# July Lone Peak & Western Update.



## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry for the dry spell on updates.. 

A) I've been very busy at work.. 
B) It's the middle of the cycling season and I've been out an about at a few events. 
and 
C) I've been busy runnin' trains !!! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif 

When last I reported I believe I had posted photos of the completed phase 1, the elevation of the old line.. as a reminder..it look's like this. 



















Over the last few days I've had some time to build out some more frames and I got the first two frames of the new extension installed this morning... 

To borrow a line for John Krakauer... We're going Into the Wild.. 



















This will take the line behind the shop and follow the fenceline all along the back of the lot to a turnaround on the south east corner then double back.... 
Seeing as how I'm hosting the August club meeting, I need to stay busy on this for the next week or so... 

Though you guys may like an update.. Again, sorry for the long dry spell.


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## pacbelt (Jul 8, 2008)

Looks good! 

I love the fact that it's elevated. Folks like me can't reach the floor anymore!/DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/tongue.gif


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Dave looks good does it have good drainage for the plants?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

The draingae is almost too good Ron. Since the soil is only about 2" deep, and has 1/2' hardware cloth and landscape fabric on the bottom is dries out very quickly. I'm finding that to support ANY plants at all it needs to be SOAKED daily..


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Yeah me ! More progress. I've placed the first two fames along the back fence line. So far, I'm liking what I'm seeing. Here's the photo update. 










As shown at the top of this thread the line will exit the existing loop (seen on the far left below), come between the fence and the workshop and exit onto the new benchwork as shown here to the right of the shop door. I may build a tunnel portal there at some point in time. 










View looking out the shop door. There will be a turnaround loop on the south end under the honeysuckle overhanging the fence. 










Once I get the construction done, I better get busy getting the lawn in order.. 
All for now.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 07/13/2008 8:28 PM
The draingae is almost too good Ron. Since the soil is only about 2" deep, and has 1/2' hardware cloth and landscape fabric on the bottom is dries out very quickly. I'm finding that to support ANY plants at all it needs to be SOAKED daily.. 




Two words: Drought Tolerant 

Gotta get plants that can handle being in dry soil.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Already looking into it .... 
Personally, I'm draught tolerant myself.. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/laugh.gif


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Dave how are you going to get back between fence and shed cause you know Murphy's law that is where the train will derail.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Well..... 

A) I have very good karma 

that notwithstanding.. 

The area between the shop & fence widens toward the back. It's only 15" wide next to the door, but opens to about 3'6" in the rear. What I can't get to at arms length from the front, I can go around the back and reach.. plus my son is only 9 and can squeeze into just about anywhere.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Then again you could put hole in side of the shed and reach from there. For when the boy grows.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

At this point a basic (projected) track plan would be helpful so we can see where you are going with all of this.   I see a great opportunity for a tunnel portal, but beyond that I can't see where the track will tie in with the exisiting framework.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

OK... Here's a rough trackplan Ron. not to scale and there will be (have been) a few modification as we move into the real world. But I think you can see how things will fit together..


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Dave, 

Lookin' good!! You're working so fast your RR will be longer than mine in no time! 
Very nice for sure. Will you have space for a depot or something along the straightaway?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

You betcha Richard, already in the works.. 

~2 Depots (one on each end) 
~Coal terminal 
~Merchandise loading dock 
~Hobo's "Shanty Town" 
~yard office and tower.... 

It may take a while to get there, but it'll happen... 
Right now I'm just concentrating on getting everything up and runing by August 16th.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, Where your train yard? For i can parking your track. Looking great dave.... I cant wait to see it /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/w00t.gif 
Bryan


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

AHHHHHHHHHHHHH !!! 


It's GROWING !!!!!!


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Wow, lots of progress yesterday, too much as a matter of fact. I completed the run down the back fence-line and made the corner to begin the south turnaround loop. Thanks to our man Shad for a bit of commerce, he sold me a 10" circle of track to facilitate the trun, you'll see it in the photos. I made a bit too much progress in so far as i have run out of lumber. I'll need to make run to Homew Depot this week and get another 20 2x4's, that should finish us off. Then more hardware cloth & topsoil...then it's time to lay track!.. Lot's of it!... Yeah! 



















I also need to send out the MOW crews with some defoliant and arbor tools to cut back the honeysuckle overhanging the fence. All in good time.


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Dave F on 07/15/2008 1:19 PM

OK... Here's a rough trackplan Ron. not to scale and there will be (have been) a few modification as we move into the real world. But I think you can see how things will fit together..












I guess there is something to be said for the basic dogbone design. And I see that my trackplan vaguely resembles yours, except that I use a single line track and  have a much-more developed infrastructure (so far).  I assume that at some point you will be adding more complexity to your basic design.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Oh you bet. The plan I posted is just a rough outline of the mainline, there will be more than a few spurs, sidings, industrial leads and a RIP track in the yard.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Did a fair amount of work back in buggy corner this morning. (Buggy as in spiders, ants, and other assorted pests, not the "horse and" variety).. 

I decked the framework leading off the main benchwork and installed a corner brace to accomadate the "new" turn in the mainline. I also repositioned the track to interface with the new benchwork. I won't (read as can't) be running on the north loop any more untill I complete the new mainline, I figure about 10 days or so. Thankfully I have two friends in the club with Train-Li trackbenders. I'll need to do a bit of tweaking to get everything aligned just so.. 

Todays Progress.. 





































I'll keep you posted on developments.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

It is coming along nicely, Dave


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Thanks Ron, I'm gettin' quite excited... This is fun.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Well, I faced one of my biggest fears with regards to engineering challenges this morning. I placed the track in the passage between the shed and the fence. It went swimmingly. I am so pleased. I used four pieces of 6' dia curve track to build in a couple of "doglegs" to get around the tree and fencepost. I may have a high speed chicane in the middle of the run, but unless you've got your head back there most folks won't see it. And yes, it's tight, but I can still get to it from the backside.


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

I hope that aint a "reverse S" I see in there , is there a small straight section in between those two curved sections?


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## Rayman4449 (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Dave, looking good! I didn't realize you were in the process of doing such a large expansion! /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/shocked.gif Really like your approach to raising the track off the ground and using the screening to hold the material in place but still letting it drain. 

Look foward to following along with your progress.  


Raymond


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Yeah, thanks Ray, we've got quite the project goin' here.. To quote a line from the theme song of a cinematic masterpiece (Smokey & the Bandit).. "We've got a long way to go and a short time to get there". We'll make it though.. 

Today's press release... 

The CFO's office of the LP&W approved the purchase of some heavy equipmet to clearcut the dense overgrowth on the south end of the LP&W's expansion project. The specialty equipmet was procured for the sum of $9.85 from the heavy equipmet division of K-Mart. 









MOW crews got underway as soon as the new clear cutting machinery was on site and had the right of way clear and ready for further construction in short order. 









The CFO's office released this statement. 

"The procurement of this type of specialty equipment, while costly initially, will ensure that the LP&W will be able to maintian our right of way and continue to provide the great levels of service, timely delivery and exemplary passenger service that we've come to be known for. "


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Dave, Do you need something to guard your track from the tree that is growing over the fence over our mainline track?


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Nah, the tree is not an issue. There really are no branches to speak of below fence top level..


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

The benchwork is complete ! 

Finished off the framework on the south turnaround loop this morning. 









All that remains is to deck the frames with hardware cloth and landscape fabric, attach the side rails and infill with topsoil...then lay track.. 

Yeah!


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## Greg Stevens (Jan 3, 2008)

That's really looking good Dave. Nice job of construction and thanks for the constant updates. Keep 'em coming.


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Worry not Greg. I'm not one to shy away from posting pics and updates..


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## Dave F (Jan 2, 2008)

*RE: July Lone Peak & Western Update.*

Ok.. Guess I should now lable this the August LP&W update but why start another thread, right? 

Plenty of good progress to report. I have ALL the benchwork decked and covered with landscape cloth. Today I place most of the side-rail cleats and decided to "layout" the mainline just to get a feel for the "fit" of it all.....Mmmmmmm, I like it. 

Long view of the mainline. 









For those interested in such things, the siding, between the switches, will be 21 feet long, with another 18 feet of trailing spur on the south end. 

Looking north at the "tunnel opening". 









The mainline track on the left (outside) will be gently curved to follow the benchwork. 

The south turnaround. 









The south terminus of the siding with the extended spur continuing south. 









I should be running trains next weekend.


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