# My Mich-Cal Shay and the Burbank Backyard RR



## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

For those interested, here's a ride-along view of my Shay taking a turn around my backyard track:

http://youtu.be/LnWPbHVikJU

- Robert Dennis


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome neighbor. Where 'bouts in Burbank?









BTW, very nice videos.


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## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

Hello Gary - Do you know where Fotokem is on Olive Ave? We're north of there about 1 1/2 blocks - I'd call it the south part of Magnolia Park. I see you are with LALS. Any plans for a G-guage live steam track there?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

You are very close. We are roughly Walnut and N. Bel Aire Dr., about a block down from the Castaway restuarant. Russ Rutajl is a member of My Large Scale and just completed an elevated track in Sun Valley, near Bob Hope Airport.

There was talk at one time about adding a small "G" steaming track. But apparently not enough interest.


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## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

There must be some of us who run G-scale live steam - enough to join LALS and get a track going! Anyone from around here get together to run trains? Do you have a track setup? And what do you run?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By RDennis on 25 Sep 2011 12:29 AM 
There must be some of us who run G-scale live steam - enough to join LALS and get a track going! Anyone from around here get together to run trains? Do you have a track setup? And what do you run? 
I'm building a new layout in the backyard now. Just point to point. D&RGW during the Depression. Right now, I have a Bachmann Connie with Airwire/Phoenix sound AND an Accucraft C19, also with Airwire/Phoenix sound. If I could run live steam, it would probably be a Shay. Check my thread about "firing the Porter tomorrow". We run an 1.5" Allen Mogul over there, too.


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## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

What are you using for ballast in your new backyard RR? I never found "crushed fines" or anything other than basically pea gravel until I ran across something called Green Rock at a rock yard in Sunland. It's crushed recycled rock and concrete - angular and "edgy" rock, not rounded like gravel - so it tends to lock together. 

I also used USA Trains track with a rail bender that bends both rails at once (I think its called Train Li - an odd name and very expensive). We dug a trench, lined it with weed block fabric, and installed 3/4" PVC sprinkler pipe, setting it in place with a "t" section pounded into the ground every so often. Then filled the trench with ballast to the top of the PVC. Layed the track, and secured ties about every 5 ft to the PVC (usually to the "T" sections), then covered the rest over with add'l ballast. It's worked beautifully to keep the track in place (two dogs here!) while maintaining some flexibility for track expansion/contraction. 

So do I take it you the Airwire / Phoenix install makes the engines battery powered with RC?


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By RDennis on 25 Sep 2011 12:59 AM 
What are you using for ballast in your new backyard RR? I never found "crushed fines" or anything other than basically pea gravel until I ran across something called Green Rock at a rock yard in Sunland. It's crushed recycled rock and concrete - angular and "edgy" rock, not rounded like gravel - so it tends to lock together. 

I also used USA Trains track with a rail bender that bends both rails at once (I think its called Train Li - an odd name and very expensive). We dug a trench, lined it with weed block fabric, and installed 3/4" PVC sprinkler pipe, setting it in place with a "t" section pounded into the ground every so often. Then filled the trench with ballast to the top of the PVC. Layed the track, and secured ties about every 5 ft to the PVC (usually to the "T" sections), then covered the rest over with add'l ballast. It's worked beautifully to keep the track in place (two dogs here!) while maintaining some flexibility for track expansion/contraction. 

So do I take it you the Airwire / Phoenix install makes the engines battery powered with RC? Another member (Russ Rutalj) on this forum and I have found a "crusher fines" source here in So. Cal., out in Irwindale. Great stuff and looks very nice. I saw it on Russ' layout this week. When we go to breakfast Tuesday, I'll get some pictures. Although my new layout will still be on the ground, I'll be using these crusher fines as ballast. I'm also using PVC ladder roadbed this time around. I had an old layout in the yard built in 1985, where I used pea gravel. It was OK, but not that stable. Your roadbed in your video looks great to me. I have always wanted to get a live steam Shay for my new layout. Seeing yours, has definitely helped MY decision along!

Yes, I'm 100% battery now. I'll NEVER go back to track power, IMHO. My layout in 1985 was track power with the LGB Jumbo Pack. Everything worked great for a couple of years, but track maintenance became a true PITA. I swore then, I would eventually go to RC/battery.


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Robert, I'm also in So Cal (North Orange County) don't have steam but also have a C19 Airwire/Phoenix (Got mine same time as Gary from Jonathan at Electric Steam Modelworks). I run both battery and track power.

I am in the process of ballasting. I went to Sunburst Rock in Irwindale. Thanks Todd (Tortoise and Lizard Bash Railroad). The sub base of my ballast is loose granite they had that I paid $30.00 a 1/2 cubic yard. They were out of #5 granite at the time so I figured I would use the loose as a sub base. Last month I went back and picked up #5 crushed granite at $5.50 a bag (Now they were out of the loose stuff). At Sunburst they don't call it crusher fines.



















Here is some track with #5 Granite. You can see some of the larger loose granite to the right










Here is the difference in the two










I still have more track to lay, then go back and clean up my ballasting. 

Tommy








Rio Gracie


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## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

Wish I had found the crusher fines before settling on the "Green Rock" - from your pics, it looks much better! The rock tends to migrate into the yard, so I've also begun using a cement adhesive I found at Lowe's. It's in gallon jugs, and I dilute it 50/50 with water, in a garden pump sprayer. Basically I use a technique similar to what I do with n-scale ballast - I wet the rock with a hose, then spray the adhesive mix. The water allows it to migrate through the ballast. I just applied more today, in fact. 

Goal for tomorrow: run the K4 for the first time. 

BTW - I only run live steam in my backyard setup. 

- RD


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## Larry Green (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Robert, would you please tell us the brand name of the cement adhesive you mentioned. I use crushed quartz for ballast and there are some spots where it tends to wash during heavy rains. 

If that is you in the opening frames of the video, Then I guess you are not the Bob Dennis that I used to railfan with back in the 1958/1960's here in the east. 

Larry


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Get rid of the large white plastic bucket.


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## RimfireJim (Mar 25, 2009)

Posted By RDennis on 25 Sep 2011 12:29 AM 
There must be some of us who run G-scale live steam - enough to join LALS and get a track going! Anyone from around here get together to run trains? Do you have a track setup? And what do you run? 
There is a mailing list of southern California small live steamers maintained by Sonny Wizelman (sp?). I'm on it, but I don't think I have any message from which to grab an address for him. I'll check, though. He got my name from this forum, I think. I haven't been to any of the meets because I'm in San Diego County and most of them are in LA or San Bernadino Counties, or even as far away as Las Vegas. I know there have been some in Palos Verdes and the SF Valley, so those shouldn't be too far away from you in Burbank.


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## Russell Rutalj (Dec 7, 2010)

This is the same rock Tommy has. For my 165 feet of track i will use 4 bags of #5 crusher fines. 
I used Quikrete concrete bonding adhesive and miked it 2 parts water and 1 part bonding adhesive. Mixed it a little and it pours out like milk. It dries in 12 hours.Dries clear.


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## RDennis (Sep 25, 2011)

I think its the Quikrete concrete bonding adhesive that I use, too, diluted 1:1. I may use it undiluted in a couple of high traffic areas.


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