Making progress!

[Ray Dunakin]

On Tuesday I finally ripped out the last of the iceplant on my hill, and should be able to throw it all out on trash day next week. Of course now that all the iceplant is gone, we're getting our first rain in months. Hopefully it won't come down too hard and make a muddy mess.

I've also finished the "keystone" retaining wall at the lower end of the hill. I'm currently working on topping it with natural stone so the layout won't look like it's just sitting on concrete blocks. And I've found a good source for free rocks that isn't overly far from home, and have accumulated a couple massive piles to work with. It's kind of surprising how many rocks I can fit into my Trooper!

I've decided on a name for my layout: The In-ko-pah Railroad, named for the In-ko-pah gorge and In-ko-pah mountains in the desert near Jacumba, CA. (The San Diego and Arizona's famous Carriso Gorge lies between the In-ko-pah mountains on the west and the Jacumba mountains to the east.)

Now if only we can get a break in the "unexpected expenses" department... Right after I started this project, my transmission died and had to be replaced. We've also had nearly $2000 in plumbing problems. Really takes a toll on the railroad budget. :P

[Capt Bob Johnson]

A few less rocks per trip might help in the trannie dept., but for the rest, all you can do is carry on! Just keep nibbling at it, and eventually you'll get there!

[John Busby]

Hi Ray
Any chance of pictures
I like the name you have chosen for you RR empire its got an
interesting ring to it does it reflect your local area it sure sounds like it.
U. E. Dept I think we all suffer from that from time to time.
That sounds like it should go on a large flash government
looking building on the railroad some where[:D]
regards John

[Ray Dunakin]

I'll post some pics once I finish off the roll of film in my camera and get it developed.

The In-ko-pah mountains and gorge are actual places in the southeast corner of San Diego County. It's a very rugged, rocky desert area. The scenary for my railroad will be loosely based on that area.

I envision it as an narrow gauge short line serving (fictional) mines in the region, as well as tourist operations.

[Anonymous]

Looking forward to the pics too Ray.

For me, it is always fascinating to see different views on what one wants in a garden railway. Of course, my view is somewhat unusual [8)].

Keep going!

Matthew [bow].

[Ray Dunakin]

An update...

Got about an inch of rain last week, and it didn't affect the work-in-progress at all. I managed to put down a layer of large gravel in the walkway before the rain hit, so now I have a clean path instead of mud.

Finished topping the retaining wall with rocks, and put in the beginnings of several small canyons. I also started building the lower front section of a mountain out of rocks. Behind it, I've nearly finished a double-track tunnel that will pass through the mountain. The tunnel walls are made of concrete blocks. The top needs to be super strong, because there will be a lot of weight on it, so I'm using angle irons to support 8x2x16" concrete capstones. These will be topped with a 3/4" plywood sheet wrapped in plastic.

I've made a few more trips for rocks, and also found a source in Lakeside for ballast. It's finely crushed rock about 1/8" and smaller. I'd still like to make a trip up to San Marcos sometime to get some of that "Arizona gold" ballast.

I carved out a channel for a steep canyon which will eventually be lined with rocks, and also carved out a spot for another, shorter tunnel. Unfortunately that will be the last heavy work on the railroad for a while, as I somehow managed to screw up my back. May have torn a muscle, up around the left shoulder blade. Thought I could do a little work this morning but after a minute or two of light digging, my back was spasming so badly I almost couldn't breathe. So I'll be spending the next few days lying on a heat pad -- very frustrating when I'd rather be getting some work done!

No pics yet. Maybe I can finish off this roll of film next week.

[tangerine-jack]

Sounds like a great railroad! I can't wait to see the pics.

Speaking of which, why not invest in a digital camera and get rid of film? I finaly broke down and bought a Kodak with docking station and printer (on sale I might add) about a year ago. It's a great camera, easy to use and takes awesome photos. I only wish I hadn't been so stubborn and waited so long before buying one. I can take a photo and have it uploaded and posted on the forum in a matter of minutes. It certainly helps in documenting construction of the railroad, and it's very handy to take quick shots of interesting full sized trains. With a memory chip you can store hundreds of photos right inside the camera, then download them to your PC and edit or delete later.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Why go to the plastic wrapped plywood?? Seems to me you're asking for trouble in either rot or termites. Could use treated plywood, but why?

The block should hold the dirt you put on top, so all you want to do is shed water and sand granules. Why not use strips of roll roofing or a couple of layers of tarpaper over the block to do that? Should prove to be cheaper too! Heck, you might even be able to do it by using exterior construction adhesive to glue block together, both verticaly and horiz, then coating it all with driveway sealer! Put the dirt on top and who's to tell as long as you have it solid and kinda leakproof.

Why don't mines have complete collapse? Remember that the natural angle of repose for sand is 27 degrees. make a triangle of 27 degrees over the tunnel then the weight load lessens as it is distributed over a wider base. Yes, you will be supporting more than that triangle, but not all that much more as it would become an exponential distribution. I'd expect that one of the math majors or engineers around here could tell you more specifically.

[Ray Dunakin]

My reasoning for using the plywood is that there will be a lot of large rocks on the tunnel, and I will likely have to stand on them from time to time too. So I'm concerned about the possibility of cracking the 2" thick concrete blocks. I figure the plywood will offer some protection by spreading the pressure evenly over the entire structure.

[kimbrit]

Ray, where's them pics!! Sounding good and like everyone else looking forward to the pics. I agree with T Jack, get a digital. When I'm on a forum and I think to myself, a pic of that would be good, I go and take and post it straight away - not always perfect mind, David Bailey I'm not!!
Kim

[Capt Bob Johnson]

I'd think that a layer of tarpaper, and a layer of 3 or 4 inches of sand or dirt to absorb shock and sharp edges would do the trick. I really figured one of the engineers around here would have chipped in by now!

[Ray Dunakin]

Since I can't do any hard labor in the yard for a few days, I've started doing a few other little things. I'm painting my track so it won't look like plastic and brass. First I hit it with a little red oxide primer, mainly along the sides of the rails. Then a bit of black primer, and finally a light, irregular dusting of gray primer so the ties won't look brand new. I wipe the paint off the tops of the rails with some acetone. The end result looks great.

I'm also trying to build some wooden forms for casting concrete abutments in place. I used thin plywood laminated with stripwood so that the concrete will have realistic impressions of "boards". Still trying to work out how best to fit the forms around the rocks and make sure everything is level, etc. -- but that's just part of the engineering challenge. :)