Referencing back to Mr. Russell’s “buggy comment”, I took your posting to be of our layouts this Spring. I’ll try to drag out the buggy to do some test runs. Right now it sits in the Engine Service Facility at “Southern.”
Ric I’d really like to see more pics of your operation! All we get are little glimpses
Ric Golding said:
Mike, Do you have pictures of this area? We have a lot of areas around here (not in our yard) in natural prairie grass and amazed as to how tall it can get, if not harvested each year. Old accounts reference to it being over 6 feet tall. Out for a bike ride yesterday and saw dead stalks on top with new green growth further down in the stalk, but brown on the top foot. Lightning and prairie fires kept it under control. And there are even controlled burns in some of these areas, today.
Ric: we were inspired by a really great book called “the Eastern Woodland Garden” which argued, as you might expect, for making a garden that looked like the native woodlands
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/lownote/_forumfiles/natives.jpg)
We’re still working on it. There are a few different kinds of natives trees–my favorite is the little one in the foreground, called “ironwood.” There are Virginia bluebells, past their peak, and I forget what the yellow flower is–my wife calls is Marsh Mallow, but I don’t think that’s right. There are some yellow wood poppies, and a great plant called the “white wood aster” which gets lots of white flowers in the fall. We really like a plant called “fothergilla”, which turs spectacular colors in the Fall and gets spring flowers. The white flowering business on the left is a viburnum. We’ve neglected it because there’s a lot of construction going on in the lot behind us–the County is rebuilding a school and public library branch. Where’s Brian on this? He’d know what’s what around here. The prairie would be a really interesting thing to garden. I’ve read those stories of grass so high you needed to be on horseback to get through it.
We have what they call “broom straw” in a clearing on the upper end of the property. I’ve seen it about 5 foot tall.
I’m sure it would get higher, but we have had drought conditions for nearly 10 years.
Another nice spot for a railroad. It would have to be battery powered though. It’s about 1500 feet from my power.
Mike, I like your native garden. I have many of these plants also. They truly are native, as we didn’t buy them.
If my wife was home, I could tell you what the yellow flowering plant is.
I do well to remember people’s names…plant names, not likely 
Ralph
Mike,
As things progress this weekend my plan is to shoot some pictures. Of course, this is my plan at every session. 
Over the last coupleof years, I have worked to help set up a car card operations that Andy C., his spouse Jane and a couple of othe HO guys operate every Friday night. It has been interesting and very educating. I have already felt the influence it has had on how I look at our ops on the KVRwy.
As far as modeling the prairie, all I’d have to do this time of year is not cut the grass for 3 weeks and I’d have scale horse high grass.
Ric,
You could set-up a few video cams and record the whole session. Could make for some interesting audio, too. 
:lol:
For those of you wanting more info about our Ops Sessions, there are quite a few articles written. They are all preserved in Bob’s “Article” section. Probably more info than you want. The Ops Sessions are held the first weekend of May and the first weekend of November. For variety, the Fall Session includes a live steam table connected into the line. This is left out for the Spring Ops.
“Running on the Kaskaskia Valley Railway” by Bart Salmons.
http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=67
“History of Operations in Large Scale” by Doug Matheson and Ric Golding
http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=66
“Solutions for your Operating Crews” by Ric Golding
http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=65
“History and Construction Log of the Kaskaskia Valley Railway” by Ric Golding
http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/view.php?id=53
There is a lot more info in the archives here. Just search on “Operations”. I think you will find quite a bit. We continue to use the software “RailOPs”. You can find more info on it at
and find it to work real well for outside Operations. It also is a great inventory and car location list program and has greatly improved our enjoyment. Obvioulsy more to be posted during and after this weekend. Check out the Operations portion of this site -
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewforum.php?id=8
and the “Convention,Shows and Clubs” portion of this site -
http://www.largescalecentral.com/LSCForums/viewtopic.php?id=11057
As the guy on the tube says, “Stayed tuned more info at ten”.
Thanks Ric, I checked some of those out. What a great layout! It has a lot of the same quality as Jim Strong’s Woodland railway in MD–it looks like it’s been there for a while and so everything that’s been there looks like it fits and like it works–it looks “right.”
Thanks, Mike. I’m aware of Jim Strong’s layout and I don’t think our layout is of that caliber. But I’m sure enjoying the thought. First track was layed in the Winter of 96/97. It has evolved and it is still a lot of fun.
Ric,
I enjoyed the construction log. The RailOps screen shot does a great job of connecting the photos.
Hope you have some nice weather this weekend.
Ralph
I am running trains today. Have to take a break from the RR construction every now and then.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR006Medium.jpg)
The siding on the right for the passenger station still needs some grading on the lower end.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR010Medium.jpg)
This is a pretty steep grade. This early Big Hauler is limited to much shorter consists than an Annie.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR015Medium.jpg)
A few more shots.
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR016Medium.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR021Medium.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR017Medium.jpg)
Looks good Ralph
Ric…I was referring to the buggy pics taken at the ECLS road trip this year.
Great shots Ralph. Ric thanks for those links I enjoyed looking through your photos. I wish you guys lived closer so I can come out and visit for a day.
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/Spring%2009/0904270010a.jpg)
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/Spring%2009/0904270011a.jpg)
(http://i253.photobucket.com/albums/hh58/rgseng/Spring%2009/0904270014a.jpg)
Great looking building in the background, ken–what is that?
Mike, I think that Ken’s next question would be… “in which picture??”"
mike omalley said:Well, Mike, if your referring to the 2nd pic, those buildings represent Mills Manufacturing and Mining Co. with it's associated orebins and manufacturing building. The manu. building is a CMS structure. The orebins are scratchbuilt as is the engine house.
Great looking building in the background, ken--what is that?
In the 3rd pic that building is the engine house.
Ken, Deores Station looks good. The engine house looks huge behind it. I hope to start on my Depot this weekend. Ralph
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR023Medium.jpg)
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/cabby/_forumfiles/PVRR024Medium.jpg)
Thanx. Eventually I’d like to build something like this for Delores, but the one their now will have to do. Besides, it was cute and the price was right…
