Not sure if this should go here, or in Track & Roadbed, but this category needs some activity, so it’s here. The last 14 months have seen significant improvements in the outdoor railroad. In early 2005 building a Wye and crossing a slate walkway were just ideas in my head, and a garden hose in the dirt… [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-B4-01-1280.jpg]
[/url] Early Spring 2005 - WALK Junction is being planned - Click Photo to Enlarge - Within a few months I learned all about cutting slate and pouring a concrete crossing. This is what it looked like by mid summer last year… [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-B4-02-1280.jpg]
[/url] Summer 2005 - WALK Junction is operational - Click Photo to Enlarge - A month or so later the Wye tails were complete and the grass was coming in… [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-B4-03-1024.jpg]
[/url] Early Fall 2005 - WALK Junction up close - Click Photo to Enlarge - Growing that grass and the frequent watering pointed out a serious drainage problem at Walk Junction. This spring I had to dig the rails out from under the mud. I couldn’t raise the rail height because of the cement crossing, so some type of drainage project was required. What I ended up with was not planned, I just started playing with concrete and PVC pipe. The resulting catch basin and culverts proved their value when the concrete was barely hard and we got 2" of rain. [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-01-1024.jpg]
[/url] Summer 2005 - WALK Drainage project catch basins and water ways - Click Photo to Enlarge - Along the way I decided to finally landscape this small plot of dirt. We put in a few bellflower, some small boxwoods, and lots of rusty old railroad junk 
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[/url] Wide view of WALK Drainage project - Click Photo to Enlarge - The part I’m proudest of are the dry stack walls of the detention pond. I’ve never worked with dry stone before and was amazed at how well things came together… [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-03-1024.jpg]
[/url] WALK Junction Rust Garden & Detention Pond - Click Photo to Enlarge - Last fall I dry laid a short flagstone walk to lead guests through the garden and operators to the control points of the Wye. This year I changed (most of) the border to stone and added some tie plates spaced for 36" rail along each side… [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-04-1024.jpg]
[/url] Who stole the narrow gauge rail?- Click Photo to Enlarge - This entire project took about 3 weeks working evenings and weekends in between rain storms. I’m quite happy with how it turned out. Perhaps a few more plants, but when compared to the Spring 05 pictures this area is 1000% improved. [url=jon.barnbeckplace.com/Walk-05-1024.jpg]
[/url] Northbound view of Rust Garden & Detention Pond - Click Photo to Enlarge - Now to run some trains. JR