# The Building of the D&BHW



## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Well I decided that it would be nice for the newbies to see a newbie attempt to build his little empire. So in the following months, here will be my layout construction. I'll post pics as I can and comment on questions whenever I can. 

Here is my Autocad drawing of my design. That I moved over from another thread


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Here is Day one. I thought I got quite a bit done. I've definately got more to do but this is a good start.









This looks to the NW. The Lumbermill will be to the bottom center. The propane tank in the background will be moved so I have more room









This looks to the west and where the town will eventually be. 









This photo I just turn to the south from where I was standing when I took the 2nd photo. It may be hard to see but, the track is going to be considerably higher than I wanted 
but I can't drop it much more without getting a high grade. It is currently sitting at 3%.









This is the extreme south of the layout. I'm thinking of extending the siding the goes to the lumbermill and bringing it under the loop and possibly move the lunbermill there.
I am putting a pond in the bottom of this photo with the track looping above it on a wooden tresle.

Well there is day one. Hopefully the weather holds and I can get more done. Until next time


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Jake, 

Looking great so far. How often do you plan to support the ladder? And with what? Your system looks real close to the system the club I belong to used and I can offer some pointers if you are interested. 

Bob C.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I'm going to have supports every 2 ft. In the pictures I don't have all the supports in. Of course advice is always welcome. I used 3/4 PVC pipe for the supports.


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## Biblegrove RR (Jan 4, 2008)

B E A Utiful! keep us up to date on your progress!


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Jake, 
looking really good!









How deep in the ground are you putting the PVC supports? 
and what are you using to dig holes? 

Scot


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

The PVC pipe I'm using is 5 ft long. I am trying to pound it in as far as I can, however, since I live in rocky terrain, I am not able to get some supports as deep as I like. I have all supports in the ground at least 18 inches and many are in over 36 inches. I know there is concern about frost heave. But trying to drill through solid rock so I can get below 36" is not going to work, so I'll roll the dice and see how it works. Keep in mind that I will be filling up dirt around the roadbed and that will give me more frost heave protection. 

On that note, I was wondering. Since my railroad will be somewhat raised, would I have as much problem with frost heave? I'm wondering because of the concept of gardening. Soil heats quicker in hedgerows. When I plant my garden I have to do this or the soil doesnt get real warm for the seeds to grow. My house is sitting at about 5,000' elevation, so the air is usually cooler. I explain this because with a raise roadbed, wouldnt the ground stay warmer, and thus less frost problems? Anyone have any idea?


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Thats a hard spot to build. 
Maybe more stackable stones will be needed. Or some really cool rocky mountains.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Kind of what I was thinking Marty. Its looking like I'm gonna have a raised roadbed, wither I like it or not. The nice thing is, since I live in rocky area, I can always find plenty of rocks. You can see some piled up to the right, next to the fence, in the first picture. 

I'm going to keep the lower loop where it is, but I'm still milling over extending the one siding to go under that loop and open up the lower end of the yard for a lumbermill and who knows what, perhaps another town and then loop the track back to connect with the mainline, which would give me more to work with. Negotiations are commencing with the "Land Baron" but she drives a hard bargain. It looks like I'm gonna have to remodel her bathroom in exchange for more right-of-way.


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Jake, 

IMHO the 3/4" posts are WAY too small. We used 1 1/2" for the posts, about every two to three feet spaced and we have experienced movement of noticeable dimension. I would suggest at least 2" posts for the most part. Looking at the photos of what you are doing for the ladder work, it appears that they are spaced for the 3/4" to go in between the outside splines. A possibility to keep the work you have done might be to use the 2" pipe up to say 2-3" below the ladder work, the put a 2" x 3/4" reducing coupling on top of the 2" pipe. Then you can either glue the 3/4" into the coupling or drill the coupling through for the 3/4" pipe size and use a couple of stainless steel screws to secure the 3/4" to the coupling. The advantage of the latter method will be the ability to later adjust elevation if necessary. 

Depending on where you live in the country, "pounding them in as far as you can' may not be enough to keep from major movement due to frost heave in the spring. I suggest going at least 12" below your frost line and pouring concrete for that foot below the frost line. Our club layout is in northern Florida, and our posts are set in about a half bag of concrete each and we still experienced movement, without any frost heave. 

Beyond that, you are off to a great start. I will be starting to work on mine in a month or so, as soon as I finish some preliminary projects that must be in place first. Good luck, and keep us posted. 

Bob C.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Good Idea Bob. I've been concerned about the 3/4" pipe. Maybe I could set 2" PVC pipe in the ground and let it stick out a foot or so. Attach the reducing coupling from 2" - 3/4" and then screw the 3/4" pipe to the coupling. Then when I need to adjust height due to heave I can back the screws out and then move the 3/4" pipe. 

One thing I think I have going for me is the many things I have done outside around my place, and believe me I have done a lot, I have never had a problem with heave. Hopefully that is the case with this project.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

All this talk about frost heave has really gotten me thinking. So I tried to wrap my mind around it and see if I can acurately predict what will happen to my situation. 


Here are some facts as I see it:
- High moisture content in the soil will promote heaving due to frost. 
- Trying to get your posts below the frost line will prevent heave.
- Most suggest a larger diameter post to help with stability.
So, as I address each bullet, this is what I have come up with. First, the high moisture content in the soil will most definately contribute to frost heave. I tested my soil and even as the frost has come out of the ground the soil is very dry. The consistancy of my soil is very sandy. Sandy soil does not hold water all that well. Since I live on top of a mountain, the rock is only about 2-3 ft deep. Then I hit bed rock. The bed rock is a Metamorphic rock and is fairly pourous, which contributes to good drainage. Last year I had to do a new percolation test for my new drainfield and found that the soil drainage was off the charts. This means the soil does not hold water very good and the soil in my drainfield is the same soil in my layout area. My conclusion is that frost heave will be minimal and any that does occur, I will be able to manage.

The second point about getting the posts below the frost line is good and sound engineering when it comes to a building and if possible, a garden railroad. But, with the bedrock so close to the surface it is not possible to get below the frost line. Plus, trying to dig or drill a hole into solid rock to set a post is time consuming. I also think that since my heave will be minimal, that I can just deal with the occational leveling that will need to be done and save the time and labor from having to drill into solid rock.

The third point, I'm having a little problem with. I totally agree that the larger the base, the more solid the foundation. However, after looking at many, many different builders logs on this site and others, the diameter of the pipe varies greatly. The root of the problem that forces the post out of the ground is the compression or "sqeezing" forces of the expanding freezing water. We try to counteract those forces in various ways. Conventional wisdom says establish a solid base with mass and weight (pouring concrete and setting the pole in it) and increase the size of the post to withstand the pressures. I think those are tried and true methods and given time and space they should be used. However, as I have a problem with the bedrock being so close to the surface, establishing a solid base is all but useless because it will only sit about a foot under the ground. I've decided to keep the diameter of the posts small and probably add more (about every 1.5 ft - 1 ft). This is so the surface area of the post is reduced and thus the influence of the compression forces is reduced. Hopefully that will mean that I will have less of a problem with frost heave. 

What all this technical talk means is...I will continue to use 3/4" pvc pipe pounded into the ground as far as I can get them. This means the bottom of the post will sit mostly on top of bedrock. I will use large rock and install "french drains" throughout the layout to promote water draining off the area and thus minimize the moisture in the ground. I am also "banking" on my experience with my patio area in which I have not experienced any heave in the two years since I installed it and it has been two very wet and cold winters. If this dont work....well you'll be reading about me tearing it all out to start over in a few years...he he he.


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## East Broad Top (Dec 29, 2007)

If you're hitting bedrock with your posts, I don't think you need to worry about frost heave. (And if the bedrock heaves, you've got bigger problems.) 

Later, 

K


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## armorsmith (Jun 1, 2008)

Jake, 

The suggestion for the use of 2" uprights has nothing to do with frost heave, but rather stability. The reason I am choosing to use the 2" in my personal layout here in Florida (where I have no frost heave to deal with) is simply for stability. Looking at the pictures you posted, it appears that some of your posts will be in excess of 3 feet high. I don't have any of the progress photos at my fingertips of the club layout, but we used 1 1/2" uprights with the same style of ladder uprights you are using and we have experienced some lateral motion in the sub roadbed. I am about to go out of town until late next week, but when I return I will dig up some of the pictures of the ladder installation stage. 

It will be my method to install the 2 x 3/4 reducing coupling as high on the 2" pipe as possible (maybe 2-3 inches below) the ladder work to provide the maximum lateral stiffness. Try pushing your post sideways. I am sure you will be able to get a good amount of movement. 

Bob C.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Posted By East Broad Top on 07 Apr 2011 11:39 PM 
If you're hitting bedrock with your posts, I don't think you need to worry about frost heave. (And if the bedrock heaves, you've got bigger problems.) 

Later, 

K 

Ha ha, true.

Bob you are correct with the lateral movement. It definately "sways" But I was going to fill all that space under the roadbed with dirt and rock. The post will more or less be for keeping the ladder in the ground. At least that is what I'm thinking. As I said I'm a newbie at this and I definately can be wrong.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Well here is an update...


Old man winter is not going away without a fight, right now there is about 6 inches of snow on the ground. But, they are predicting 50's by the weekend, so I think it should go quickly. I just hope this is our spring storm this year. I'm getting anxious to get this thing going and get some trains running.
I had to modify my plan a little. I had a problem with the elevation of the track on the bottom loop.










Sorry for the drawing but I dont have the best skills when it comes to Microsoft paint.

Anyways the height of the track on the bottom loop, with the old plan would have put the track at about 4 ft off the ground. This was just too high, but I needed that height in order for the grades to work and get over the bottom track at the crossing with enough clearance. The new plan worked out much better and brought the level of the lower loop a lot lower. I also moved the runaround track for the town because of the changed track arrangement. this also will work better for switching. 

I took the lumber mill out because, at the moment, it isnt going to work where it was intended to go. So I am trying to figure out a way to get it put in the lower end of the yard. I havent figured out how Im going to get the track down there yet. I'm thinking of a line starting off the main in the area where the "direction of travel" arrow is and loop it down. We shall see once I start "playing" around with the arrangement. I'll try to get some photos up but it dont help right now with all the snow.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Maybe if you did a compressed flat back Mine, you could move it north west above the mainline and then fit the lumber yard within the loop. 
The mine switch off the loop near where the passing siding switch is. (green) 

John


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Posted By Totalwrecker on 19 Apr 2011 10:29 AM 
Maybe if you did a compressed flat back Mine, you could move it north west above the mainline and then fit the lumber yard within the loop. 
The mine switch off the loop near where the passing siding switch is. (green) 

John 

Yeah the green is the modification from the original design. The mine lead is very loosely drawn in. Putting the lumber yard up on the upper end is not a bad idea. I'll have to think of that while I'm installing track to see if it will fit.


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## Dave Crocker (Jan 2, 2008)

When I installed my ladder I put 1 1/2" PVC in the ground and up to 3-4" of the final track height and then slid 2" over that. The 2" goes all the way to the ground minus a small bit to allow for adjusting. The height is adjusted by screws attaching the two pipes together. The two pipes help with the stability and this way I can readjust the height in the future if it is needed. 

Dave


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Happy Easter!!!

Well this weekend was quite productive. The sun was out and the weather wasnt too cold to work.









Here is the upper loop. I have started to put in the passing siding in the left side of the pic, this will loop around in the back and connect back up to the track on the right of the pic.
Also you can see I have put some track down just to run a little.










This is a closeup of my unmodified Bachman Connie. Once the layout is done I'll start on it with some modifications. Track was nice and the loco ran great.










This is the back loop under the deck. I hope to add a storage yard to the left against the house at some point. You can kind of see the grade here. It is 4%.










This is going down to the lower loop. You can see here where I had to modify the track arrangement. Instead of the lines crossing over each other in a figure 8.
I had to go with a folded dogbone. This definately helped with the height of the lower loop. This is also the sharpest curve I have on the mainline. It is 7.5 ft Radius here.










This is looking up from the bottom loop. I was wanting to originally put the lumbermill on the line in the top of the photo. Obviously its too high in the air, even 
though I'm going to fill the area under the roadbed with dirt and rocks. I'm thinking of coming off the main on the left, then looping down in a helix and then have the
line pass almost right under my feet where I'm standing in this photo and put a town and the lumbermill in the lower part of the yard.










This is the lower loop looking back up towards the rest of the layout. I'm going to fill in dirt about 18" up on the poles, which will keep the tressle that 
is going in this area at about 24" tall. As I said before a stream end in a pond at the foot of the bridge or in the lower area of this photo. The railroad
ties are going to be a retaining wall on the right between the fence and the roadbed.

I had to modify some stuff, the crossover and also the maximum grade. It is now 4%. However, I'm running small trains and preliminary tests show that
the grade will be fine.

I started small with this layout and I'm coming right along. So far i've been happy with the progress. If I keep this up it will probably be done before 
the summer is done. At least phase one, I'm already planning phase two....


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Jake, 
Looking good. Congrats on 'hands on' evolution... 

Now then, sir, it will never be done. I'm sorry, but that's the way it iz. There's always something that doesn't measure up to your latest skill level. Or 'what ifs' or.... 

It's in the fine print.... ha ha. 

John


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Ha ha, thats true John. Just dont tell my wife.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I havent posted an update in a while, because there isnt a lot to update. Between the rain it has been difficult. Got 3 inches just last night. 

But I have gotten a little done, sorry no pics at this time. 

I completed the ladder for the mainline and set the grade. I also finished the ladder for the passing siding in the town. I have half the ladder set for the passing siding in the upper loop, but I still need to figure out how I'm going to route the mine spur off that siding. 

I completed the old railroad tie retaining wall and have started putting dirt down. That is the big hold up. The next phase is to start putting dirt down to fill in underneath the ladder and form the contours. Because it has rained so much, I dont want to be moving mud. When things start to dry out, I'll be able to move dirt pretty quickly. I have a small dumptruck and Bobcat and it makes dirt moving extremely quick. 

If it isnt raining too much tonight, I'll try to post some pics of the progress.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

As promised here are some pictures, al beit rainy ones..










This shows some of the fill I started on before it started the monsoon season...I'm using the rocks as a wall and will plant some plants there to keep the dirt in place. I'm going to install a steel deck bridge 
starting just past this "rock cliff" 










This is looking up towards the top loop and the eventual town on the right and a small mountain with waterfall in the center of the loop. The ladder disappears in the tall grass at the top. Put some roundup there, but with all the moisture
I'm not sure it will take. Also you see the eventual location of the curved switch that allowed me to get a little more room in the passing siding in the town. The switch is from Switchcrafters.










This is the bottom loop looking up towards the top. The old railroad tie retaining wall on the right. 










One of the bottom loop looking down from the top loop.


There it is, all soggy and waiting for the monsoons to stop.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I havent updated in a while so here is what I've been doing.










This is the top end of the upper loop. The passing siding is in, but I have not put in the siding for the mine. The mine will sit in the small hill in the middle of the picture. Also you can see the basin where I will install the waterfall.










Here is the location where the mine will be installed.










This is another shot of the waterfall basin and the stream that leads away from it. The town will be located to the left of the stream in the area where the two loose rocks are.










This is the area where the town will be located. I am going to add another siding in here, but havent done it yet.











This is some rock work i have done to build up the mountain above the town. 


As of right now the upper loop is basically finished when it comes to dirt work. I still have to do a lot more rockwork and install the waterfall and stream. And get the mine and town into place, along with mulch and plants. 
I'll start to concentrate on the lower end, which I have to install another RR tie wall and more fill dirt.

Progress is good so far.


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## rsmproductions (Jan 5, 2008)

Jake...your work is completely awesome!! 

Thanks for making the post easy for me to find...I now know this is defintely the way I need to go. 

Once payday hits this weekend I'll begin the process... 

Richard


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## Torby (Jan 2, 2008)

Inspiring!


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I havent posted an update in a while. I haven't been delayed at all I just have forgotten. First I changed a name a little on my railroad. I changed it to Deadwood, Black Hills & Western. This seemed more like a railroad name like Denver, Rio Grande & Western. 

Well on to the photos...









This is one of the "finished" areas. I planted some ground cover to get it going, added some woodchips around the plants, layed the track and finished the rock work. I still have to install a river along the backside and finish the rock work there.










This is the new steel deck bridge I installed. It is just south of the above pic. I have gotten the bridge supports yet but the 2x4 will stand in for now. For the abutments I made a form out of hardboard and duct tape and then poured morter mix into the form. I had a few area of voids but I'll touch them up and you wont even know they are there. The deck bridge is from Garden Metal Models. They are very well built and detailed.










Closer view of the north end of the bridge and some rock work I did. Still need to do a little more and add ground cover 










A picture of the bridge on the south end. Some more rock work and also the south bridge abutment.










This on the south end, as you can see I built a retaining wall. I will fill in the dirt behind it to have a transistion from the deck bridge on the left and a wood tressle on the right. I've kicked around putting a tunnel here, but havent decided. I think the "mountain" would be too tall after installing a tunnel.










This is the upper end and the town. I have the ladder all done and just need to finish installing a track. I decided to add a Grist Mill on the end of the spur with a water wheel in the stream to add some animation. Its hard to tell but I have not installed the spur for the mine up in the upper right corner. I did change the tie the switch stand sits on (bunch blocks???) as the switch was built the longer ties hit the track on the right. I had to move the longer ends to the opposite side. I did run into a problem, Sunset Valley pounds their spikes through the tie and then bends the end over to get a real secure and tight bond. But I couldn't seem to get the spike end to bend over tight enough like what SV did. Any ideas???










This is the rock work above the town, I also installed a waterfall wier and am waiting on my EPDM liner for the stream. I plan to plant some ivy on this rock wall at some point.










This looking to the south towards the lower loop. I took to compare to previous shots to see the progress.

Well thats about it. I'm currently working on the lower loop getting the dirt filled in along the retaining wall to the right. Also I need to add a spur for the mine in the upper end and finish up on dirt moving.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Here is the latest update to my layout. I haven't been idle at all. I've been mostly working on getting my water feature in and working on the lower loop.










Here is a picture of a hailstorm that went through a few weeks ago. By the size of these depressions they had to be ping pong sized (I was at work at the time). I put the pen there for reference. I lost most of my garden so I wont have much for vegetables.
I didnt have too much damage to the railroad, so that means that its built tough (Tim Taylor tough).










This part is done as far as dirt moving is concerned. I've got a few plants started but I dont expect much this year. Hopefully they survive over the winter and I'll get some good vegetation next year.











This is the other side of the curve on the lower loop. I haven't planted anything here yet. I probably wont until next spring. I put the piece of rr tie there so I could mark where I want to start my trestle.










This is the pond at the bottom of the stream. Yeah, its muddy right now, I had an inch of rain come through on Friday and washed into the pond. The object in the lower-left is a bio-filter so it should filter out the silt eventually. 
I am open for suggestions if anyone knows how to clear it up quicker.










This looking up the stream towards the top. I will put rock down to cover up the liner and trim it some more once I get down to this point. I built another small in-stream pond about midway and will put a small water feature here.










This is the upper loop and the town. As you can see I've installed the spur that will feed the Grist Mill. I've also started on the rockwork along the stream edge. I can say that I'm Ok with the water flow, I wish it would be a
little more. The pump is big enough to put more volume out, but I need a larger pipe. I'm running a 1" pipe right now, and I have a buried 1/2" pipe in the ground (from my first mistake, I didnt understand the pipe size effects 
the volume of water). Anyways its still hooked up to the weir and I think I'll hook it up too and see if I can get a little more volume.










This is a closeup of my rockwork for the waterfall. I have to say I'm pleased with how it has come along so far. I will cover the top of the weir so you wont see it.

Lots yet to do and little time to do it. Enjoy.


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## rsmproductions (Jan 5, 2008)

Jake...you certainly have accomplished a lot since I last looked at your posting. Congratulations on some fine work. Can't wait to see it even farther along. 

How is the 3/4" pipe holding up at the end by the tree? I decided to go with 1 1/2" pipe on my expansion and am quite happy with it. Only issue for me is the darn pipe kept wanting to go at a slight angle because of the edge I cut on the downward end...but it's solid. 

Richard


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Its actually holding up real good. There is some "sway" there, but I wont have that there forever. At some point I will cut that part out and put a wood trestle (yet to be built) there. The other areas where I have buried the ladder, I dont have any sway. The roadbed is solid.


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## Nutz-n-Bolts (Aug 12, 2010)

Wow Jake, Very nice work, it's really turning out nicely. I think you will have a great benefit from your off camber lot, in that you will have lost of hills and valleys for your railroad to wind through. The stream is great too. It's interesting to see the water seemingly disappear once you added the gravel to the bed. There is a lot of space there in between the rocks to "soak" it up. I like your Tie walls as well. I have a few to build this fall before I can start laying my track in earnest. Keep up the great work.


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Sunday Aug 28th, was a significant step in my building process. I got my track layed all the way around, which means the main is now connected. I had an informal celebration, namely because my mother and grandparents were there visiting. I plan to have a bonna fide golden spike ceremony next spring, by then I hope to have the layout looking more complete. Sorry, I forgot to take photos.


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## wchasr (Jan 2, 2008)

Jake, It is looking Really Good! I like the stream so far! You are more daring than I at this point with the water feature. I too am happy to be able to run trains. As a matter of fact I'm going to sign off and go see if my Aristo Live steamer works! 

Chas


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

I'm happy to say that I have basically completed my goals for this year for building the layout. Here is a compilation of the finished product.











This is the lower end of the layout. Or as I refer to it as the lower loop. Its obvious that I havent put in the wood trestle, but that is a winter project. I'll get the 
concrete footings in, in the next couple weeks. But, I dont plan on starting on the wood until the snow starts to fly.










This is just a little closer view of my pond and then looking up the river. I have to figure out a way to hide the hoses.










This is progressing around the lower loop up to the town. I have planted some Blue-Rug juniper along the side of the hill and added some cedar chips. 










Progessing a little further we cross the second bridge, a steel deck. Here I havent built the steel bridge towers. Again, a planned winter project. I already have the concrete 
footings in the ground for the towers, so it will be pretty easy to install. Also more blue rug juniper on the hillside and some ivy growing on the rocks under the bridge.










Another look at the steel deck bridge from the other side. Also, we see my river in the foreground. I have to say I really like the rocks, I was able to find a lot of rocks with green 
moss growing on them. Hopefully the moss doesnt die and it gives my rock some color.










Just beyond the bridge and we see another rock cliff. That is Sedum growing in the area between the rock face and the brick wall. Aparently this is pretty invasive stuff.
Hopefully where I planted it will restrict its growth. I also planted some moss along the track from the forest floor around my house, I thought it would work but it looks like it is dieing.










We progress around the curve and are heading into town. I noticed I gotta work on that curve right before the curved switch. It seems a little "kinked" to me. My locos go 
through the curve ok, but I'd like it better. I'm a stickler for good trackwork. I planted some boxwoods and there is some thyme planted for ground cover.










This is just a lower angle view of the curve going into town.










A view of town. Obviously I dont have any buildings yet. I plan to populate with whatever I think looks good. I might scratchbuild some stuff or if I find some premade ones I like
then I'll use them. The siding off to the right is my Grist Mill siding. I will probably scratchbuild that.










This is just a different angle of the town area. I have yet to decide what to name it. I'm not sure if I want to use a historically accurate name or just make one up. You can
also see my rock "mountain" with the waterfall.










The upper loop goes out of town and curves around under the deck. I hope to build a storage yard under the deck so I dont have to carry my stuff in and out all the time.
This is where the curve emerges from under the deck. As you can see I've just installed the gold mine spur. I'll build the mine on the incline to the left of the spur.











A little further down the line looking back up towards the mine. Plus there is the stream on the left. I gotta work on hiding the liner a little more. That is a boxwood planted along 
the edge of the track.










The line goes down toward the lower loop along the edge of the stream.










This is the track heading back round to the lower loop. There is a blue rug juniper next the track in the background and the stream to the right.










The waterfall.










In stream pond.


As you can see I still have to get some more plants down. But with the growing season basically over, I'll wait until next year to plant more plants. I will put some more 
wood chips down to cover the bare areas until the plants get growing more. I also need to put down the ballast. I still have to make it and depending on weather, i might 
get that done this year. As this is suppose to represent a narrow guage line I wont be putting a lot of ballast down, as I've never heard of a narrow gauge line having 
lots of money to spend on extra amounts of ballast. I also gotta start working on my buildings to put on the layout.

I am happy with how fast I got this done. It is a small layout but I didnt want to bite off more than I could handle and I think this is about right. Thanks for looking and keeping 
track of my progress. I'll update still as I put more on the layout.


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## tj-lee (Jan 2, 2008)

Jake, 

Looks great! 

Best, 
TJ


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

Stopped by the rock quarry I used to work at and bought some perfect ballast. I got enough for my track and then some. Spent a whopping $1.10. The beauty is I wont even have to sift out the fines, was already done.


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## Bighurt (Sep 15, 2009)

Pretty impressive setup, Nice read keep up the good work.


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