Large Scale Central

The P.B.R.R. takes off

Modeling
#1

Made it home from Iraq the 18th of January, and started a business, but the rest is better told with pictures. This is an area 30’X20’, with 146 feet of track. There are plans for expansion alreay (wife approved once she saw this) for a town area. after 7 yards of dirt

Rough in shape for the track plan

sandstone landscaping stone and roadbed material (not an easy find, by the way)

Getting a short spur for timber ready

The sawmill area roughed in (the structure is underway as well). The double track is the only passing siding available, and is flat. Grades do not exceed 3%. The passing siding will also be home of the water tank and coal tower. This is of course only the beginning, as most of you long time modelers know.

and a couple of overview shots

#2

Wow, looks like some serious work. Elevating it like that is a darned good idea!

#3
Jerry Barnes said:
Wow, looks like some serious work. Elevating it like that is a darned good idea!
I am 50, and the knees and back don't do ground level too well, so it seems like the right thing to do. It was a busy few weekends, but that tractor save me alot of pain to be sure.
#4

Don,
Good to see you’re stateside and working on your GRR.
Having the right equipment sure saves your back :wink:
Ralph

#5

The weather is a blessing too. We have every bit of a week of snow in a bad year, and these last few weekends have been in the mid 50’s to 70’s so i am out and working on the line, and already running an occasional freight (and Thomas for the youngest of course). I have the trestles and bridge in the works as well as a couple of structures, so am staying busy with it, and enjoying every minute of it with the family.

#6

Don glad you made it back home, and your layout is starting to take shape!! Keep the pictures coming, and keep up the good work!! Regal

#7

A track mini excavator with an enclosed cab is mighty fancy! Nice to have power equipment.

-Brian

#8

Don welcome home.
Railroad looks great keep up the nice work.

#9

Welcome home with a thanks. Great looking start. Yea that excavator would be nice

#10

Welcome home and glad you made it back safe. Good to see you posting and getting that layout going. Layout is looking great and a nice track plan for a logging operation. I have some improvments to do with mine if this snow ever melts. Weather has been nice though. This is my layout still LOL two weeks agao that green bench was just about burried. LOL I tried digging out the tracks some

(http://i49.tinypic.com/j14spy.jpg)

#11

Don,

WELCOME HOME! I bet you are glad to be playing in USA dirt? Thanks for the pictures. Looks like you’ve got a good plan.

#12

Don, nice work on the layout…

Thank you for your service…
Welcome Home…

#13

Welcome home. Looks like a great start to your RR. Lot better than sand you were messing with. Later RJD

#14

Welcome Home Don!!! Thanks for your service to this country and for the freedom we all enjoy. The railroad is looking great. Keep up the great work.

Chuck

#15

Welcome home sir!
Nice RR and what business did you venture into if I may ask?

#16

Welcome home and thanks for serving Don. Aside from the trains you’ve got a seriously cool toy there to play in the dirt!!! The layout looks great and your progress is astoundingly quick.
Dave

#17

(http://www.moviemobsters.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/07/gollum.jpg)

Man, youz guys with all that empty land makes mez sooo jealousss

#18

Vic I’ll lease you some of mine. No cost except you do the ground keeping. :wink:

#19
David Russell said:
Welcome home sir! Nice RR and what business did you venture into if I may ask?
Sorry for the tardy reply. I have a couple of trucks with bottom dump trailers. It is still slow, but they are paid for so I am not challenged like most. Sir? that is a bit of a stretch!

The little excavator has paid for itself many time both in side jobs, and saving some of the shovel work. I use the push-blade on it all the time, and have a few ‘friends’ because of it.

As far as progress, I got a bit more done to the sawmill, and should have a few pictures ready for posting possibly tomorrow.

Thanks to all for the positive comments. It has been a great start, and my boys are getting into the swing of their respective ‘business ventures’ (a mine and a sawmill). I have a (very low budget build) track cleaning car on the workbench that I will have the construction process ready for posting as well, assuming it is successful anyway. That whole clean-the-track-after-watering is way over rated, but an evil necessity in this climate. The trees are english boxwood, and are doing well. I planted several more in my wife’s rosebed in their containers to keep until I am a bit farther along in the dirt work. Dwarf Spruce are hard to come by in our area it seems. I will hopefully have some of them in hand before summers gets going on us here.

#20
Don Pearson said:
David Russell said:
Welcome home sir! Nice RR and what business did you venture into if I may ask?
Sorry for the tardy reply. I have a couple of trucks with bottom dump trailers. It is still slow, but they are paid for so I am not challenged like most. Sir? that is a bit of a stretch!

The little excavator has paid for itself many time both in side jobs, and saving some of the shovel work. I use the push-blade on it all the time, and have a few ‘friends’ because of it.

As far as progress, I got a bit more done to the sawmill, and should have a few pictures ready for posting possibly tomorrow.

Thanks to all for the positive comments. It has been a great start, and my boys are getting into the swing of their respective ‘business ventures’ (a mine and a sawmill). I have a (very low budget build) track cleaning car on the workbench that I will have the construction process ready for posting as well, assuming it is successful anyway. That whole clean-the-track-after-watering is way over rated, but an evil necessity in this climate. The trees are english boxwood, and are doing well. I planted several more in my wife’s rosebed in their containers to keep until I am a bit farther along in the dirt work. Dwarf Spruce are hard to come by in our area it seems. I will hopefully have some of them in hand before summers gets going on us here.


I bet it feels good to finally get the RR going. Cant wait for update pictures.