Finally have enough track gathered to build the initial loop of the Sprite Valley Railroad. Everything changed since my initial concept, including the location. Our home has a circular driveway in front, with an island of land in the middle of it. In the center of the island is a thirty-five foot long, eight foot wide mound about three feet tall. The initial loop will be a forty foot long eleven foot wide oval around the mound. From there I can branch out to fill in area. I’ll start laying out track tomorrow. Photos of progress then.
Got most of the loop roughed in. Just waiting on the mailman to bring a package of track to finish up. Eventually, this will all be on pavers laid into the ground. Right now, I'm going to put in some temporary ballast.
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Did run into an unexpected rock outcropping in the way of the planned track route. Thought we might have to dynamite it. Fortunately, I was able to pick it up and move it...
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Gap in the track waiting on the mailman.
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a two yard wait…
got your golden spike ready?
Ah, you may want to rethink those S curves.
David Maynard said:
Ah, you may want to rethink those S curves.
I think what Maynard is saying is if you plan on running any locomotive longer than a short switcher, like a Stainz, or any cars longer than a short ore car, you won’t make it through those curves. Also, what’s gonna happen when the LSC fellas drop by to run their three-truck Shays and 2-6-6-2s, not to mention the PA locos with heavyweights in tow?
Also, I think it’s great you have track down and are getting ready to run. Don’t forget to take some video of your first run and let us see it! (And remember that all ballast is temporary!)
edit…and by the way, are those gnomes members in good standing with the Brotherhood of Locomotive Engineers and Trainmen?
Right now, I’ll be running short stuff. Eventually, those shorter curves will be changed. Before I buy any big stuff, I’ll be running a long run with wide curves around the perimeter of the yard.
As far as the gnomes, I don’t want to ask them. One of them has a shotgun.
The rest of the track arrived, so I’ll finish it tomorrow.
Oh, and the ballast is just temporary, like the layout of the short curves. Before too long, the wife and I will be laying proper block for it to ride on.
Street side of track is ballasted. Just have the house side to do, and two more bags of rock left to do it with. Hoping it’ll be enough, since the house side is pretty level. Only backed into the Pyracantha bushes twice - Yeeeowch!
Great progress. You must be having the nice fall weather that we are having.
I had one wide S curve on the big layout and I even took that out.
I got tired of putting trains back on the tracks!
The growing outskirts of Spriteville...
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