# Playing in the cold, cold, mud



## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

As some folks may remember, due to some questions of our status with the folks who now own the park (I think "attractive nuisance" might have been a term used), the railroad got "left go" for much of last year. ... Gone to seed might be a better term. Kim and I decided over the winter that, if it's going to have to go, it will go out looking like it should.

Winter, a dog, or maybe the midget mafia was really hard on the mine... and the rest doesn't look all that much better. 









Still, the foundations are solid, all it will take is a lot of "love".... or maybe elbow grease. 









The first order of business was lifting up every single border rock to pull up about 10 pounds worth of Gil o'er the Ground (Creeping Charlie)... anybody have some medieval style beer they need to clarify?

Back when I first built the line some guys questioned why I used patio blocks for sub-roadbed instead of the tried and true trench and limestone ballast. The answer is, 1. I had a real bad experience with Vinca coming up through the roadbed before.and 2. Extra support for foot traffic. For those who thought re-levelling the block sounded too much like a chore, I did about 15 feet of RoW in an hour yesterday, but I probably spent more time trying to get the neighbor's stupid baby goat to get out of my face and go away than actually working.. I didn't even have to remove the track... just slide the block out sideways, add pea gravel to replace the 1/2" of subsidence, slide the block back, and, 









Back to grade, and ready to reballst... I haven't decided yet between using bony again, chicken grit, or even a blend of the two.









The elevated sections that are set on cinder blocks got built back up with some used ceramic tiles...









I've ordered boxwood basil, lemon thyme, and some other stuff that probably can't go in until the 1st week of May. And Kim got me two new dwarf spruces (BTW they are on sale at Lowes NOW for $5 each!!) The pond water is too %$#& cold to clean it out yet.

More photos when there's something to show...


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## Randy Stone (Jan 2, 2008)

Glad to see you and Kim are bringing the RR back into service.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Kim decided I needed 3 more baby spruces while they were on sale... Here's two 











The first building back was the church, I have a bridal couple here someplace 











This pic shows the kind of subsidence I'm dealing with. A couple spots are as much as 1" I got about halfway around back up to grade 











We decided to move the sawmill to make room for more herbs 





















There'll be more garden below the sawmill, too.... or perhaps a camp.....


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## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Nice job, spring brings renewal, I like it. The sawmill reminded me of your cool steam tractor power for the mill. I like that one also. 
BTW, my sub road bed is concrete, BUT, I just added a 16 foot spur and due to logiistics put it on 8 x 16 x 1.5 inch concrete pavers. Seemed to go in quick and easy, and appreciate your comments on periodic leveling. 

Jerry


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Looking good! I assume on many of the buildings you built them yourself. They look great! 

Pj


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

some built some bought and modified... nearly nothing goes out "off the shelf"... thanks 

I decided, while we were raising stuff up, to bring the entire village up an inch and re-level it as well. This should help keep as much dirt and crap from washing into the pond.... 










pulling up half the blocks at a time went pretty fast and easy 





































And then the buildings went back.... we'll re-populate it tomorrow 










Several bunches of Greek Oregano have come back up, but so did thistles and dandelions.... The rosemary died, but Kim's weeping cherry, which stands sentinel over the lower loop and the mine, has bloomed.... Spring has sprung.


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Mik, 
Thanks for the update. 

John


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

Some pix from yesterday.... 

Sorting/staging stuff to be put out 










The olde pharte bbq folks are getting a little beat up and faded... next winter I'm gonna hafta repaint or replace them 










These goats are allowed in my garden... at least until they become dinner. 










Kim got me this cigar store Indian for Christmas.... Why there are a couple old salts in Western Pennsylvania might take some 'splaining, tho 










The mail lady keeps buying my nicer cars.... these are getting scruffy enough that they need a repaint... 










A spring day in 1962...Just busy enough to look like an average small town Saturday 




























The firemen I got last September.... I'm hoping the dwarf cherry tree will shade them enough that they won't fade too quickly. 










Today I set the base for some birdhouse cabins, moved some stone to make room for a new Rosemary plant, and sowed some boxwood basil and lemon thyme seeds.... tomorrow they're calling for rain so I'll probably spend it rehabbing the machine shop for the mine.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Wow Allen thats quite the transformation from the first pics in this thread, nice to see the AV back in operation.


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## Mik (Jan 2, 2008)

I needed more rock for the border, so Kim and I got stoned, err, collected stones last weekend. After you shift about 300# of sandstone twice, you really don't feel much like doing anything else... especially not take pictures of rocks 

But a $10 investment (plus stuff I already had) resulted in the thriving hamlet of Birdsboro (yeah, I know... boo, hiss) 









I also made some progress stocking Martha's Produce... your eyes see what they expect to, so painted beads look ok from a few feet away









I found this at Goodwill today for $2... what child of the ''60s-70s could resist? Sadly Spritle and Chim-Chim must be hiding in the trunk again. (okay. so it wasn't introduced in the US until '67... don't care)


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