Garden and railway complete re-hash

Hi Guys, not much progress due to frosty weather,however wee bit milder today and to be mild tonight so got some building progress today. Pushed the right hand walling on a bit and made a start to the header basin for the pond waterfall.

Davy,

Looks like good weather there. Here in my home state of NH it's still winter although we have a warm up tomorrow, mud season is right around the corner. Always great to see your hardscaping progress.

Hi George, not so nice today, we're still in the "is it winter?/is it spring?" time ,still makin up its mind ,but in Scotland you can get 4 seasons in a day any time of the year  so ye just need to take it as it comes .   ha ha

Wet most of the day but dried up for a wee while later. Cemented the bottom of the pump sump for the new pond and laid some hardcore ready for continuing the path up the centre of the garden.

Looks great Davy!!

Oh well, decent day today. Got the pond sump lined with brick and smoothed off...

Davy Mac posted:

Oh well, decent day today. Got the pond sump lined with brick and smoothed off...

Is this for your garden pond?

Hi George, yip, that former patio area will be a pond shortly . That sump-hole is for the pump,....lowest point in the pond. Will also serve as a bolt hole for the fish if Mr Heron or MrCat show up lookin for a fish meal.  I'll be workin on this area for the next few days. Lot of work still to go before its complete . Will get lined with thick wet newspaper,then the butyl pond liner's next. Then more cement and stone work to dress it, water plants etc., ...anyway watch this space George !!

Wow, and I thought my scenery (mostly made from foam, cloth  and caulk) was taking a while.

I live in the Pacific NW, where garden RRs aren't that terribly popular. Too much work for something you wouldn't get to run much...

G scale in the snow in NH, USA. Check out this link and the video at the bottom of the page, it is not my layout.

G Scale Feb 2016 Snow Train

Nice layout George. I'd imagine liftin the leaves in the fall will be a pain in amongst all the trees though eh ??  .

Hi Guys, view from upstairs window. Central path now complete and new patio taking shape at the far end /right. Pond and waterfall will be to the left.

Taking shape.!

Hi Guys, weather ain't been great ,holdin things back but got a bit done yesterday and a few days ago.  Got armoured cabling laid and an external plug box installed for power supply to the pond. Laid this along the route of the path next to the new pond area. Also got the brick lip laid along the pond edge. Hardcore laid over the armoured cabling. Once the pond liner is in situ ,paving slabs will be laid on top of this formation.

Also got the central flower bed stonework and top patio pushed on a bit. Ditto the right hand walling for the track bed and also got another patio made a start to at the bottom R/H side of the garden in what used t be the old clothes drying area. Rain has yet again stopped play...still... gettin there slow but sure !!  

Your progress is amazing. I am enjoying following your work!

Cheers Corey, needin some consistent dry weather to really get pushed on,however will get there ...eventually !!

Davy mate, this must be one of the best threads on here  

Its great to see the amount of graft you are putting in and the progress being made, it's looking great. I'm sure many a single malt will be 'baptized' sitting there in the sun watching trains in the not too distant.

cheers.......

Hi Guys, well,the Scottish weather pretty much behaved itself today so I got a good shift in. Beginnin to see the light at the end of the tunnel. Whole load of the old patio base broken up and removed to the rear and the area cleared for the shrub/flower bed which will divide the garden approximately central. Bit more path-slabbing done too. Ah,well,will let the pictures do the talking. The over-all eventual shape of things now becoming a bit clearer in these pics.

Very nice garden railroad. Having been a mason since thirteen, I can appreciate the work you're doing. I have been contemplating a garden RR for some time, and your work has inspired me to get started. I currently have an outdoor covered suspended layout under the patio attached to my work shop,which I will remove the track from to begin a layout in small section of the yard. I do have room for expansion, and a ten by twelve foot oval pond I'd like to cross at some future point in time. I won't be getting started this weekend though, as we are expecting up to six inches of snow on Saturday.

Hi Rail, cheers,   really nice lookin stonework on your pond. I look forward to seein your railway in future. Certainly don't count myself a stone mason, I just stick stones together with cement  . Good fun though.  I sincerely hope we've seen the last of this winter's snow , just need sunshine 

Davy always fun to check on your "hardscape" If do anything outside it will be "pale" in comparasion with my G scale.

Rail I like your Koi!

Good mornin guys, well have to go and work for a living this afternoon but was up early and got that path completed . At least its some progress !!.  

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Rail, cheers,   really nice lookin stonework on your pond. I look forward to seein your railway in future. Certainly don't count myself a stone mason, I just stick stones together with cement  . Good fun though.  I sincerely hope we've seen the last of this winter's snow , just need sunshine 

Thanks Davy Mac, the wall was key to the pond and workshop. It extends down to below the pond bottom and serves as the back wall, as well as the support wall for the shop's second floor overhang, and the retaining wall for the patio behind it. It is made to look like dry stacked stone, but the mortar is recessed to give that appearance. Some refer to this technique as "Ghost Joints"

Your stone work is certainly worthy of recognition, as is you ground work technique of embedding wood into concrete. I am considering using composite decking material. I have used it a edging for my brick paver walkway, and it has held up well, except for a section the lifted due to roots from a maple tree that has since been removed due to disease. 

Don

Seacoast posted:

Davy always fun to check on your "hardscape" If do anything outside it will be "pale" in comparasion with my G scale.

Rail I like your Koi!

George,

My son got the Koi from a woman he did some work for a few years ago. Some neighborhood hoodlums were throwing rocks at her fish, so she decided to eliminate the pond instead of the problem. She gave the fish to my son, as he told her we had a pond large enough to sustain the fish. We lost one this past winter. We're not sure if it was old age or some other reason. The pond is deep enough to not freeze solid, and we do use a heater in extreme cold temps. 

Don

Hi Don,thanks for the thumbs up on my stonework efforts. Suppose I do alright for an amateur. Theres a proper stone mason just did a job for an aquaintance of mine nearby,superb workmanship,just like your own. Beautifull work.  As for the fish, Koi are nice but expensive and there are a lot of Heron in this area and aren't shy about visiting the tiniest pond in the most built up urbun area for a feed either. So I generally stick to goldfish.  Lot of domestic cats around here too .  I used to keep native river minnows and sticklebacks .Sticklebacks are fascinating wee fish to watch. I'll be starting to the new pond shortly.

As for the wood-in-cement tracklaying method,works fine as long as drainage is good. Otherwise frost-heave in winter could be problematic.   

Hi Guys, latest progress. bottom RH corner patio complete . 

Nice progress Davy. To bad you did not live closer, a house call to my yard with your masonry skills is needed.

Hi Guys, this mornin  I went and bought the liner for the pond ,then this afternoon started cement work on the pond sides . Once thats done,then its a layer of thick wet newspapers,then the liner then more cement and stone work ,using waterproof cement. Then pump,plants etc.,etc., to complete. 

Hi Guys, preparatory work on the new pond almost complete

I'm going out to survey my proposed site to come up with some ideas. I'll post a few pics of the spot I'm considering.

Don

Good stuff Don. Lookin forward to seein your project 

Took a few photos. The first four are of the area I'm considering. The others show the back half of the yard, including the pond and workshop, for future expansion. Our beloved maple tree used to occupy the area to the left of the walkway leading to the swing.

Don

Hi Don, you've certainly got plenty room.  Curious to see what you come up with. 

Oh ,well,got the mornin dry and sunny so got a wee bit progress made. Got some more slabs and stones laid and a couple of posts put in for "she who must be obeyed"'s clothes drying area.  (Anythin for the quiet life) ,  Rain has now stopped play...  need to go and work for a living later anyway...   

Today's progress, rubble and debris cleared from RH side ,ready for another track-side path to be laid and dressing off with ornamental stone chips. 

Todays progress....  2 more posts in and RH path complete....

Fantastic weather here today, ...decided not to do that clothes drying area with stone chips ,decided it would be better lookin with grass so soiled it and raked it and its almost ready for turfing. Also got most of the soil mound demolished and spread on the small lawn on the left hand side, it too should be turfed in the next couple of days. Almost beginning to look like a garden again. 

Yesterdays progress, ......garden access steps in place, fence between me and the R/H neighbour's garden pushed on a bit. 

Another beautifull day weatherwise. R/H fence complete and L/H side path complete as far as the pond area. 

Very nice workmanship, I'd hire you to do stone work any day. The project is progressing nicely.

Don

Hi Don, thanks for the thumbs up, ...just wish I was at the track laying and train running stage ,still ....gettin there !! Done anything with your own plans yet ?  

Not so warm today but dry with occasional sunshine so got on OK. Turfing complete. Beginning to take shape . Tomorrow I need to work for a living ,so will be next week before any more progress. !!

well,had a couple of days off,  back at it again, pushin on with the central flower bed stonework. 

I love when a project gets to this point and you can see the light at the end of the tunnels. Looking great Davy.

Hi Joe thanks for the encouragement !. Makin progress but still a whole load of work to go yet. Doin the stonework is fernickety and time consuming,.... still...am gettin there !!.  I think  ???? 

Very nice work.

You are a one man construction company

Larry

Thanks Larry  

Central flower bed/planter taking shape

Pheeeeenominal!

Thanks for the thumbs up Joe 

Hi Guys, nice afternoon so had another couple of hours at the planter. The ends are now complete just the middle to plant out and dress with the pea gravel. Boy,am I glad to see that bit done !!!  Next for my attention is the pond and waterfall !!  Oh well need to go and work for a living ! 

As usual Very nice Davy! Inspiring! Is that green area for your patio? Also your picture in the last post has changed you look different..

Hi George, no the green areas are just small grass lawns.  The main patio will be in the top right where the rubble pile currently sits.  Still a lot of work to go , ...... but not as much as when I started ,  and the last job will be the best bit...... laying track and playing trains....!! 

Looking Awesome!

Thanks Corey ! 

Hi Guys ,scorching weather here now ,ideal for workin on the new pond. Just in the process of lining it with thick wet newspapers ,makes for a good protective underlay for the liner. The central planter bed is now finished and planted out. Just a case of waitin for the plants to do their thing. 

Hi Guys, well, sun got too hot to work in this afternoon , so I got one of my locos out and gave it a spin on the short length of track thats laid. Great view for a rail nut about 3 feet from the kitchen-diner window ?  Can't wait to get into the tracklaying and train running. Another couple of weeks or so and I should be ver near ready to turn my attention in that direction !!  

Davy this is turning out to be the Ultimate outdoor Man Cave or Space!

Somehow, I've only just discovered this thread.  Davy you're a mad man! All that work!!! What a wonderful space you'll have when it's finished.

ha ha .... aye George ,and the wife'll probably tell me to move into train hut when its finished........ come to think of it ,a wee wood burnin stove and a sleepin bag and I'd be quite happy..... .....  Hi  Wiltz.... just saw your reply ....yip...totally mad...thats what ma wife says too, ...great fun...  and the best bit's still to come !!

Now !!! run a train.

Looking very good.

Larry

cheers larry !

And so the serious pond work begins this mornin ....liner goin in.

Roastin day here today,so have downed tools 3.30PM. Got the left side of the pond-liner bricked in place and the pondside path laid....enough for today..... 

Hi Guys ,another great day weatherwise so got on quite well. Made a start to the inside of the pond .

Hi Guys,cooler and cloudier today but still dry, still workin on the pond, very time consumin. However have  got the basic header pool construction and some of the water fall built

WOW!

Davy it looks more like a swimming pool

Larry

Davy, watching you lug the giant rocks around is like watching the Highlander games where those guys carry telephone poles around. 

Hi Guys, sorry Larry ,a part from fish and frogs its bikini clad women only allowed in or around this pond ,...its a local by-law.... George ,I think by the time I finish this I'll need somebody to carry me around !! .

Anyway, workin on the wee header pool and waterfall today, no shortcuts doin this , fernickety work and has to be absolutely watertight. You also only get one crack at cementing the stones in,... if you don't get this right and the water doesn't flow the right way then its a rehash from square one.However fingers crossed !! Still..... done a few water features over the years so hopefully the water will run as planned . 

Hi Guys, just workin away "flooring" the pond, everything laid in a base of waterproofed cement. 

Todays progress....

Hi Guys, well the hot dry spell of weather has given way to the unsettled rainy variety ,so makin progress a bit awkward.However the pond area is well advanced with not a lot to do.A couple of decent dry days work will see it complete. I'm also cuttin out the corners of the grass "curved triangle" style to it tie into the pond area  .The wee lawn will more or less be circular .,watch this space.... anyway heres the latest....   

Got a wee bit done this morning , ( overnight rain water proving that my new pond doesn't leak ...so far anyway !!)  Have cut out the remaining corners of the lawn,these'll get a similar treatment to the finished left hand bottom corner. In the case of the pondside corners the stonework will be tied into the stonework in the pond in rockeries and filled with creeping plants etc.. ...Drier weather forecast for next week .... excellent 

Davy Mac posted:

Got a wee bit done this morning , ( overnight rain water proving that my new pond doesn't leak ...so far anyway !!)  Have cut out the remaining corners of the lawn,these'll get a similar treatment to the finished left hand bottom corner. In the case of the pondside corners the stonework will be tied into the stonework in the pond in rockeries and filled with creeping plants etc.. ...Drier weather forecast for next week .... excellent 

Davy, I like the round circle of grass sort of an Oracle or Command center for your trains. I can imagine that grass area will be your area where you and the wife can relax with your favorite adult beverage and oversee your railroad empire.

startin to take shape as a garden..... from the kitchen window aand from upstairs. 

Davy,

A lot of work that is finally rewarding you with a beautiful appearance. The view from the window is inviting. You must feel good about your efforts.

Looking good.  I love your pond.  

Hi Guys thanks for the encouragement. Its appreciated.  Still a fair old bit of work to go yet but gettin there !!

Hi Guys,well been workin away the last couple of days. The way I've done  fence/planter between me and my neighbour might be of interest. The old fence had a trough along the top and was simply filled with soil. It was a bandit to plant out, and was a constant pain in the neck to weed too. Last year I did my front garden using flowerpots but in hot weather I was never done watering the plants as the pots were very limited in water capacity.So this time round came up with this solution. Bigger troughs spaced out about eighteen inches apart approx. 3 plants per pot. The floor of the woodenm trough was painted with bitumen paint to avoid water rotting the timber in time. Between the pot spaces I cemented in some pieces of broken slabbing to keep back the decorative gravel. Could have used wooden dividers but again cement doesn't rot. Where the broken slabs were cemented I pushed  some of the decorative gravel into the wet cement then between I filled the spaces with loose broken rubble then of the decorative gravel on top to finish off. The plastic plant troughs can be lifted out if any weeding /re-plantings needing done . So much easier to maintain. Fence now just needs painting... ch 

In the rest of the garden I've been working on tying in the pond stonework with the lawn. Also made a start to digging out the back right hand corner, heavy going ,this is where I used to have a wee waterfall and stream running into the old pond, Forgot just how many big stones I had used . Have also removed a whole load of weeds and brambles etc., am in the process of extending the retaining wall between the lower garden area and the strip at the back which is higher. Haven't made up my mind yet but I'm toying with the idea of seperating that section off with another fence and making another double circuit of track in a different scale. hmmmm....we'll see ????? . 

Check this stone , dug this out the local river years ago, humphed it up the river bank and into the van and brought it home, ....my God it feels a lot heavier than it did back then...... ....just need to get it over to the pond side of the garden and into place...... , can wait till tomorrow !  

Hi Guys, have flattened the area for the back-right patio to be finished and part-built the rear retaining wall . 

Hi Guys, been busy with other must-dos the last few days ,however still makin a bit of progress, tying the pond area stonework into the lawn area is almost complete.  

Davy

Sure is looking nice. I enjoy seeing the progress. I'm sure others do as well .

Larry

Wow the virtual construction site !

Davy:

Thanks for taking the time to share your project's progress with us. When construction is finished and trains are running, will we be seeing any British classics such as the A4, Black Five or Deltic in operation?

Bob

Hi Guys, thanks for the support. BOB.. as for what trains will be run /British classics, etc., in O scale I have a Britannia class 4-6-2, but thats the only one at present.Which brings me to a possible change in plans vis a vis scales. My intention was to make the layout O gauge ,however ,I still have an abundance of G scale track from my previous garden layout. I currently don't have enough O scale track to go round the garden ,however I probably have enough or nearly enough O track to make a second layout in O . This is an idea that has come to mind as I've been working away at things. I've taken a real liking to the new steam locos in G (estimated at 1/26th scale ,they are BIG) now on the market from PIKO of Germany.They are excellent bang for the buck and superb looking models. The idea I'm toying with is to lift the O gauge track and lay the main circuit in G. I'd then build an entirely new O gauge circuit on the raised back section of the garden in O. Obviously it wouldn't be as big ,but if built as I have it in my head it would be far more scenically intensive, It would be built using a different track laying method too which would see it take shape much quicker. Anyway ,thats the idea currently floating in my brain. The alternative would be to keep the main layout O gauge and do the second layout in OO/HO, however I think if anything it will be G and O gauges . Anyway whatever, I'm currently workin on finishing the pond. Tested an old pump from my previous pond and its working fine ,so am in the process of installing it. The intention is to have two sources of waterfall. One from the top header pool (already in place) and another one adjacent and lower down ,. Should look good once done. However achieving good results takes time and a lot of stone and cement work. Has to be completely leak-less or its a waste of time and effort ,so slow and carefull is the name of the game. 

Hi Guys, this pic attached shows the area where the proposed new O gauge layout would be, looking out from the house it would "stroke the T" of the main layout in G. However it would still be a very decent sized O layout .As you can see in the picture the main garden layout runs at ground level here ,the O gauge layout would be raised ,running in parallel to the G line but at a higher level, along the back fence (also soon to be completely renewed), anyway "que sera sera"....    

This is for Bob.... only British "classic" I have in O is this Britannia class ,  previous owner did a very good job of dickying her up as she was in her very final years of service. "Economy" unlined BR green livery , brass nameplates removed and name painted on the smoke deflectors...  

Davy:

Cheers for posting the pictures of your Britannia class. You're right; the previous owner did a very accurate job in capturing the look of a locomotive in its final years of service. My British books contain numerous pictures taken during the final years of steam and the appearance of many of the locomotives was simply appalling. 

Bob

Davy Mac posted:

Check this stone , dug this out the local river years ago, humphed it up the river bank and into the van and brought it home, ....my God it feels a lot heavier than it did back then...... ....just need to get it over to the pond side of the garden and into place...... , can wait till tomorrow !  

Back then, you probably had more hair too.....LOL

Davy I like your idea of G scale on the Outter loop and O scale on the inner loop. I did the same idea except my layout is not outside but an indoor ceiling layout. Gives me the opportunity to run some of the bug stuff in G. MTH 1/32nd scale recently is reissuing the Union Pacific Big Boy, which is a favorite of mine. G scale stuff as you know does well outside too with what Mother nature can throw at us.

Hi Guys,  Dan, my hair's just comin in actually ....am a late developer ... .  Bob.., yip British steam locos were generally in abysmal condition towards the end,  sadly neglected..... however they were still appealing ,I have fond memories of steam in those years. George.... I won't be running G and O scales together.The G line will be entirely seperate. The only place they will run parallel will be along the very back of the garden,but on quite differnt levels. The G  tracks will pass under the planned O gauge tracks at two points. all will be revealed..

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Guys,  Dan, my hair's just comin in actually ....am a late developer ... .  Bob.., yip British steam locos were generally in abysmal condition towards the end,  sadly neglected..... however they were still appealing ,I have fond memories of steam in those years. George.... I won't be running G and O scales together.The G line will be entirely seperate. The only place they will run parallel will be along the very back of the garden,but on quite differnt levels. The G  tracks will pass under the planned O gauge tracks at two points. all will be revealed..

 

Davy I understand and agree. I think your use of G and O scales will enhance your backyard layout. I think G is best suited for outdoor running. 

Hi George, looking out from the house on the left the miniature spruce trees look massive against O scale, however against the new PIKO  G models they will  look right.  The PIKO models are based on German standard gauge prototypes scaled at 1/26th which makes them BIG. So they'll look the part .  When I do the O gauge layout I intend to use very young miniature conifers from scratch and plant them in restricted pockets of soil which will have a kinda "bonsai" effect on them and should keep them very small.  Construction of the new O gauge layout should be quick too. I intend to use exterior grade plywood covered in torched-on mineral felt screwed into supports levelled and cemented into the ground. The mineral-chipped felt gives a very decent representation of ballast and is bullet-proof against weather. Track laying is much simpler too.   Heres a rough diagram of the intended plan. The O gauge circuit will be at a higher level than the G circuit. The O gauge will  cross the G scale at two points .  

Davy,

Been following this since last year, and its just amazing how much work you have done!

Thanks for the photos.

Sean

Cheers Sean,  thanks, ...will get to the trains soon !! ..... hopefully.... 

Hi Guys,well another scorchin day here in Scotland, have finished planting and dressing the stonework between the pond area and the wee lawn. Am now working on the stonework around the waterfalls. Slow time consuming progress it is too. Never mind upwards and onwards !! Need to get the new the fence painted too to catch up with the plants !