I am alone with a whole bar at my disposal…

I had spent Friday and Monday getting things out and cleaned up. I had my NW2 doing test runs and then pulling the track-cleaning car to make sure railheads were ready.

Being at home during the day allows me to fast track a lot of deferred maintenance. Three #6 switches were pulled up from Indian Hill Junction for refurb. I removed the no longer functioning frog power switch and it’s associated wiring; most of which was in bad shape. I don’t need frog power as I am all battery for locos. While in the shop they got a good cleaning and a fresh coat of paint…

I’m not 100% satisfied with how the paint came out. There was too much wind for my black spatter technique to really work - all I managed to do was to tone down the red with the black. But it is good enough for railroad work! The throws were upgraded to the newer Bachmann Switch Stand; one with my experimental dual spring implantation. It’s raining today so I will spend some time removing the paint from the rail heads - first with a plastic scraper and then clean up with lacquer thinner.

While the paint dried; I went back to work on grading. Final grade was achieved at the diamond and both legs of the wye leading to Walk Crossing. Back fill was the stone dust / topsoil mix that came out. Distributed by broom and compacted with a 3x3 tamper. Today’s rain will help settle this sub-ballast in and final dress ballast will be added later…

When the weather improves again I will get the switches back in and move on to other sections.

Still waiting for ice out on the CR&TC.