Thank you.
Got three in, and am going to call it a day, at least in terms of “labor.” May actually run some trains, although there is an extensive honey-do list awaiting me, both inside and outside.
I just received some clamps from Hillman this week. So Hillman is up and producing products. Alan told me that the website is being worked on and will be up and running as quick as possible.
Ron
Time to liven up this section!
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/smokevalley/_forumfiles/MVC-028S.JPG)
This is what is looked like a few years ago. NOw during the Convention openhouse the K-27 kept hoping to the ground and other rod Locos had problems! Due to settlement and to many s curves!
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/smokevalley/_forumfiles/MVC-927S.JPG)
Here where I am today, I have removed track and ‘Trex’ board and sand/dirt with rocks and started all over again. You will note a level is present. And I am using full width material and joint blocks and lots of nice long screws!
(http://www.lscdata.com/users/smokevalley/_forumfiles/MVC-936S.JPG)
An overall view, I hope to be able to run the K-27 without problems, even before the new grea box. Note that of course the Shays and other greaed locos never had problems.
In my neck of the woods temperatures rarely go over 85F and below 35F so my track does not suffer from a great variance of expansion.
My experience of 1:1 railroads and when dealing with lineside grass and woodland fires is that ballast does attract and retain heat a great deal of heat. It always seemed noticeable that the ROW was some 20F higher than areas slightly away from it.
It crosses my mind that as garden railroaders we may increase our ROW heat issues by too much ballast and the placing of pavers, bricks, concrete and similar too close to the track bed. (Ask any small dog how much hotter it is down on the sidewalk where he is breathing than up where his master/mistress breathes. lol)
Just a thought folks.