Shawn, nice work… (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-sealed.gif)
Looks good Shawn. I’ve heard all kinds of stories about you guys working in the trenches. (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Ron Tremblay said:
Shawn, All I did on my layout was cover the whole thing with landscape fabric. then lay the track on top. then just put your ballast down. never had a problem with the track heaving or with weeds in 7 years.
Ron, thanks for the recommendation! I recently read this somewhere else as well and over the end of last week, the boys and I installed Landscape Fabric and mulch over 7/8 of our RR…
Wow, Shawn. Looking good! Man, I wish I lived in sunny, tropical New Jersey. You’re almost done laying track and my RR redo still looks like the end result of a 1:1 scale tractor pull competition. Send some better weather my way.
-Kevin.
Womens Work!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Dang, your not wasting any time! Looks really good. I like your method of getting a bed of ballast down and then a second coat for fine tuning. I use the same thing, we call it “crusher fines” in this part of the state, and it works just like you describe. With some gentle rains it firms right up. Can’t wait to see your first video.
Shawn
Do they have “Rice Stone " or 1/4” stone
http://www.braenstone.com/crushed-stone-2/14-washed-clean-stone/
It says 1/4 " clean…no fines … I use it for ballast… sharp pieces … holds together great.
Places were it might wash out I mix a little Portland cement with it.
Keep us updated!
Sean
Thanks guys
Sean never sen rice stone around here. That would look good in a yard area.
I manage to get my second load of stone dust yesterday. I was able to finish the track bed base and started to clean all the track joints and securing the connections with rail clamps. I was hoping to start the last layer of ballast and leveling but thanks to typical northeast weather, its been just plain crummy. Misty and cold weather is not ideal for final ballasting. Its easier to work with dry ballast when leveling. Hoping Monday I can finish. For now Im stuck inside painting the house.
David Russell said:
Womens Work!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
You know all this work has been done with the pink hat on!
Nico Corbo said:
David Russell said:
Womens Work!(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
You know all this work has been done with the pink hat on!
Of course!!
Why do you think I got it for him!!
Thanks guys.
Last week the rain and cold kept me from being able to do anything. Yesterday the weather was finally nice and I was off. I started at the high end of the layout and worked my around leveling the track as I went along. I was surprised how much I was off, a good 4-6 inches from the highest point to the lowest. That also meant I needed another load of ballast. On the bright side it also raised my steam up area more. After the track was leveled I took all the extra dirt and filled it along the high side of the tracks. Everything was watered down to compact the ballast. The early morning rain also helped with the process.
My plans got a little hampered today thanks to the stomach that hit the house. (so far I escaped it) Today I did manage to freshen up the ballast and do the side to side level on the tracks. I also started to place stepping stones throughout the layout. This is so I can gain access to all parts of the layout. I also did more work on he water fall. Still working that out. At this point trains can run but I ran out of time today.
Ariel view
(http://oi62.tinypic.com/5y7mkk.jpg)
Stepping stones going from deck to garage side door (The big boulder was rolled from the woods to the layout, had to use it because it has fossils in it).
(http://oi62.tinypic.com/2q223de.jpg)
more work on water fall, still has a lot of work to do
Wow, nicely done, the little water thingy looks interesting.(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
Nice!!
Ron said : little and thingy !
I’m diggin it…you still have the HI-C can plow?
Nice progress… Is it done yet???
Thanks guys.
The railroad is official up and running. I promised my little one he could be the first one to test it out. Yes Rooster he chose his diesel.
I also put my steam track in and capped off the wall along the steam up track with flat stone. I was pretty happy I was able to get it fairly smooth across. I also added some plants that I took with me from the old layout. Little by little its coming to life Still a long way to go.
Steam train prep area. Flat rock along top of wall to put things on while prepping.
(http://oi58.tinypic.com/mbphrt.jpg)
Added a few trees and ground cover around the boulder with the fossils
(http://oi62.tinypic.com/2uho4lz.jpg)
next project is getting the pondless waterfall up and running. I also need to build a covered bridge spanning this gap. Hey look Rooster your tricycle is left out again
(http://oi57.tinypic.com/29h8ya.jpg)
Engine house is the first structure put in.
Looks good, Shawn. Guess I’ll get the chance to see it after the Invasion, if I can find the place…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)
Nice job, Looking forward to more progress(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif).
Nice work Shawn. You’ll be back to grown-in in no time(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)
I also need to build a covered bridge spanning this gap.
Perfect!!!
Shawn Viggiano said:
next project is getting the pondless waterfall up and running. I also need to build a covered bridge spanning this gap.
Are you sure you want to put a covered bridge there? If that is where the water feature will be most of the view will be blocked.