# free mountains



## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Feller, I don't get on here much as I am always busy. Been retired near 13 yrs and swamped with stuff to do. Part has to do with having needy friends that never tried to learn to do stuff and want the retired guy to deal with their problem free. One of my biggest time consuming activities is hauling landscape company waste. I live in a sizable city with all sorts of draconian rules about how one must keep their home and one of my other hobbies is old cars and even though the lying politicians claim they are for historic preservation and conservation and recycling and such, yoy better not have any vintage cars not hidden in a garage or like change out an engine where the feminine fellows can see it. So a friend in the next county let me keep cars there. The property has big sinkholes and my friend always wanted to fill them. So I was at a landscape joint looking for some rock and I saw a pile of concrete rubble and figured it could cost much and I asked about it. I was told I could have all of it for free and was sowed a large pile of dirt that I was told I could also have. Started hauling it off and the dirt pile got bigger. Found out they have dirt from jobs. leftover materials, spillage, piles get mixed, mulch molds, etc and all of it has to go. After about a year, they fixed me up with a used truck with a dump bed fore $1000 and I use that and my friend bought a tractor with a front end loader because we get so much waste dirt from them. In the spring, summer, and fall and some winter, I haul off a couple tons a day 5 or 6 days a week to keep up with them. In the past I would read in Garden Railways where someone would claim they had 5 tons of dirt hauled in and that sounded like so much. Now that sounds like child's play. My point to this long story is that if you need dirt to do your railway layout and are low budget, you might want to makes some calls to round up some free stuff a company wants to go away. Businesses as landscapers, construction companies, and swimming pool contractors need to frequently dispose of dirt and you might get a free load. There is the problem of other stuff being mixed in and my friend now has piles of stepping stones, pavers, bed edging, decorative rock and the like. The landscape company also now takes the waste from a nursery they work with and I end up with all sorts of plants when seasons end. In Nov I got pumpkins, squash, and mums. Just a fw days ago I hauled off 19 cut evergreens and 12 the next day and gave away to friends.

Doug


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Are these real sinkholes, like limestone caverns? (wonder what state you are in).

What types of old cars, noticed "BMW", I used to ride thier murdercycles.

Greg


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Yes, collapsed limestone caves. Have one narrow cave opening and another hole where one can see vapors rising when cold. Put hard stuff in the hole bottoms in case of unknown water flow.

Regarding motor scooters, have a variety excluding Japanese. Admit I don't have a real BMW R71, have 4 Chinese knockoffs, Changjiangs. Poor man"s version of the rare and historic bike. Three have sidecars, Lots of fun until they break. Parts cheap, shipping from China usually more than the parts.

Regarding cars and trucks, again a variety, mostly old air cooled Vdubs including 4 Things. Air suckers rule.

Doug


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I think I mentioned before had a R90 and an R100


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

Guess my first love as far as scooters go are Harley Sportsters. The Chinese military sidecar scooters are knockoffs of like a 1937 BMW R71. First coped by Ruskies and then transferred to their commie buddies, the Chinese. All the fun and frustration of a crude antique at a fraction of the price. If you see WWII German re-enactors with motorcycles, probably Changs done up to look period. Saw one with a re-enactor at the October Knob Creel machine gun shoot. No pictures, have no idea what I did with my cameras and don't have a cell phone.

Doug


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Unfortunately my "bike era" is over. Smashed first one in 105 mph crash, and second in headon collision.

Nothing but cars now.

I used to watch the sidecars compete in the motocross races, that was a crazy use of a sidecar.

Greg


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

That is one of my favorite things to do with these bikes, off-road. Also have some Rusky sidecar bikes, Dneprs, a touch more modern more like what you pictured ans some of those have a powered sidecar wheel. Mine don't. Admit that the fear of a bad wreck on road is always there. Must ride like you are invisible.

Regarding your high speed accident, long ago rode with some that liked to do that. Quickly realized I like low and slow on a chopper. Many times the ride is better than the destination so no reason to rush.

Doug


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## bmwr71 (Jan 30, 2010)

To update my story, got mad at the landscape joint I was getting dirt from as they were taking in materials for a fee and then passing it off to me to get rid of without cutting me in on the money. Told them to go get, well you know. Sent out 3 emails to other landscape joints and a few hours later, had a new source of some really nice material. As I said, companies need to get rid of the stuff, why not get it for free. Does help to have a good truck, but one can pay for delivery. Usually larger trucks end up cheaper by volume for a load. But a real home gardener has a truck with a dump bed. It is just a glorified wheelbarrow. Super Duties rock.

Doug


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## Neals647 (Aug 11, 2017)

We got a great deal on free dirt for our Medford Garden Railroaders club layout. We started a number of years ago. Just as we were trying to figure out where to get dirt, the fire station next door began a rebuild of their driveway. We talked to the contractor, who was thrilled to have such a close place to dump for free. I don't recall how many truck loads we took, but it was enough for some pretty large mountains.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

I read all 8 of your posts....


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## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Very good advice Doug. I found the stones for my rock walls on my new pike (in Ardèche) from the demolition site of a n old factory being shut down. i will try and get some dirt for some improvements.


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