Post by raymbo on Jun 13, 2012 19:59:12 GMT -5
The day before yesterday we had about 40' to go to finish our 1,000' loop around the house and barn. It was then discovered that my Jethro Bodine cyphering class back in the 5th grade failed me.
On a 4' level, the open end measured 3" and I thought that was 3%, well DUH! I was trying to railroad with 6% grades.
A friend stopped by and helped with a cut that I made in the yard and I knew it was steep but after learning that the hard truth is that on a 4' level the measurement of the open end is 1-1/2 inches for 3%.
We tore out over 200' of track and started over. We relocated one line past the house by moving the turn out up to a higher location on the property and abandoned the lower line all together.
The other 250' of track came out down at the BIG DIG. We had to raise the roadbed on the lower end of the property by 18 more inches which resulted in the ability to put in a bridge rather than a culvert and about 15 ton of 610 rock compacted on the new roadbed.
With the roadbed now in much better shape the replacing of the track is in progress. All of the curved sections will have to be reworked completely as they came apart when we tried to move a 24' section rather than take each panel apart. So that will be next.
We hope to have a GOLDEN SPIKE by the end of the weekend. I have to find some work to do away from home so I can recuperate. This age thing has crept up and smacked me.
Here are a few photos of the progress and setbacks.
01 cut further back by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The cut in the yard had to be brought back to the reversing loop turnout and 120' of additional cut was needed.
02 new curve by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Relocating the track to higher ground next to the house
03 new and old locations by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Here the new track location is seen higher on the lay of the land with the abandoned route being cleaned up. Did I mention that we had all that track ballasted? One shovel full at a time?
04 raised roadbed by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The raised roadbed on the lower end of the property. We raise it 18 inches in 150'. We are very grateful for the neighbor loaning us his farm tractor with a front end loader to move all the 610 stone to the fill.
05 bridge location by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Opportunity to put in a bridge presented itself so we got some retaining wall concrete blocks to build the end supports and the rainy season won't build a pond behind close to 3' of fill.
06 cut and fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The BIG DIG cut and fill. We still have dressing to do but at least the grass will survive along the ROW.
The trucks for our F-7 locomotive from MDM arrived and I want to get this track work done so the wife can ballast it and I can start putting the trucks together. Sounds like a good deal to me.......
RG
14 June--The Big Dig Fill bridge is ready for track and the fill is nearing being ready for track now that the compactor is working again.
07 track installed by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The track is reinstalled on the grade by the house and ready for ballast and leveling.
08 bridge at Big Dig Fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The Big Dig Fill bridge is ready for track
09 new bridge by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The bridge looks good in the evening sun.
10 track work going back on Big Dig Fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Track is going back on the Big Dig Fill now that it is raised up some to lower the percent of grade at the Big Dig Cut.
We are now at or below 3% and it is going to have to stay that way.
The trucks for our diesel arrived and I plan to start work on them as soon as the rail is complete so that ballast work can start and go at a leisurely pace. If there is a leisurely pace.
On a 4' level, the open end measured 3" and I thought that was 3%, well DUH! I was trying to railroad with 6% grades.
A friend stopped by and helped with a cut that I made in the yard and I knew it was steep but after learning that the hard truth is that on a 4' level the measurement of the open end is 1-1/2 inches for 3%.
We tore out over 200' of track and started over. We relocated one line past the house by moving the turn out up to a higher location on the property and abandoned the lower line all together.
The other 250' of track came out down at the BIG DIG. We had to raise the roadbed on the lower end of the property by 18 more inches which resulted in the ability to put in a bridge rather than a culvert and about 15 ton of 610 rock compacted on the new roadbed.
With the roadbed now in much better shape the replacing of the track is in progress. All of the curved sections will have to be reworked completely as they came apart when we tried to move a 24' section rather than take each panel apart. So that will be next.
We hope to have a GOLDEN SPIKE by the end of the weekend. I have to find some work to do away from home so I can recuperate. This age thing has crept up and smacked me.
Here are a few photos of the progress and setbacks.
01 cut further back by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The cut in the yard had to be brought back to the reversing loop turnout and 120' of additional cut was needed.
02 new curve by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Relocating the track to higher ground next to the house
03 new and old locations by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Here the new track location is seen higher on the lay of the land with the abandoned route being cleaned up. Did I mention that we had all that track ballasted? One shovel full at a time?
04 raised roadbed by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The raised roadbed on the lower end of the property. We raise it 18 inches in 150'. We are very grateful for the neighbor loaning us his farm tractor with a front end loader to move all the 610 stone to the fill.
05 bridge location by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Opportunity to put in a bridge presented itself so we got some retaining wall concrete blocks to build the end supports and the rainy season won't build a pond behind close to 3' of fill.
06 cut and fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The BIG DIG cut and fill. We still have dressing to do but at least the grass will survive along the ROW.
The trucks for our F-7 locomotive from MDM arrived and I want to get this track work done so the wife can ballast it and I can start putting the trucks together. Sounds like a good deal to me.......
RG
14 June--The Big Dig Fill bridge is ready for track and the fill is nearing being ready for track now that the compactor is working again.
07 track installed by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The track is reinstalled on the grade by the house and ready for ballast and leveling.
08 bridge at Big Dig Fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The Big Dig Fill bridge is ready for track
09 new bridge by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
The bridge looks good in the evening sun.
10 track work going back on Big Dig Fill by Ray Grosser, on Flickr
Track is going back on the Big Dig Fill now that it is raised up some to lower the percent of grade at the Big Dig Cut.
We are now at or below 3% and it is going to have to stay that way.
The trucks for our diesel arrived and I plan to start work on them as soon as the rail is complete so that ballast work can start and go at a leisurely pace. If there is a leisurely pace.