Coming along nicely! I still have Luke’s bell sitting here on my desk to send out to you…
Later,
K
David,
Thanks, I am glad you liked it! I didn’t really think about it when I made the video, but I should have moved the flat car closer to the action, so to speak. Next time I run trains, I will. If you notice me walking in to the shot, I wasn’t watching the train when I made the video!! I was ‘multi-tasking’!!
What I really would like to do is to put the flat car behind one engine and then have the other train coming up behind, shooting the video rear-facing.
Kevin,
Ha! Whenever…
It is July 21, and I am back at work on this railroad! Today, at 5, I moved about 1200 lbs of stone dust in the the turntable area. Getting back in to the swing of things. Need to get the yard tracks completed then turn my attention to the roundhouse area. I’m thinking I should just mix up a few bags of concrete and pour a small pad for the roundhouse and tracks.
MB turned me loose to spend an entire day working on finishing my railroad yesterday. I managed to get the storage tracks finished and screwed together by 5. Called it quits then made MB some kind of a tropical drink: (Blend: ice, 7up, 1/4 pineapple, cream of coconut, RUM and Tequilla). Eventually, I will need to build a roundhouse. But, I think that before I do that, I should turn some attention to the state of the rest of the backyard. In the excavation and recycling of material from the original railroad, I have made the backyard in to an eyesore. I think that, politically, it would behoove me to plant some grass and get the back yard looking ‘good’ again. The internal section of the new railroad will also need a lot of work, and probably a lot of dirt before it is ‘presentable’. I’m just lucky it has been too hot for much of anything to grow. OK, picture time! These first two show the roundhouse area. Note the ballasted yard tracks. These are almost invisible because of the ballast at this point. That will settle in the coming days.
(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283404_2232358418532_1535050491_2375443_6520124_n.jpg)
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283106_2232357738515_1535050491_2375441_4070404_n.jpg)
Here’s the area I’m calling the Upper Yard
(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/281373_2232357058498_1535050491_2375438_3250461_n.jpg)
The track to the lower right hand corner is where I intend to load my trains on to the track. The other two tracks continue along the Outer Loop and turn the corner. That’s where the Upper Yard becomes the Lower Yard. I sometimes surprise myself with ideas. This is one of them. The tracks were originally supposed to follow the mainline to the left. However, when I laid out the tracks, this made more sense. The upside of this arrangement is the natural walkway that forms from the end of the grass in to the middle of the layout. I’ve also created a planter to the right, which will make this a very scenic spot ( I hope).
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285004_2232356098474_1535050491_2375434_4255125_n.jpg)
Today is August 1. This project (rebuilding the Millersvillanova) is officially 2 months old. I have until probably Wednesday to get this all finished up. Mark
Mark Oles said:
MB turned me loose to spend an entire day working on finishing my railroad yesterday. I managed to get the storage tracks finished and screwed together by 5. Called it quits then made MB some kind of a tropical drink: (Blend: ice, 7up, 1/4 pineapple, cream of coconut, RUM and Tequilla). Eventually, I will need to build a roundhouse. But, I think that before I do that, I should turn some attention to the state of the rest of the backyard. In the excavation and recycling of material from the original railroad, I have made the backyard in to an eyesore. I think that, politically, it would behoove me to plant some grass and get the back yard looking ‘good’ again. The internal section of the new railroad will also need a lot of work, and probably a lot of dirt before it is ‘presentable’. I’m just lucky it has been too hot for much of anything to grow. OK, picture time! These first two show the roundhouse area. Note the ballasted yard tracks. These are almost invisible because of the ballast at this point. That will settle in the coming days.(http://a7.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283404_2232358418532_1535050491_2375443_6520124_n.jpg)
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/283106_2232357738515_1535050491_2375441_4070404_n.jpg)
Here’s the area I’m calling the Upper Yard
(http://a2.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-ash4/281373_2232357058498_1535050491_2375438_3250461_n.jpg)
The track to the lower right hand corner is where I intend to load my trains on to the track. The other two tracks continue along the Outer Loop and turn the corner. That’s where the Upper Yard becomes the Lower Yard. I sometimes surprise myself with ideas. This is one of them. The tracks were originally supposed to follow the mainline to the left. However, when I laid out the tracks, this made more sense. The upside of this arrangement is the natural walkway that forms from the end of the grass in to the middle of the layout. I’ve also created a planter to the right, which will make this a very scenic spot ( I hope).
(http://a3.sphotos.ak.fbcdn.net/hphotos-ak-snc6/285004_2232356098474_1535050491_2375434_4255125_n.jpg)
Today is August 1. This project (rebuilding the Millersvillanova) is officially 2 months old. I have until probably Wednesday to get this all finished up. Mark
That tropical drink sounds delicious! Railroad is lookin’ good!
Gary,
MB was working toward her “Wife of the Year” award yesterday. At about 3:30, she came out with MK so they could sit and watch me toil under a blistering sun (it was about 95 and pretty humid). She not only had a bottle of formula for Mary Kate, but two beers as well. A nice, cool Sam Adams Noble Pils. Ah, that hit the spot. About 20 minutes before I quit for the day, she had her hands full with both kids and was requesting ‘some kind of blender drink’. I just made it up on the spot. Tasted pretty good, although I think I was a bit heavy handed with the rum…not that anyone complained…
Work’s looking good Mark.
Thanks, Dave.
Today, I slept in late, so I only had time to ballast half the remaining track. The forecast calls for rain tomorrow, so I will finish up the railroad tonight when I get home so that the rain will help settle all the new works.
Update August 4. I am finished with the main lines and the yard tracks. I also installed the ‘run through’ track on the opposite side of the turntable. Now, all I need to do is run power feeders to the roundhouse tracks and that run through track (so that whatever power is sitting on it can be fired up without being connected to the turntable itself.
I am very excited and relieved that the railroad came together quickly and seems to be working well. Only 9 weeks until the big open house, so now I can turn my attention to making it look ‘pretty’.