# Rearranging Dirt on The Knackered Valley RR



## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

When I started building my Knackered Valley garden railroad almost 3 years ago, I was blessed with a completely flat backyard. I knew that, for landscaping purposes, I wanted a ground level roadbed without any grades, except for a slightly raised staging area. I did want some bridges so if the track was at ground level then whatever the bridges would span would have to be dug out below ground level. This dirt plus that from the 3-4 inch trenches for the roadbed would have to go somewhere. So, I proceeded to pile this dirt up in several areas. An existing front yard berm was extended with some of the dirt and a new berm was established along the far property line. This left plenty of dirt for several “hills” along the right of way. 
The first two “hills” were added and landscaped after the initial phase II loop was completed in 2013. Here is how they look this year.
*Hill O' Beans*



















*Ovatha Hill*









This Spring I transferred the last pile of dirt to a new "hill" area as yet unnamed. 
This is what it looked like last year. Just a patch of grass.









Now, after many wheelbarrows full of dirt and various plantings.



























The brown plastic planter was repurposed from another area and serves as a place holder until I can find a better accent piece. The solar lights were purchased at this year's Walt Disney World Epcot Flower and Garden Show. This annual show is a great inspiration for the garden, RR or otherwise. Plus, there is the beautiful garden railway next to the German pavilion.
Now to come up with a name for my new hill!


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## pete (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for sharing your pictures. You have a good looking garden railroad.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

Beautiful, hope mine looks that good when I finally get all the tracks I want to expand it into the backyard from it's small odd shape that it is now in the side yard.

Would love to know where you got that gorgeous blue butterfly in your Ovatha Hill photo {hope I spelled that and got the name right...hard to see the name in the photo for me}. But would sure love to find butterflies like that in various colors{if available} for my yard and garden, not just for the railroad!


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Orville, I got those metal butterflies in, of all places, the Dollar Store.
They appear each spring but tend to disappear by the beginning of May.
Yes, it is Ovatha Hill. The theme of the names, including the RR, is a take on the
fact that I retired 3 years ago after 40 years of work.


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## Cataptrra (Mar 16, 2015)

backyardRR said:


> Orville, I got those metal butterflies in, of all places, the Dollar Store.
> They appear each spring but tend to disappear by the beginning of May.
> Yes, it is *Ovatha Hill*. The theme of the names, including the RR, is a take on the
> fact that I retired 3 years ago after 40 years of work.


Slapping hand on forehead! I missed that connection! ROFL

Yes, I know what you mean, I find a lot of great stuff at the Dollar Stores, but if you don't get in early, you miss out until next year, hoping they may carry the item{s} again for what you missed the previous year!

I'm also retired after about 41 years of working, but I was kind of forced into early retirement and on disability, being legally blind does have it's challenges when making repairs or trying to make sure you're seeing something correctly. But there are multiple other medical issues that put me on the disabled list, along with the vision problems. I hate it, would rather be working and making a lot more money than I do on SSD, unfortunately sometimes that's just how it goes in our elder years, but I don't feel that old {57 this year!}, although occasionally I feel like I may be a 150+. LOL

Anyway, love your railroad and the signs you made for the areas, I'll bet it's a lot nicer in person than any photo could do it justice, but they sure are close. Beautiful work.


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## backyardRR (Aug 14, 2012)

Many thanks for the compliments Orville. Sorry to hear about your health issues. I retired at a healthy 61. For me it was a job that I originally loved that in later years became untenable as they rototilled directors with each subsequent one being worse than the previous. Past history now. 
The energy that I put into my job now goes into my trains. 

p.s. In case you are not up on British slang, knackered basically means tired or worn out after hard word. Originally used to refer to a horse or mule that was past it, hence the sway back mule in the herald. A bit like me!


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