what's everyone doing

[kimbrit]

Hi guys,
How has the last 12 months been for you? Have you taken your RR as far as it will go or is it still growing. Do you sit there and think "I'll be out there come spring".
Kim

[kimbrit]

Mines still growing, I've bought the track for the final pu***o the top of the garden. I think i should have put a 'It's never finished' option in.
Cheers,
Kim

[markperr]

Starting a new one in the back yard come spring. Put in the ponds this past fall. got a lot of building to do and quite a bit of rolling stock maintenance to do. Got an airbrush about a year ago but haven't had time to really use it, so hopefully, I'll be able to play around with it and do some weathering of stock as well. Gotta full plate and only a few months before the ground around here starts to thaw again. Busy, busy, busy!!!!!


Mark

[Tom The Brat]

After this summer's misadventure: http://www.gardentrack.com/facillity/facillity.html and severe lack of billable work, which certainly didn't help the summer's activities, I have all the junk from the shop piled around the asylum and just haven't got the gumption up to do something about it yet[*^_^*]

[vsmith]

Mixed

I'll be expanding[:D] one RR, the outdoor loop, while dismantling[V] another, the indoor one to facilitate replacement of its current enclosure.

Also got enough things on my workbench to keep me busy thru the rainy season, that is, if we GET a rainy season this year. So far, just been colder than usual[8D]

[bman36]

Hey Kim,
This past summer was productive. Built a new deck at the side of the house, a new fence on the other side, and extended the garden RR to meet up with the deck. Poured the limestone for the right of way on the extension. I like to let it settle for the winter and then top it off come spring. Track will go down after that. Indoors I have been plugging along too. Built a bridge to carry the line under the basement stairs, laid track out in the "Hobby Room", and decorated the line for Christmas. Looking back I kinda' feel tired now! Snowing here today so working on some "Christmas" projects. All the best my friends. Later eh...Brian.

[RhB_HJ]

This was/is the year to work on rolling stock, lots of stuff coming along - one step at a time. Since all of it has to fit a specific era and locale, there is a bit more than pop it out of the box and plunk it on the rails involved.
Also got all the necessary "infrastructure" prepped and/or installed, so that the rail extension can start big time next spring.

Presently I'm working on a special, adjustable ramp to test the hauling capacity of engines, that, along with the test track at the shop, will come in very handy for fine tuning engines.
Apart from that I did a lot of drafting on the 'puter, for yet more, very specific RhB projects.

[Anonymous]

expanding kimbrit.i'm not one of the armchair rr guys.get it down.get it running.change it later [%-)]

[kstrong]

Diaper changes and 3 AM feedings.

Later,

K

[tangerine-jack]

I'm rethinking the entire thing in light of what I've learned on this forum. I've got new plans, new ideas. What I don't have is the time.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by kstrong

Diaper changes and 3 AM feedings.

Later,

K

Kevin

Glad to hear that things work to plan. [;)][:)]

[FJ and G]

Going to Israel and Switzerland, where ancestors are (honeymoon).

Trying to get track laid but it's darned cold and dark when I get home and freeze my hands soldering track, but here's a start.





When gets too chilly, went inside and worked on some other turnouts



Turnouts mounted on Hardi-Board; rest of track will be on battens but haven't figured out how to do battens. Seems hard to keep battens bent around curves unless I do a series of battens.

And the battens need to be wide enough so spiking ties doesn't break the ties (i.e., battens need to be under the area being spiked)

[Anonymous]

very nice FJ.is this for G or O.

[FJ and G]

thanks, Railroadingman,

It's O (3-rail type) but hi-rail (realistic). Code 148 n/s rails and cedar ties stained. Lower foto shows track not yet completed.

[Anonymous]

Very good.You appear to live in aplace that freezes badly.Spike plently.
How are you joining your rails.Slip coupler with flylead?Use good solder with a good flux,tuck the flylead under the ties so as you can't see it.After the first year you will know the bits that nees attention.

[FJ and G]

w/3 rails, that's 6 spikes a tie!

Using rail joiners and soldering jumper wires using butane torch and resin solder.

Part of the layout is under the deck. When snow melts off deck during day, it has a habit of dripping on tracks and freezing into giant icecubes; and it's on the northerly side of the house to bat.

May need to cover w/tarp, except winds are very strong there as well.

[Anonymous]

No need to cover.If your using track power and brass it needs very little cleaning.main problem is grit.once thats off (easy using a pushed cleaning car or handpower)the railroad will run forever.Don't listen to the battery guys.Show me the cellphone that works forever.
Look into the dcc line.If it fits into oo and ho, oscale should be easy.

[RhB_HJ]

QUOTE: Originally posted by FJ and G
...............................

Turnouts mounted on Hardi-Board; rest of track will be on battens but haven't figured out how to do battens. Seems hard to keep battens bent around curves unless I do a series of battens.

And the battens need to be wide enough so spiking ties doesn't break the ties (i.e., battens need to be under the area being spiked)

Hi Dave,

My suggestion: do a modified splined road bed, adjust the spacers to end up with the lattice pieces under the spikes. That solves the bending and spike problem in one go. Send me an email if you need a sketch or drawing.

[ttrigg]

What's on plan for the next year?

Well, after trying out several different track plans on the upper patio for a year and a half, finally figured out what I wanted as a track plan. Hit the dirt in July, and Rosebud Falls Scenic Railways commenced operation in August. Collected a few "bird houses" at the county fair for the layout. Picked up a few goodies at the Train Show a few weeks back.

January and February will be planting months for the permanent vegetation. February/March will be the construction of the "freight yards". May/June should see the expansion out to Green Apple Orchard (simple out and back loop ~130 feet one way. To fulfill the wife's demand to be able to send the train off somewhere and not have it come back for a while.) Along the way this year I have the photos and sketches to begin a "freelance representation" of the D&RGW Silverton/Durango Passenger & Freight stations. Engine sheds & coal tipple ala Chama. Every time she goes through the photo album of our trip on the Cumbres & Toltec she queries about the possibility of incorporation another structure. (so far she has identified about 5 years worth of buildings and structures for me to build.)

My 2006 Christmas wish list (already published) includes a couple of engines (ala D&RGW)

My 2007 Christmas wish list (in draft form) includes a "right of way" from the Rosebud Falls Freight Yards into the garage.

[ttrigg]

QUOTE: Originally posted by Torby

After this summer's misadventure: http://www.gardentrack.com/facillity/facillity.html and severe lack of billable work, which certainly didn't help the summer's activities, I have all the junk from the shop piled around the asylum and just haven't got the gumption up to do something about it yet[*^_^*]

Torby;

If you would like, I can make the arraingements for you to have long term storage rights out here for nothing more than usage rights, thereby clearing the asylum floor for further misadventures.

[Tom The Brat]

hehe

You don't understand. It's not the worthwhile stuff from the shop stacked up everywhere[(-D]

[tmcc man]

My plan is to finally start my railroad, come spring! I have had it planned for about 2 years, and my parents have constantly put it off! I just got 2 LGB F7s, and I am buying the Aristo NS Roadrailer set. Everything is in the living room, running around the tree.

[ttrigg]

shucks Torby, at least it was worth a try! and a good laugh.

[John Busby]

Hi Kim
I am establishing and expanding my railway at the same time.
And doing a real good job of turning a well ordered cunning plan into an
eccentric mix of trains and things that will probably never get sorted out[:D]
The town I am building is coming togetther well
no idea where the scale ?? sized Dragon is going to go.
regards john

[powlee]

Hi Kim
It`s been a good year. Last piece of track laid. heh heh! Had first open day for the G Scale society. Report was favourable in the journal. At this moment bidding on an Alco S-3 on Ebay. Good price for this country. Still progressing with my first boxcar from the GR plans.

Merry Xmas all

Ian P

[toenailridgesl]

Ian, you want help/info re the boxcar plans? After all, I'm the bloke who built it for the GR plans forum & for the mag! (Notes of the Realm gratefully accepted so long as they aren't photocopied....)

[Anonymous]

My railway, the "Charnwood Forest Railway" is continuing to expand. The railway is situated at Rothley Station on the Great central Railway. We are open to the public each weekend. We plan to build a new freight yard and another loco facility this year. We also want to reinstate our cable car system.
The railway is run by myself and a couple of friends. We run both North American and European Locomotives and rolling stock. This weekend we plan to run our fleet of moguls, Sumpter Valley Mallets and Uintah Mallets about 25 locomotives all together.
We do encourage any visitors to have a go driving the trains and run their own stock if they want.

[Anonymous]

I recently took a job in Petaluma, CA, will be here abt 18 mo. Person I'm renting a room fm said I cud put a RR in the back flowerbeds. I'll sort when home for Christmas then have some stuff shipped out. It'll give me something to do w all the time on my hands since I'm a "geographic bachelor". When I rtn to TX I'll use the experience to start my RR there with the grandkids.

Sandyman

[Anonymous]

Hey Kim, I guess I really need to wind up my Mogul project, then save some $ for Battery /RC, then track and I'll see where it goes from there[:)].

[kimbrit]

Nice one guys, I didn't anticipate such a response on this one. CASEY - any chance of some pics of 'Charnwood Forest', I've put it on my list of places to visit. If you're ever in Blackpool please give me a call.
Cheers,
Kim