Large Scale Central

I have never seen this. What happened here? It is Crazy!

General Discussion
#1

This is INSANE!
We have been away and I haven’t run a train in over a month and today was a nice day so I grabbed the leaf blower and started cleaning up the RR. The leaves blew away from the foundation of the main factory and I noticed a pile of sand in front of it. Odd. I looked closer and the sand was inside and covering windows all the way up to the second floor which is 13+ inches up. I took the building apart and carefully lifted the sand loaded section having no idea what I would find.
I was thinking it was ants or termites but there was no evidence. I have had mice and chipmunks build nests in a few buildings but again no evidence of that.

Something had brought the sand to this building and filled it up. It is like the movie “The Great Escape” when the POW’s were digging the tunnel and had to secret the dirt out into the main yard using pockets in their pants.
The question is, WHERE did all this sand come from? It filled a 5 gallon bucket, 1.5 times.
I thought there would be a gaping hole under the rotted plywood base but there wasn’t even a chipmunk sized tunnel or hole?
This is really weird. Now that the factory is up and washed out, it needs a new base and loading docks, maybe a fresh painting. Crazy.
The rest of the factory is in great shape. It was a good idea to add the plastic trim board as a foundation to avoid ground contact.

Has anyone ever seen anything like this? The building was packed with sand.

Now I’m worried that I’m going to fall into a sinkhole somewhere in the yard because that sand came from somewhere. :grinning_face_with_smiling_eyes:
I’m suspecting it was the Chipmunks.

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#2

I must admit that i have never seen anything like this. the fact that there is no evident point of entry is very interesting. have you had any sand storms lately?

Al P.

#3

It is weird Al. I didn’t find anything inside or out that was chewed. At the other end of the RR the squirrels have been working on a snow shed.
There is an opening on the inside that goes from the main section to the add on with the double door.
A critter could have climbed under that section that floats on pilings, gone through the opening and bypassed the plastic foundation.
This can be seen in the one photo where the building is on its side.

#4

I get it all the time, though not to that extent.

In my case, it’s ants tunneling underneath and that is where they are stashing the soil.

#5

Gophers, do you have them? They are known for depositing their spoils in enclosed spaces.

#6

I wonder if your local agricultural department / university who be of help.

Otherwise there is a team called Mystery Incorporated that specialises in this thing. Ask for Velma Dinkley.

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Reviews on Yelp sound encouraging “I’d have gotten away with it, too, if it weren’t for those meddling kids!”

#7

We do not have gophers. I did see a chipmunk emerge from a hole and head over to where the factory was located. He scurried all around the spot, stopping to look. I don’t think it was too happy.
I suspect it was the chipmunks that did this.

1 Like
#8

Not sand. Guano! :laughing:

#9

Like, a two-floor chipmonk outhouse? I’d like to see the critter cam footage for that!

I like Todd’s ant hill idea… Any ants in the area, or evidence of their tunnels?