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Finally a start

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  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Western, NY
  • 245 posts
Posted by enginear on Monday, August 23, 2010 9:39 AM

Thanks guys! One neighbor left his wife and her son declined my offer to help fix the fence. Opposite her, that neighbor is...... He actually parked his riding mower in front of the guy's tractor digging post holes????? He decided to move it when the guy's started questioning why?? These guys were big! and he mad them mad......... 

  I said, that's what I go through daily. Sadly, fences are needed for many reasons like this. Joe

  • Member since
    June 2006
  • From: Oakley Ca
  • 1,407 posts
Posted by dwbeckett on Monday, August 23, 2010 8:35 AM

I agree with trying to get your neighbor to pay for half, I offered mine a deal. We did all the labor and haul away of our old fence and he paid for the materials for the new fence. now we are both happy, BTW my neighbor on the other side came knocking on my door and asked for the same deal.. If they can't afford the cost then a quick long term solution would be to add PT 4x4 with a PT 2x4 top rail about 18in's in and 30in's out, on your side, offset from the original post. Cost about $60.  We did this for about 4 years till my neighbor's coud afford thier half.

Dave 

The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.

  • Member since
    September 2003
  • From: Centennial, CO
  • 1,192 posts
Posted by kstrong on Monday, August 23, 2010 1:49 AM

 It might be worth your while to go in halfsies with your neighbor on new posts on the fence before you get too far along on the railroad. If he decides to replace the fence after you've done your landscaping and he's got to dig out the posts, there could be some unintended damage to the railroad in the process.You could feasibly replace the posts by working only on one side, but it's infinitely easier if you can step freely on both sides to make the repairs. From the photos, it looks as if the panels themselves are in good shape, it's just the posts that are shot, presumably rotted off at the base.

I had a similar situation with my neighbor's fence last summer. If you go to Home Depot/Lowes, you can get metal post holders for repairing fence posts like that. There are a few different versions. If the posts aren't set in concrete, you can get what amounts to a metal splint that you hammer into the ground that goes around the post, effectively bracing the rotted portion of the post. That's the easiest solution that requires the least amount of work. Otherwise, you've got to pull the panels down and replace the posts. For our fence, we dug the old, rotted posts out (they were set in concrete), but instead of putting new posts into the ground--which being in a drainage ditch would have rotted out very quickly again, we poured a new concrete footer, then set a metal post holder on top of it. This is essentially a small metal box around 8" tall that you set the new fence post into. We poured the concrete to a few inches above the grade of the yard, so the water wouldn't rise up over it. We bought new posts, though we could feasibly have just cut the rotted base off of the old ones and reused them. Once the new posts were in place, we just put the old panels back in place. Total cost for the project was $140, so $70 for each of us. It looks like you've got a few more posts that may need to be replaced, but it's definitely worth it in my opinion to get it done before you do the landscaping on your side.

Later,

K

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Western, NY
  • 245 posts
Posted by enginear on Sunday, August 22, 2010 7:35 PM

Yeah, that's my neighbor's fence. The dirt holds the fence up !?! 

It's a big story but my own is the white plastic one in the back of the picture. It'll need it's own dirt retainment. Slowly but getting there. Doing whatever I can and a little out of order. My neighbor on the other side was a bigger priority. Shame you can't chose your neighbors. Joe 

  • Member since
    September 2006
  • From: Sykesville MD
  • 155 posts
Posted by gbbari on Sunday, August 22, 2010 6:44 PM
You are correct - just getting a loop up and running will be a major leap forward from not having any RR at all. Then, as you run a train around the loop, you will "see" the changes you want to make and will probably start making them before too long. Don't stop dreaming! And Good Luck! We expect progress pictures along the way of courseā€¦ 8^) PS - better shore up that fence before you get too much track laid down..wouldn't want a fence collapse to damage anything!
  • Member since
    January 2010
  • From: State College, Pennsylvania
  • 462 posts
Posted by PJM20 on Sunday, August 22, 2010 5:43 PM

Looks like you got yourself a good plot of land for the garden railroadThumbs Up. - Peter

Modeling the Bellefonte Central Railroad

Fan of the PRR

Garden Railway Enthusiast

Check out my Youtube Channel:

http://www.youtube.com/user/PennsyModeler 

  • Member since
    February 2008
  • From: Western, NY
  • 245 posts
Finally a start
Posted by enginear on Sunday, August 22, 2010 1:53 PM

 

 I've got the first corner started some three years after.  Things come up in life and knock you back a step!

I'm thinking a folded dogbone type with one end up high decending into a valley area with bridges over water in the middle.

I'd be glad to get a simple oval at this point. At least it would be a start! Future plans would include running around the whole yard with a siding into my shed for storage. Maybe I'm still dreaming. Joe

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