Spring's Coming! What Preparations Are You Making?

[Anonymous]

Hello folks! I wonder into the Garden Railways Forums from time to time to read various topics and subsequent replies as they relate to outdoor railroading.

I'm wondering, with Spring just around the corner, what preparations will you be undertaking to begin yet another year of garden railroading? For those of you in warmer climates, have you already begun operating? Would be interesting to read your replies. Thanks!

[Anonymous]

Work more hours in hopes of buying some stuff to get started.NEED$$$$$

[Anonymous]

1. General clean up of winter limbs branches leaves
2. Some new ballast in low parts of track from winter storm washouts.
3. Clean out the pond. (ugh) The gold fish look fine even though pond was frozen solid for a month or more.
4. Plant new plants (later)
5. Place new buildings
6. Rebuild the "main highway" with lots of pot holes
Finally Run some trains. But hey maybe that will be the first thing.

Tom in DE

[Marty Cozad]

Mr Chief
I had to think on this one. The RR was only down for 3 weeks cause we could not find tunnel #1 cause of snow. Alittle ballast and telephone pole work, oh YA ,,,mole hunts have started. And waiting for the weeds to start. We run at less twice a week if not more. May only be for 15 mins but thats ok. heres the newest coal train photo.
***I wanted to change this photo out. It was sunny and in the 40s today, beautiful out so i had gloves on and cleaned the ditch to the left of the main and this is Neb juct where the MOW hang out during the summer.


I like to run trains while doing MOW on the RR.

Keeping ditches open is important during rainy season. This line (with concrete roadbed) has not been moved in 4 years other than making the siding long and adding #6 switches to allow larger engines to park on during open houses
Here in Nebraska we do whatever it takes to,,,,"KEEP THE LINE OPEN"
Fun,,HA????Haven't you heard? GRRing is a winter sport!!![;)]

[vsmith]

Well after a lot of rain and being busy every weekend, I finally have to get out into the yard and mow the grass and clear out the weeks that have grown in my abandoned planters. So i get out there last weekend start mowing and 2 minutes into it i hit something and bust the mover something good, take it to the repair guy and he says its too old and he cant get parts for it, swell! Well one new mower later i got the yard mowed today, then spent the next 6 hours clearing weeds from the unused parts of the yard that we've been ignoring since thanksgiving. 8 bags of weeds later I am crouching in pain looking at that area and wondering "Why didnt I just put my garden RR there anyway? The wife's studio is not going to be built in the next year, why dont I just put "something" down and use that space. I looks like hell now, why not plant it? It can always be removed later? right?

[Anonymous]

The ice and snow are just now melting off the layout but the temps are still only in the 40s not much warmer than your refrigerator. I can see a lot of winter trash (sticks and leaves) that will need to be cleand up but the track looks like its ready to go another season. I bought a bunch of flower bulbs the other day and will plant them when the ground thaws out and warms up a bit.
I still have a few things to finish from the HoneyDoList by then it will be warmer and time to play trains.

Lets hear it for spring.....OLD DAD

[bman36]

Hey all,
Well lets see...Almost time to put the dog sled away. The Huskies are anxious to shut er' down for summer here. I can finally see out the second story windows which is a plus so soon it will be time to think about dismantling the igloo on my roof. The Polar Bears never got any of us this year far as I can tell but we'll see who is left when it all melts. Seal hunting was down since we could'nt find the lake under the snow but plan on resuming hunting when it melts enough. Good thing it was a mild winter with less than average snowfall. Should get to run trains by August 15th. or so but back to shovelling by mid September. [D)] Hey Vic...any room at your house? I'll bring my stuff and we'll set it up in the empty space you have there. Wish you all were here! Later eh...Brian.

[vsmith]

Sure bring it all down only dont let my wife see it, she's still pretty possesive about that plot of yard.[(-D]

[pbjwilson]

I just brought my trains in from my ice shanty. I built an around the walls set up in my shanty to keep me entertained while the fish were'nt biting. Speared a sturgeon a couple weeks ago and while hauling him in my NW-2 went into the drink. Oh well, it was worth it those sturgeons are fun to bring in.

[Anonymous]

I been cleaning the leaves up and re filling the ballast under the tracks , put my buildings out and i ran a few engines to check the tracks, almost ready , but today it's snowing????? it's almost spring. ben
Pa.

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by pbjwilson

I just brought my trains in from my ice shanty. I built an around the walls set up in my shanty to keep me entertained while the fish were'nt biting. Speared a sturgeon a couple weeks ago and while hauling him in my NW-2 went into the drink. Oh well, it was worth it those sturgeons are fun to bring in.

So next winter we'll here on the news about a sturgeon that was caught in your lake being cleaned and they found a NW-2 inside? [(-D]Too funny![(-D][(-D][(-D]

[Kiwi Down Under]

Gee, at times I wished I lived in the USA because you can buy loco's etc very cheap, but looking at what you have to put up with, snow, very cold climates, even some of the animals burrow in the ground.

I am lucky after all living in Hobbitsville, where winter is wet, and summer should be dry. None of this moving track because of the cold ground ( perma frost), no snow flurries, no twisters, no gophers, no skunks and no snakes..

Given all your problems have you ever thought of emigrating to a more model train user friendly country where you can operate your outside train all year round, if its not raining that is.?

[vsmith]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Gscalechuffchuff

Gee, at times I wished I lived in the USA because you can buy loco's etc very cheap, but looking at what you have to put up with, snow, very cold climates, even some of the animals burrow in the ground.

I am lucky after all living in Hobbitsville, where winter is wet, and summer should be dry. None of this moving track because of the cold ground ( perma frost), no snow flurries, no twisters, no gophers, no skunks and no snakes..

Given all your problems have you ever thought of emigrating to a more model train user friendly country where you can operate your outside train all year round, if its not raining that is.?

Kiwi-land would be a nice choice until i heard about the proposed 500 foot high statue of Peter Jackson straddling the entry to Wellington harbor like the ancient Collosus of Rhodes. He's holding the 57 oscars he won in his left arm and his right arm is holding up a little Elijah Wood! Just remember, At 500 feet high that would make the statue about 400 feet wide and Jackson always weres shorts, I think he wore shorts with his Tux to the Academy Awards, so when your in the boat coming into the the harbor and you pass between the legs of the Godzilla sized statue, for goodness sakes whatever you do,
DONT LOOK UP!!!

[bman36]

Vic,
Only you would come up with that! Hey I like living in The Great White North! Never a dull moment. This way you all can laugh at our climate while I freeze playing with trains. BTW Vic, I need to know the size of that space in your yard so I can draw up my track plan. Don't worry about your wife seeing us out there, my wife will take her shopping! Now where is my track template? Oh yeah...buried under the snow. Later eh...Brian.

[emipapa]

A Happy Saint Patricks Day to ALL and now to answer the question.
I was hoping to remove 3 trees within the next 3 to 5 day so I could start construction of my Garden Railroad but MOTHER NATURE has an other IDEA for us in the NORTHEAST and it is very simple "SHOVEL MORE SNOW" and prepair for even MORE SNOW on Friday March 19th. Hope everyone has a GREAT DAY.
Emipapa

[bman36]

emipapa,
Happy St. Patty's Day to you as well! It has been a rough year for snow all right. Here in Manitoba we received more snow in January than all of the last 3 winters combined! This has gotta' end soon. [banghead] I want to get out there along with all the rest of us who's railways are buried! [sigh] Hmmmm, maybe big heat lamps will work. Off to Home Depot. Later eh...Brian.

[emipapa]

bman36
Good Afternoon,
The Saint Patricks Day 6 to 8" of the white stuff is now melting and now the forcast is for another 3 to 6" tomorrow. I think we will be clearing snow off the streets for the 4th of July Parade. I and SICK of this WHITE STUFF.
Emipapa

[Anonymous]

Hi
Well Autum actualy time for me to go to the tool shed and dig out the tools for more heavy engineering and bit of ballasting try and bring a bit of life back into the garden
and play trains winter temps ar not too bad where I am but summer is time for air conditioning and what in other countries and other states of Australia even other parts of the state live would be the winter modeling projects
regards John.