Peanut Ridge

[FJ and G]

Peanut Ridge Underway (photos)

In photo #1 you can see Peanut Ridge shaping up. I named it b/c BB the beagle and I sit up on the ridge eating peanuts together. The ridge upon which the tracks run, is constructed with rocks, some weighing about 100 pounds. Fortunately, I have a pickup truck and include heavy deadlifting (heavy to me, that is) in my weightlifting routine. You can see the tracks heading towards the stream, which they will follow shortly. It ain’t all going that quickly b/c I’m handlaying the tracks (upon which remotely controlled O gauge toy trains run).

In photo 2 and 4 you can see some additional lakes I put in since last time. These are shallow and formed with concrete and cinder blocks, morticed together.

I planted additional trees, a native specie called virginiana juniper, one of which is shown here in photo 3. Really adds to the variety of the other trees. And scales out very well.

In photo 5 & 6 you can see the trackwork, freshly ballasted (ballast needs some brushing to remove excess).

Photos 7 & 8 show Peanut Ridge, which will be extended quite a bit up to a 6 foot long girder bridge. The sides of the ridge will be filled about half-way up with dirt and then scale ground cover will be planted. The reason for the ridge is so that the trackplan I’m using stays fairly level, as my backyard slopes.

[Anonymous]

Heee.. I like that name fpr the ridge. How about a 'Lake Eukanuba'?

Thanks for putting up the pics!

[John Busby]

Hi FG&J
Looking good all you need now is a steamer with a beagle on
the foot plate to keep the crew company[:D]
It sounds like break back ridge might be a better name for the ridge
going on size of some of those rocks.
regards John

[FJ and G]

Thanks guys, LOL.

Each week the area shapes up more. The abutments are ready to receive my nearly completed long girder span.

[Anonymous]

Dave
it looks like you been working on you rail road and keeping busy, thing are running good here to , pond finally clearing up. ben

[grandpopswalt]

Good Lord Dave, how many tons of rock (and fill) did you have delivered? But the results sure seem to be worth all your efforts. Really nice job.

Walt

[FJ and G]

It aint finished but to be honest, never had so much fun in my life. Ben, I'll be up your way in 2 weeks but may or may not stop by, as gotta go to NY to visit my sick mom; long story; she's near 80 and in bad health; will email U soon. Hope the flowers are bloomin in Pa.

Walt,

Fortunatly, at age 49, i've gotta strong back and a pickup truck.

Garden rrer's who ain't rich must have either a pickup truck or a wheelbarrow or both[:D][:D][:D][:D][:D][:D]

[SandyR]

David, is that bridge abutment what I think it is? One of those wall stones of cast concrete? It sure looks good...in fact, the whole railroad looks really good! There's enough rock around it so it doesn't look like a narrow, spindly affair being threatened by grass! It's taking on its own personality.
SandyR

[Ray Dunakin]

Looks good so far! I like the little trees. How are you making your girder bridge? I've just started one for my layout.

[FJ and G]

Sandy,

Yes and thanks!

Ray,

Here are the construction photos. I expect, if nothing unforseen happens, to complete the bridge this weekend and complete laying track on the ridge and on the bridge and perhaps do a test run with my battery R/C train across the bridge.

It will take some sweat equity but that's my goal.

Here are 2 construction photos. The last photo shows what it should look like after the HO rails are affixed to the girders and painted. I attach the rails with exterior silicon II by GE and once dry, I have been filling the gaps with Bondo and J.B. Weld and then using a dremel to smooth it up. The difference in bridge styles is that this girder bridge will not be the ballasted type like the last photo shows; and this is a one-track bridge. I'm starting on a third bridge, btw, which is about 4 feet long and uses a third method of construction.

Naturally, I will post all the photos ad nauseum for as much as you can stand [:D]

[bman36]

Hi David,
Nice progress! I always find it interesting to see what others put "under" everything. I totally agree about having a truck. I have an 81' Dodge that is very much put to use for the RR. I have owned several "pretty" trucks in the past. While this one is in really good shape, it came with overload springs and a trailer tow package. Lets just say it's an asset to building a Garden RR! Thanks for posting the pics! Later eh...Brian.

[vsmith]

Wow, Dave that is nice progress.

[FJ and G]

Thanks, guys,

Peanut Ridge got a second bridge Over Hound River Canyon

Yesterday was nice weather for laying track and building bridges. As BB the beagle gnawed away at a beef bone, work commenced at O dark thirty, with the final bridge abutment for the planned bridge across Hound River Canyon and a portion of Beagle Pond.

After the concrete was poured and water added to the mixture of Quickrete, something totally unexpected happened. The concrete mixture started moving! We’ll get back to that in a minute or two but let me first backtrack.

I thought the entire bridge project would come to a halt because the wood ties I glued to the 8-foot-long steel stop sign post with silicone started coming loose as I was spiking the ties (the sign was not stolen, btw #9786;).

So, since I do my best thinking when I’m eating, me and BB the beagle sat down atop Peanut Ridge, the two of us nibbling on salty peanuts and cogitating.

Then, the idea hit me. I will convert the girder bridge into a ballasted girder bridge using concrete to secure the ties and then top the concrete with ballast.

Back to work and the moving abutment.

So, the abutment started moving. What could this be?

Then out through the concrete ooze emerged two blinking eyes. A toad had been making its home in the excavated area that I’d left unfilled for a couple of weeks, trying to decide the exact placement.

I quickly grabbed the toad and dunked to poor critter into Beagle Pond and sent him hopping on his merry way. Sure home he will be alright!

Well, to make a long story short, I finished the bridge and mounted it up on the abutments. As I was adjusting the abutment, the bridge collapsed, sending 4 freight cars I’d placed atop it straight into Beagle Pond. Thankfully, there was no locomotive there at the time!

While fishing the cars out, I noticed bird feathers. Later in the day, I spotted some small birds perched on the island in Beagle Pond (built so amphibians can escape and not drown), and washing themselves.

One the bridge was in place and the rest of the track atop Peanut Ridge laid, I decided to test run with my R/C-powered SD-45 and several cars (I’ve been laying track and landscaping so I won’t show the ugly trailing battery car with wires everywhere, but eventually, I’ll do a nice battery car).

First item was to get the train out of its 12-foot-long shed/warehouse. Out it came with its small train heading up the gentle sloping 1% Peanut Ridge. But it couldn’t make it up the grade!

I finally figured out that after many, many hours of running, the battery had lost its charge. Fortunately, I had another recharged battery and the train sprang to life, running atop the ridge without even the slightest hesitation and crossing safely the long bridge over Hound River Canyon.

-------------
Visiting my parents next weekend, so further construction will be temporarily halted for a couple weeks before I show more progress. I know, progress is slow, but at least it’s steady!

[Train 284]

Looking great Dave! Keep up the good work!

[Ray Dunakin]

Looking great! That long plate girder bridge is terrific, I've always loved the way they look. Did you make the sides from hammered copper pipe, like the previous one?

Where did you get your spikes? I desperately need some so I can lay the rails on my new bridge.

I see your four-legged construction foreman is keeping a close eye on the work crew! Real sweet dogs, beagles.

[FJ and G]

Thanks, guys,

Ray,

I get my spikes (medium size) from BKS:

http://www.troutcreekeng.com/bks.html

However, I'm modeling O scale outdoors. At 8 feet long, the bridge is 384 feet long in 1:1. I'm gonna do a Web search to see if any girder bridges are actually that long without supporting columns in the center.

As you can see from the underside, the structural integrity for the bridge is a stop sign square post.

Treated wood then sandwiches the stop sign and the outer layer is a metal roofing trim piece that cost about $3 at HD each. I used a metal chop saw blade on my table saw to cut it. Sparks flew out about 5 feet. I've since purchased a band saw and metal cutting blade b/c I think it would be safer, as I didn't really feel comfortable doing it with the table saw.

The hammered copper pipe worked well too. I just decided to try a different construction technique. The third bridge will use yet another technique. It's just fun learning to use different materials!

[Ray Dunakin]

Thanks David. I didn't realize yours was O scale -- it looks so big in the photos!

I finally found a place online last night that has spikes and tie plates for 332 rail, so I should be receiving those things soon.

I like your idea of using something solid for structural support, with the sides of the bridge as basically a facade.

I ended up using 1/8" thick G10 fiberglass to make my bridge. It's so tough I could probably stand on it without bending it.