Large Scale Central

So it begins, new Garden Railroad 2013

Gardening
#1

I figured I would post all my soon to be happening progress here!

We (my girlfriend and I ) should be getting started this weekend with at least getting my bridge setup over my koi pond and re-doing the netting covering it so it will not only look a little nicer but will be easier to remove for when we have guests over and want to hang out in the yard.

I decided I can’t get rid of the netting entirely that covers the pond due to the MANY hawks and Herons that are in my area…the pleasures of living right next to our major airport & the bay!

We had all of the sod removed from our side yard that will be used for the trains and just had a layer of mulch put down for now to help keep the dust/dirt in place.

Thats all for now!

Hopefully will be adding pictures as we go, still deciding how I want to do the roadbed also…decisions decisions!

#2

I never thought about birds getting the fish. I want to add a pond and was debating adding fish to it. I think I’ll just have running water.

You really are starting a major project and going at it big. It will be great when it’s done. Never saw anyone pull up all the sod like that!

#3

I hate grass, luckily this yard is smaller then at my previous house so it is a bit more manageable.

But I still wouldn’t mind having it all ripped up and just cementing it all and never have to worry about it!

#4

Joe Paonessa said:

I never thought about birds getting the fish. I want to add a pond and was debating adding fish to it. I think I’ll just have running water.

You really are starting a major project and going at it big. It will be great when it’s done. Never saw anyone pull up all the sod like that!

Running water is enough, less mess; let someone else feed the birds. Neighbour up the road had kois for two weeks, that was enough.

:slight_smile:

#5

Those are pretty fish! How deep is the pond? If it’s deep enough the fish will stay out of sight for the most part. Especially if you grow some water lilies in the pond.

#6

The pond is only 2’ deep, Blue Herons can actually walk right in and go shopping for there dinner if they want! (caught one doing it a few years ago)

I would like to have a lot of water lilies in the pond, only one problem…the Koi absolutely destroy any plant I put in there.

I spend about $200 a season buying water lilies and other various floating plants and I don’t think any have survived longer then a week. They just rip them to shreds!

#7

I’d be spreading forgetmenot seeds all over that bare ground ASAP before the weeds get to it, because they LOVE any kind of bare ground, and can smell it a mile off. Once you’ve got a protective cover of Forgetmenots you can easily control whatever your next stage will be.

I’m also all for getting your track well up above ground level, say to about 30", and deciding whether you are a point-to-pointer or a roundy-roundy kind of guy. I had to make the big switch to point-to-point after the grandkids outgrew the roundy-roundies and I realized how bored I was with the tail chasing out there.

I had a big Italian gardens style pond at my old place, with koi. Today I happily settle for ‘fake’ streams - dry gulches with round pebbles and ZERO maintenance or other hassles. Gives me more time to play with my big trainset!

My 2c., FWIW

#8

I picked up (3) packages of this edging material from Lowe’s today:

http://www.lowes.com/pd_6015-215-MS06200_0__?productId=3438352&Ntt=landscape+edging&pl=1

It’s a bit on the expensive side but I think it will work really well with how I am going to do the roadbed for my track.

I will find out this weekend!

#9

Joe Paonessa said:

I never thought about birds getting the fish. I want to add a pond and was debating adding fish to it. I think I’ll just have running water.

You really are starting a major project and going at it big. It will be great when it’s done. Never saw anyone pull up all the sod like that!

To keep the Koi out of the plants, you need to pot them in them plastic mesh pots. We have quite a few plants in our pond and the Koi leave those alone once we figured out the pot to use. You need to use about 2 sizes bigger than what you would normally use so the roots have plenty of room. That way, what roots do get out of the pot, the Koi eat and it helps control the size of the plant. To keep the egrets and Herons away, get one of those life size Herons that garden centers have. Since Herons are territorial, they won’t come if they see one already there. You have to move it every couple of weeks, otherwise they will finally figure out it’s not real. Our biggest problem last year and this year is Copperhead snakes have taken a liking to the frogs that live in our bond. the fish are too big, but they love the small frogs.

#10

So I stopped by my local stone/mulch wholesaler today to see what they had for some crushed stone to use for the roadbed.

They had 3/8 crushed pea stone which looked pretty decent but what I found and kind of liked a bit better was 3/8 crushed blue stone.

It had a sharper cut edge to it that looks like it would hold in place much better, and it looked really nice. I will be taking a trip back there tomorrow with some plastic containers and grabbing which ever one we both can decide on.

They did have a very nice looking fine crushed stone (forget what they called it but it was similar to stone dust in size), it would look the most realistic and I am tempted to try it but I have had very poor results in the past with using such a fine rock…it usually washes away after a season.

#11

Well, being a simple kind of guy, I avoid ballast altogether as well, because AFAIC it’s more trouble than it’s worth. Some kind of heretic! If you’re going to have ballast, more unasked-for advice here, keep it angular, dust free, and in at the very least 1/4" chunks. Smaller than that and it’ll wash away and/or foul up your switches. I’ve found that track laid at dirt level, but on concrete pavers, has very little tendency to shift. Moreover the pavers don’t permit weeds to grow on the right of way, which for a lazy guy like myself is a huge plus. I have pretty much eliminated weeds altogether, as I have wrotten about elsewhere on this forum.

But as I said, nowadays I have my track above ground level, good and high, either on raised sections of landscape or on benchwork.

I’m way more interested in good operations than scenery, nowadays. It’s a big change from the way I used to was.

Cheers, Vincent, and good luck to you, whichever way you go!

#12

Vincent D’Agostino said:

…They had 3/8 crushed pea stone which looked pretty decent but what I found and kind of liked a bit better was 3/8 crushed blue stone.

It had a sharper cut edge to it that looks like it would hold in place much better, and it looked really nice…

It’s true, ballast is a pain but I love the look/compliments. I don’t know what they use to seal-coat your streets around your neck of the woods but here they use a blue/gray stone with lots of sharp edges. I went to the gravel company that supplyed it to the city to see if I could buy some…He pointed me to a mountain of it and said “help yourself”!

Of course it did require a fair amount of restoration this Spring, but in total it took me a couple hours to add more ballast. Best picture I could find…

(http://i273.photobucket.com/albums/jj222/Noble_Dreg/Ballast1.jpg)

#13

See if they have 1/8" RICE STONE !

No pee stone, too round, moves around to much, you want some square/sharp edges so they bind together!

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/DSCN1243640x480.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/DSCN0017jpg-1.jpg)

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/RDCs2012spring015jpg-1.jpg)

#14

I used to use 3/8 inch minus crushed basalt rock as my ballast, but found that the “minus” got into everything.

Now, I use a 1/4 inch welded wire screen (hardware cloth) to separate out the “minus” and just use the 1/4 - 3/8 inch basalt that is left as the ballast. I did that because I realized that the 1:1 guys did not use any “minus” in their ballast, and they must know something after all these years.

It works great. Nothing gets caught in the turnout points, anymore. I use the “minus” for automobile road beds.

I will soon run out of 3/8 inch minus and will just get 3/8 inch crushed basalt.

I use the crushed rock because it locks together. Pea gravel from stream beds makes lousy ballast because a rain drop will wash it away.

#15

Sean McGillicuddy said:

See if the have 1/8" RICE STONE !

(http://i234.photobucket.com/albums/ee259/smcgill_pics/DSCN0017jpg-1.jpg)

The small stone in this picture looks exactly like the small stone that my dealer has, I may use it just as a top dressing and go with the 3/8" blue stone for the roadbed.

#16

Steve Featherkile said:

Pea gravel from stream beds makes lousy ballast because a rain drop will wash it away.

The Pea stone my dealer has is not rounded (like most are), they list it as crushed Pea Stone and it has jagged sharp edges.

Just not sure if I want that or the Blue Stone…

#17

Vincent D’Agostino said:

Steve Featherkile said:

Pea gravel from stream beds makes lousy ballast because a rain drop will wash it away.

The Pea stone my dealer has is not rounded (like most are), they list it as crushed Pea Stone and it has jagged sharp edges.

Just not sure if I want that or the Blue Stone…

I apologize, Vincent, I realize that you meant crushed Pea Stone. I was just making a general statement about Pea Gravel for someone who might read this a few weeks from now who might not know the difference.

For that un-named noob, pea gravel are (is) small, rounded stone of about 1/4 - 3/8 inch diameter found in stream beds. Pea gravel gets its name from its size, that of a pea. It gets its shape from centuries of being beat up by water. It rolls easily.

Crushed gravel has sharp edges, and locks together easily. once locked, it ain’t going anywhere. Go take a look at the nearest railroad roadbed. That is crushed rock.

#18

I was once that noob who didn’t know about pea gravel. I bought some because my wife like the color. :slight_smile:

#19

Steve Featherkile said:

I bought some because my wife like the color. :slight_smile:

Isn’t that pretty much why we buy anything!

#20

Can’t wait to get started tomorrow!

Weather forecast is for clear skies with temps in the high 70’s!