Garden and railway complete re-hash

Davy Mac posted:

mike g. posted:

Nice work there Dave! Sure is close on the sides, I sure hope there is wiggle room for when its moving! I hope you didn't have to carry all the river rock, I would think with all that rock you would have a cart or something, Keep up the great work!

Hi Mike, no barrow, had to walk up out the river with the the bigger stones individually or in plastic bags with the wee ones. 

WOW Davy, so that brings on the next question! What are you going to do to say buff once the garden and railroad is done!

Hi Guys, oh well the best laid plans this week got pretty much scuppered by bad weather at the start of the week and other unforeseen life-to-do's also got in the way of prgoress however hot and sunny as hell yesterday and today, Scotland apparently hotter than Mexico yesterday, same today.  Managed to do a wee bit to the stonework along the back and cut the fence next to my neighbours a bit to make an extra bit of flowerboxing. Pipin at a weddin today,so can't see much gettin done today either.  ,I'll get ma trains runnin yet.... !  as for what am goin to do after all this is done Mike,.... oh I have umpteen rail-related projects waitin my attention in various scales. So I'll no be bored ... lol

Hi Guys, treated me and the Mrs to a couple of new reclining loungers, weather's scorchin.... this garden project might be a while longer in gettin finished....lol  

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Guys, treated me and the Mrs to a couple of new reclining loungers, weather's scorchin.... this garden project might be a while longer in gettin finished....lol  

Hey Davy, I am glad to see you enjoying all your hard work! You have a great view there for relaxing!

Nice photo Davy! Looks like a Hot day..You guys don't wear shorts over there just kilts

Seacoast posted:

Nice photo Davy! Looks like a Hot day..You guys don't wear shorts over there just kilts

Hi George, kilt will be on in about an hours time. Pipin at 3.00. Should be back home for about 5, grab ma dinner and get into the garden with the old workin togs on,need to try and get some stonework done tonight. Eldest grandaughter's found the new seats !!

Mornin guys, well back into the nitty gritty, lifted some of the G scale track next to the site of where the O gauge turntable well will be. Will have to slew it a bit to clear the well. At the same time forming the approach to the turntable off what will be the O gauge mainline.  I might yet make another off/on road from the turntable over the G line to the other side of the layout but this plan isn't set in stone yet....no pun intended . Another sweltering day here but unlike yesterday its very humid and threatening thunderstorms,however so far still managing to get some work done

You have quite the mess going there Davy! But I am sure it will turn out wonderful just like everything else!

mike g. posted:

You have quite the mess going there Davy! But I am sure it will turn out wonderful just like everything else!

Quite a mess indeed...lol..,but there is a plan Mike ....I think... ha ha. Thunderstorms stopped play about half an hour afer I last posted...but I got some stuff done 

Hi Guys, didn't get that much done yesterday as the sweltering weather gave way to thunderstorms but managed to slew the stonework to accomodate the O gauge turntable well. Project looks like a dogs breakfast right now but will take shape and make sense to you soon me hopes !! . 

Hi Guys, well have pushed things on a bit. These pics show O gauge the turntable area taking shape. I've built the most of the channel for the pulley belt. I'll need to insert a tensioner pin into the ground and get a crank handle made for turning it. There will (I have made up my mind) two on/off roads onto the table. I've started to make the formation for the first road as you can see. The second road will go off to the right looking towards the wee hut to join the other side of the layout. The stick laid from the nose of the turntable in the picture shows where the off roads will be.  Oh well ,pipin at a weddin this afternoon, better get in the shower and get ready !  ... 

Looking good Davy, I knew there was a plan there somewhere! It just takes time to put it all into place and you sure look like your moving right along!

Hi Guys, Scottish weather back to its wet-self unfortunately ,however got a wee bit done this mornin. Laid the edging for the path-to be.Used old "causeway stones" or as we say in Scots "Causey Stanes". Good solid heavy stones set in cement,need to try and source a few more. Also got the wooden base for the 2nd O gauge overbridge cut and in place now. 1st dry day I'll bitumen it and cement it firmly in place. Beginning  to take shape...... I think ?   lol  

One day at a time Davy, and when that day is done you just look back and see how things look. From where I am sitting and from your pictures things are looking just fine! Keep up the good work and enjoy as much as you can!

Workin away between showers Mike, heres a wee bit more progress.... 

You know Davy I am starting to think you have a rock Quarry in your front yard! You have so many different kinds of stone you are using. It all looks great!

mike g. posted:

You know Davy I am starting to think you have a rock Quarry in your front yard! You have so many different kinds of stone you are using. It all looks great!

Hi Mike, ha ha ,no, no quarry but plenty builder's merchants and rivers nearby . Always keep my eyes open as I travel about, amazin what people throw out and discard that can be re-cycled....  weather to pick up this afternoon, so might get a bit more done today yet 

Hi Guys, well ,got a decent shift in today despite the weather. Nipped into a local dump this afternoon and found that some kind soul had dumped a pile of good used paving bricks, or "mono-block" as we call them over here. So I thought... just the very thing for my access path,plenty still lyin to finish the job so I'll be back for more tomorrow....  The edge of the path next to the G track is a few inches away from the edging stones I'll fill this with compost and plant it with thymes and other miniature plants. Ditto for the rock work next to the O gauge track-bed, have left enough room for plants there too.   

Great find there Davy, the garden Railroad gods are looking down on you with a smile!

mike g. posted:

Great find there Davy, the garden Railroad gods are looking down on you with a smile!

Hi Mike, funny ,because I was mullin over whether to do the path in natural stone or wee concrete paviors ,however when I saw the bricks at the dump I thought "perfect" and I quite like the look when I see them down.  Good dry weather forecast for tomorrow so I'll be up at the crack of dawn and into it for a whole day.So should see some real progress tomorrow. Its at the stage now though where I need to take stock of the O gauge track plan ,where the sidings will be goin etc., so a bit of thinking required too.  I'd like to get in some sidings to hold a few trains and also a seperate loco stabling area . Anyway, we'll see where it takes us tomorrow !!  

Hi Guys, well spent yesterday tidyin things up a bit and goin for more stuff,plus got some more stonework and path done. Back at it this mornin and have just installed the 2nd off road off the turntable which forms a bridge crossing over the G scale line.  Weather to break later today so will push on and get as much done before the rain makes its appearance !!

Hi Guys, well got on not bad this mornin,finished my last bag of cement and ver near another ton of sand gone too.(see 2nd picture...lol)  Taking shape though. Have the path up to where I need to make a step up and over the line that will come off the turntable. Rain's just startin to spit so am finished for today. Yet another ton of sand and some cement required ...however ....gettin there !!. Now off to cut my grass before the rain gets serious !! 

Looking good Davy, I sure hope you don't get wet today! Just so you don't feel bad it's raining here also!

mike g. posted:

Looking good Davy, I sure hope you don't get wet today! Just so you don't feel bad it's raining here also!

Hi Mike, just finished cuttin my wee bit grass and tidyin up and now the rain's on proper, just headin into the shower then off for some paint to paint some N gauge wagons !  trains in the brain...lo

l  

Hi Guys, not so much done today however did get some of the trackbase formation started off the turntable across to the mainline route on the other side. Other sidings will come off this line ...all shall be revealed as things progress ....   ...and took delivery of another (and final ??) ton of sand today... oh well... we'll see !

Looks great Davy, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you do something else for a living besides play the pipes?

mike g. posted:

Looks great Davy, I hope you don't mind me asking, but do you do something else for a living besides play the pipes?

Hi Mike, been a full time pro musician since about 1991and part time prior to that,  .Had my own function band for many years, play accordion, keyboards and for the last 7 years the pipes. Quit the band work a few years back and now mostly just play the pipes these days. Couldn't stand bein stuck in an office or factory 9-to-5 .... perish the thought ,I like my freedom..

Davy, I know exactly what yo mean about the office/factory type jobs. I couldn't do it either and I do appreciate your feelings on that! I was always out in the field, had an employer provided vehicle and was going to different places quite frequently. I did that for about 5-6 years and then they wanted me to work in the office. I tried it and after about 5 years just couldn't take it anymore. I was a nervous wreck! They were kind enough to give me my old job back and I was so much happier I finished my entire working life back out in the field. They just told me where to go and what to do when I got there and pretty much left me alone to do what I wanted after that. As long as I got the work done and didn't run over on costs they never said much about anything job related. Doesn't get any better than that, IMO, but I am glad to now be retired. The best job yet!

You know Davy, with all the great work you do and all the heavy lifting, I would have thought you were in the construction field or something like that! Hell you look at your picture and you have some good size guns there mate! LOL

I am honored that you fallowed your dreams and did what you enjoy, not to many of us can say that, including me!

rtr12 posted:

Davy, I know exactly what yo mean about the office/factory type jobs. I couldn't do it either and I do appreciate your feelings on that! I was always out in the field, had an employer provided vehicle and was going to different places quite frequently. I did that for about 5-6 years and then they wanted me to work in the office. I tried it and after about 5 years just couldn't take it anymore. I was a nervous wreck! They were kind enough to give me my old job back and I was so much happier I finished my entire working life back out in the field. They just told me where to go and what to do when I got there and pretty much left me alone to do what I wanted after that. As long as I got the work done and didn't run over on costs they never said much about anything job related. Doesn't get any better than that, IMO, but I am glad to now be retired. The best job yet!

Hi Rt, should have mentioned as well that I generally don't like workin for a "boss". Did work for a couple of decent ones when I was younger but also worked for some complete a-holes, so have been my own boss for a very long time and thats the way I like it. Did office work for about 2 years when I left school and hated it . Its like prison to me.

mike g. posted:

You know Davy, with all the great work you do and all the heavy lifting, I would have thought you were in the construction field or something like that! Hell you look at your picture and you have some good size guns there mate! LOL

I am honored that you fallowed your dreams and did what you enjoy, not to many of us can say that, including me!

Hi Mike, I come from a long line of manual workers and military ,worked in the woods with ma old man for years, suppose what you guys call a lumberjack in the states,on the work side farming/woodcutting/mining etc., ma old man was a WW2 paratrooper and my furthest back great (x?) grandfather was a soldier who fought in the Napoleonic and Indian wars back in the day. Also have another way back great grandpa who was a soldier back in the 1600s ,so maybe I get my mentality /physical stuff from that gene-pool.However, I'm useless with heights get the shakes up a ladder   and never been in the military either, though I was an undertaker for three years back in the 80s and handled death in all its ugly forms and dealt  with it OK,so maybe theres a bit of what would be required on a battlefield in me but happy to say av never needed to put that to the test nor have any wish too.     Heres a wee ironic story though, I had two great uncles on my mother's side who fought at the battle of the Somme in WW1,both were wounded but returned home and lived to a very old age, however another brother who was a railwayman remained at home during the war, one night he dismounted from his locomotive at a signal cabin and was hit and killed by a London bound train....  I was about to say its safer playin trains than bein a soldier...then I remembered  him ..lol  

Hi Guys, well got a couple of hours in this mornin, roughly laid a couple of bits of track just to let you see where this is goin.... this mornins work was layin steps at the end of the block path to get up and over that rail-line. I've left wee troughs round the steps for ground hugging plants I'll finish the planting and dressing once the track is in situ proper. Ah well, need to get in the shower now and get ready for another afternoon on the pipes. Another poor guy gettin married...

Onec again very nice work there Davy! Also thank you for sharing that wonderful story about your family!

Davy Mac posted:

rtr12 posted:

Davy, I know exactly what yo mean about the office/factory type jobs. I couldn't do it either and I do appreciate your feelings on that! I was always out in the field, had an employer provided vehicle and was going to different places quite frequently. I did that for about 5-6 years and then they wanted me to work in the office. I tried it and after about 5 years just couldn't take it anymore. I was a nervous wreck! They were kind enough to give me my old job back and I was so much happier I finished my entire working life back out in the field. They just told me where to go and what to do when I got there and pretty much left me alone to do what I wanted after that. As long as I got the work done and didn't run over on costs they never said much about anything job related. Doesn't get any better than that, IMO, but I am glad to now be retired. The best job yet!

Hi Rt, should have mentioned as well that I generally don't like workin for a "boss". Did work for a couple of decent ones when I was younger but also worked for some complete a-holes, so have been my own boss for a very long time and thats the way I like it. Did office work for about 2 years when I left school and hated it . Its like prison to me.

I understand that with the bosses!

Hi Guys, well another day at the project, managed to get on not too bad, however rapidly running out of suitable stone,so yet another trip to the river is on the cards,maybe tonight or tomorrow.  Been workin on  the path formation either side of the track off the turntable. Next up is to continue the path over the G scale line and into the back left corner where I'll make a wee patio for my lounger (troughly where the barrow is sittin), that corner is the last to get the sun at night... not so far from the finishing line now but it doesn't half take some amount of material ...never mind ...upwards and onwards !

Looking good Davy! I hope you don't have to get to much more stone, you don't want to have to take any back! LOL

Hi Guys, well after two solid days torrential rain which made gettin anythin more done impossible the suns back out so back at it today. Picked up a pin and crank handle which I ordered for the turntable. Just need to cement the pin in place and thats another job done.workin fine.

Great idea there Davy, is that a chain or just a rubber strap? either way I bet its going to work just wonderful!

Hi Mike, rubber washin machine pulley belt. Installed and workin perfect.Just waitin for cement to cure now. Have also now got a strong flat stone in place over the  G scale line to carry the path into the back corner. No way I'm gettin any stone out the river the next coupla days with the amount of water thats in the river system now... so I'll need to see what I can scrounge elsewhere to get things pushed on. 

Hi Guys, well between lousy weather and havin to do other life-stuff the garden railway project's been a bit neglected for a few days,however managed a couple of hours yesterday and this mornin. Have the wee patio down for my "railway observation lounger"...  I'm now in the final stages of the hardscaping, some final stonework,planting and dressing then its trackwork time. Can sit in that lounger and turn the locomotives without gettin off my butt !!. Its also the last place to get the sun at the end of the day....  magic !! 

Hi Guys, been busy with other things but still makin progress, .... pushed on with the stonework between the block access path and the track base. I've formed a trough between the stones that will get filled with a compost and rough sand mix and it will get planted with low growing alpines,thymes etc., this should give the railway a nice "rails thru the mountains" effect once its complete. I'm almost ready to start track laying on that stretch.

Hi Guys,thought you might like a look at the rest of the garden with the  plants maturing.Took these pics a couple of days ago.

Davy, the progress looks fantastic!  It's really coming together!  

Very nice Davy! You have your own little heaven there! Just sit back and relax and enjoy!

Wow, things are really progressing nicely for the trains!  The rest of the garden is fantastic!!  Mike is right, it looks like a bit of heaven on earth!

The Dude posted:

Davy, the progress looks fantastic!  It's really coming together!  

Hi A ,thanks for the thumbs up 

Mark Boyce posted:

Wow, things are really progressing nicely for the trains!  The rest of the garden is fantastic!!  Mike is right, it looks like a bit of heaven on earth!

Mark and Mike, well after the life I've led I probably won't be seeing the real heaven when I pop my clogs so might as well enjoy it while I'm here . Why is it the last part of any project always seems to take the longest time ????... I was hopin to have trains running by now but looks like it will be a wee while yet....still...nearly there 

Davy , I can not complement you enough on what you have done to your garden . Your forethought is amazing . I hope you have many, many years sitting in your lounger watching the fruits of your labor. With a good single malt ,I may add !!!  .  I am looking forward to watching your trains make the trip around that beautiful setting . If I ever get to Scotland , birthplace of my grandfather , I'll shurely look you up . Jim

Summerdale Junction posted:

Davy , I can not complement you enough on what you have done to your garden . Your forethought is amazing . I hope you have many, many years sitting in your lounger watching the fruits of your labor. With a good single malt ,I may add !!!  .  I am looking forward to watching your trains make the trip around that beautiful setting . If I ever get to Scotland , birthplace of my grandfather , I'll shurely look you up . Jim

Hi Jim, thanks for the encouragement ,and if you ever get to Scotland you'd be very welcome too !. And, aye...I'm hopin  do get a few summers yet to enjoy it !!

Hi Guys, well spent the day finished that stonework along the block path, filled the trough with compost/sand mix and got a few plants in, the wee channel on the other side of the path has also been filled with the compost mix and dressed with the pea gravel ,it will get planted out too with small creepers and such like. So come next spring/summer  it should be fairly mature lookin and colourfull too. Not far from the landscaping finishing line now,then its the track and trains....the icing on the cake !! Where the barrow is sitting in pic1 will be the loco sidings. 

Wow Davy, Do you make trips across the pond for landscaping advice .

Seacoast posted:

Wow Davy, Do you make trips across the pond for landscaping advice .

send 1 airline ticket to.....   

Davey- been following your build. Your work is spectacular. The garden is beautiful. If you need any assistance pouring (or drinking) your single malts let me know.

Great Looking Davy! Just wondering does your wee little hut have AC if needed?

mike g. posted:

Great Looking Davy! Just wondering does your wee little hut have AC if needed?

Hi Mike, Ihave a couple of Marklin AC  G scale engines and have an AC controller ,however I'll be selling the AC stuff and sticking to digital for the G scale and DC or digital for the O gauge. I don't have any three rail stuff at all.

Hi Davy, I'm sorry I ment air conditioner! 

mike g. posted:

Hi Davy, I'm sorry I ment air conditioner! 

In general, the European Continent and British Isles are comfortable as is and find no need for A/C.

Arthur posted:

mike g. posted:

Hi Davy, I'm sorry I ment air conditioner! 

In general, the European Continent and British Isles are comfortable as is and find no need for A/C.

 I Respectfully disagree the continent can get HOT in the summer. Paris in a hotel without AC is a miserable time. London in the summer can get humid.

Seacoast posted:

Arthur posted:

mike g. posted:

Hi Davy, I'm sorry I ment air conditioner! 

In general, the European Continent and British Isles are comfortable as is and find no need for A/C.

 I Respectfully disagree the continent can get HOT in the summer. Paris in a hotel without AC is a miserable time. London in the summer can get humid.

Yes it gets hot, and hotels yes have A/C, but everyday households, not so common.

Hi Guys, ,well the fact that my first thought was AC as in "alternating current" is an indicator that in Scotland air conditioning isn't a big deal. You do get it in some public buildings,hotels etc.,  but with our climate theres seldom sticky humidity,  south of the border in England ,especially the south of England, London, Sussex, Hampshire etc., they generally get their weather more influenced with the european mainland and France in particular.So they generally get more of the hot unconmfortable stuff than up here. As for AC in my wee hut.... theres a door.... lol 

Hi Guys ,not much progress to report as had to see to other things today ,however got some track fixing timbers cut....  

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Guys ,not much progress to report as had to see to other things today ,however got some track fixing timbers cut....  

Looks great Davy.  I'm a little concerned, however, that all the stone and concrete you used in one place is going to throw off the rotation of the Earth!

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Guys ,not much progress to report as had to see to other things today ,however got some track fixing timbers cut....  

Davey- a little progress is better than none at all!

Bob

WITZ 41 posted:

Davy Mac posted:

Hi Guys ,not much progress to report as had to see to other things today ,however got some track fixing timbers cut....  

Looks great Davy.  I'm a little concerned, however, that all the stone and concrete you used in one place is going to throw off the rotation of the Earth!

Hi Witz,  well sincerely hope the next occupier of this house when I;m gone to the happy train huntin grounds in the sky isn't a vegetable growin  fanatic because he'll have one helluva time plantin his crops....

Davy looking great, and I bet the next guy to own your house is going to be a train lover also! Heck he might even put a small fridge next to the main line for the little lady to put a nice cold beer on the passing train! LOL

Yes he would have trouble growing crops.  Personally, I think it will become an outdoor museum!!

Hi Guys, other unexpected must-do stuff pulling me away from the garden railway project quite a bit for the next while ,so less time with it ,however managed to get those track timbers cemented in place this mornin....,just need to do what I can when possible... really annoying seeing as I'm on the home straight ... but ach well such is life . 

Looking good Davy! Its nothing but time, remember its a hobby and to be fun!

Hi Guys,well I'm afraid I don't have much more to report, am having to do a whole load of work in my old mother's place right now as her dementia has taken a turn for the worse. That ,plus poor weather and gigging has kept the railway project back.However got a wee bitty more done today.Decided to add longitudinal timbers to the track base to raise the track up a bit.Being much shallower in the sleepers (ties) than G scale ,raising them up a bit will improve drainage run off and will allow me to use the same 6mm granite chips that I use on the G scale line. 

hi Guys, still struggling big time to find time for the garden work  ,however managed to get a wee while at it yesterday and actually managed to start laying the first O gauge track at long last. Laying the O gauge is a lot fiddlier than the G .But hey ho I'll get there ! Was going to use 6mm granite chips for the ballast but am trying some finer granite dust . I'll see how it performs in the rain etc., then make up my mind.If it turns out OK it should look better scale-wise than the bigger chips.     

Looks like a great start there Davy! Next thing you know you will be running trains! Quick question, Do you also have an indoor layout?

mike g. posted:

Looks like a great start there Davy! Next thing you know you will be running trains! Quick question, Do you also have an indoor layout?

Hi Mike, N gauge layout in very early stages.... 

Hi Guys, well,again nuthin much to report. This last week's been the week from hell. One of my son in laws had a cardiac arrest, big fit guy, heart just stopped out the blue,not a heart attack though , lucky for him he was in the company of somebody who knew their first aid and CPR and that saved his life. Two grandkids who nearly lost their dad,doesn't bear thinkin about.He's still in hospital but gettin better though they still don't know the cause. Also have my old mother in hospital and my wife also needs stents in her heart .Yesterday I had the three of them in hospital. So its been quite a time. Anyway ,on the garden railway front I've just been curious to see how the granite dust has performed as ballast on the wee bit track I've laid. Its been baked in hot sun  and rained heavily on over the last few days. Its actually turned out quite good. Looks decent scalewise and the track sleepers(ties) have washed nicely against the granite so I think I'll go with the granite dust instead of 6mm chips.Though God knows when I'll get back to doin more with the current state of home-affairs . Ah well such is life....   

Davy,

Praying for you and your family at this unsettled time. Stay strong.

Davy,

Im praying now for your family's health!  We have had some of that with elderly parents ourselves as of late.

The ballast looks good!

Hope all is well with the Family. At least the trains are good therapy if you need something to divert your mind from all of your troubles. That and a nice single malt.

Bob

Davy, sorry for the hard times! My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family! They are more important than any trains. But the trains to give a place for your no d to wonder!

I am sure hoping for the best for you and your family. That is certainly a lot of medical issues all at once and I sure hope they are fully treatable and every one makes a full and complete recovery.  

"Ah well such is life.... "

Davy

I definitely understand that.

I will also send a prayer to you and you family for all of  you to have a big improvement in health!

Take Care.

Larry

Hi Guys, thanks for all your kind wishes and support. Could have done without so many things happening at once but hey-ho ,not complaining,...plenty people in this world in a lot more of a pickle and havin a lot more bad luck than me these days.  Things'll come good in time. By now I had been planning on havin some trains runnin and my landscaping completely finished but don't know if it'll be this summer now. Just need to grab some time at it as and when. I have a major garden re-hash at my old mother's house on my hands because of her increasing frailty and dementia. Her quite large pond had to be demolished and filled in ,her old delapidated brick garage demolished etc.,etc.,  generally the place completely re-done and flattened so theres minimum danger . My daughter and her hubby were also in the process of moving to a new house and selling their own when her husband had his health episode.So I've been finishing off tarting up their garden for the house-sale too. So both these jobs require done and dusted before my railway . On the upside of all this, yours truly has lost a good bit of winter-fat, two inches off my waist and also lost a good bit of weight and am now pretty tanned and toned for a 64 year old antique .So every cloud has a silver lining right enough ...ha ha . . Anyway will keep posting any progress with the garden trains as and when.

My thoughts and prayers are with you and your family Davy. 

Gotta love your attitude Davy , I hope and pray that all will be good in the end for you and your family . We will all be rooting for you to finish your garden when ever that may occur . It sounds like you really have your hands full . That weight loss is a blessing as you need to keep yourself healthy in order to take care of the rest of your family . Jim

Summerdale Junction posted:

Gotta love your attitude Davy , I hope and pray that all will be good in the end for you and your family . We will all be rooting for you to finish your garden when ever that may occur . It sounds like you really have your hands full . That weight loss is a blessing as you need to keep yourself healthy in order to take care of the rest of your family . Jim

Nothin else for it Jim, upwards and onwards. Woulda been a lot worse if my son in law hadn't made it out of his cardiac arrest. Woulda been dealing with my daughter a widow and two grandkids of 6 and 4 years old without their dad. So no complaints here. Some bad luck for sure but a whole lot more good luck in the end .

DAVY MAC , I hope that you and your family are doing better . I know that you have your hands full between your mothers health and your son -in-law  health . Just wanted to let you know that we are still thinking the best for you and your family .  Jim

Summerdale Junction posted:

DAVY MAC , I hope that you and your family are doing better . I know that you have your hands full between your mothers health and your son -in-law  health . Just wanted to let you know that we are still thinking the best for you and your family .  Jim

Hi Jim,you just be psychic !, was just thinkin about you guys here on the forum yesterday. Beginning to see the light at the end of the current life-tunnel (I think/hope!!). My son in law's heart episode remains a mystery however he's doin OK and has been fitted with a de-fib implant incase the same thing happens again.So touch-wood AOK on that front. My mother is currently in  a respite home temporarily. I've spent the entire last couple of months re-doin her entire garden,removed a fairly large pond,demolished the old brick garage etc, have used almost all of 16tons of hardcore,6 tons of sand and about 100 paviors etc.,etc.,  and am still in the process of gutting out her house and having it completely re-furbed .She can't manage stairs any more so we're havin a new downstairs extension built on to her house with new bedroom and wetroom etc., for which the construction work starts next Monday and will take about another month to complete.Then hopefully my mother will be home. My own place remains as I last reported though I'm hoping that I might still get a bit done before the winter. We had a beautifull spring here but the summer was awfull. Even by Scottish standards! . My wife had a major heart by-pass 18 years ago and is due to have another op in the next few weeks which hopefully won't require major surgery this time but that remains to be seen. Hopefully all will go well.Me personally I'm fine, and still pipin away at weekends for a living. I did buy some small trees for the O gauge railway the other day so hopefully will get them planted shortly. The small low growing creeping plants  I planted back in the spring are doin their thing nicely trackside. So hopefully I'll have some progress to report shortly. Anyway thanks for your thoughts Jim. Greatly appreciated.  All the best   Davy

Man I really like your  spirit! I wish more people were like you!

Hi Davey, just had a quick look over your thread. Surprised to find it was O gauge given this folder is not for O.

I would expect to see it in the 2 rail folder. That is mainly where I look on this forum as I have an outdoor 7mm scale layout.

You have certainly given yourself a big task building it the way you are doing it. However, perhaps in Scotland it is necessary for longevity  :>

Wish you all the best with your family health problems.

I'll pop back sometime and check out your progress.

cheers

BobC

Bob Comerford posted:

Hi Davey, just had a quick look over your thread. Surprised to find it was O gauge given this folder is not for O.

I would expect to see it in the 2 rail folder. That is mainly where I look on this forum as I have an outdoor 7mm scale layout.

You have certainly given yourself a big task building it the way you are doing it. However, perhaps in Scotland it is necessary for longevity  :&gt

Wish you all the best with your family health problems.

I'll pop back sometime and check out your progress.

cheers

BobC

Davey's main loop around the garden is large scale. The O scale near the wee hut was an add-on in the garden rebuild plans. He posted some photos of his large scale engines previously in the thread.

Davy,

I had thought of you recently as well.  I'm glad things are going well for your son and mum.  My wife has health issues that no doctor can explain too.  When you think of it, it is a bit unsettling.  That is a lot of work on mum's house.  We had to go the route of getting my mum and dad into a personal care home in June.  Mum can't stay at home, so Dad had to go with her.  Physically he is good, but he can't handle financial responsibilities or even getting his medication right now.  I pray all goes well for your wife, and she only needs minor procedures!

Hi Mark, hopefully my mother will settle into her newly built place. Me and my daughters are all close-by so she should be OK. Her memory is shot and her mobility isn't quite what it was but other than that she's in decent shape for almost 90.So we'll try and keep her at her own place as long as possible. Any spare time I have in the evenings or on wet days I've been spending workin with my N gauge stuff etc.  

Davy

Wishing you the best, Been there done that with both parents.

We will  send you and your family a prayer.

Take Care

Larry/Nancy

OK my mistake , it has obviously changed in the interim as I only read the first page before coming to the last to comment . Not enough time yesterday to read it all.

The first page info stated the layout was being built with Peco O scale track replacing a former G layout.

cheers

 Bob

Bob Comerford posted:

OK my mistake , it has obviously changed in the interim as I only read the first page before coming to the last to comment . Not enough time yesterday to read it all.

The first page info stated the layout was being built with Peco O scale track replacing a former G layout.

cheers

 Bob

Hi Bob, I originally had a (few!) G scale layouts in my garden over the years. Then I decided to change to O as the choice of rolling stock was better.However as I  already had a whole load of G scale track etc., I decided in the end to do both. The G scale line is now a much simpler single track layout with passing loops which runs round the entire garden. The O gauge line will be a double track mainline with a few sidings.  I've gone for the new PIKO range of German steam engines for the G line which I believe are about 1/26th scale. I have two locos at present all singin and dancing  DCC with synchronised sound and smoke and few passenger coaches and wagons. Very big models so don't need a lot of rolling stock. I still have some Analog G scale locos but I think I'll sell most of them off. In O scale I have quite a variety of American.British  and European models and rolling stock.

Hi Guys, just killing some time here before I head out,been heavy rain ,things just drying up. Bob's comments got me thinkin about the old layouts . My obsession with G was originally focussed mainly on the B&O late steam/ early diesel era. Pretty much based on what was available from Aristocraft in 1/29th at the time.  I kitbashed and detailed a few Aristo pacifics into more accurate versions of the B&O P7 that they were based on. 

Those engines are great, Davy!  And to think, you did all those of the railroad I grew up 1/4 mile from!  I grew up seeing a parade of freight trains pulled by F-units out of Pittsburgh.  My maternal grandfather was a fireman on the B&O for several years before he reenlisted with the US Marine Corps and fought in France in World War I.  He was disabled in the war, tried to go back to work in 1926, but couldn't do it and was given a disability from the B&O.  My grandmother received retirement checks from them clean up into the Chessie System years when she passed on in 1978.

Davy Mac posted:

WOW, I love this shot!

I developed an affinity for the B&O when I was stationed in MD in the Army on a couple of occasions. I hit the B&O museum several times and chased trains all over that area. I even rode the Capitol Limited all the way from DC to Chicago a couple of years ago, over a portion of the B&O, loved it!

p51 posted:

Davy Mac posted:

WOW, I love this shot!

I developed an affinity for the B&O when I was stationed in MD in the Army on a couple of occasions. I hit the B&O museum several times and chased trains all over that area. I even rode the Capitol Limited all the way from DC to Chicago a couple of years ago, over a portion of the B&O, loved it!

Hi P51, love that picture myself I have to admit. Taken a good few years ago when I had a three track mainline in the garden.Got up one frosty snowy mornin to find a sugar coatin of snow which actually looked almost accurate scale-wise and so took the opportunity for a photo. However the three track mainline and that scene is now long gone.

Heres some more old garden shots I;ve dug out from the from the past . 

Davy all the best with your family. I understand as I have elderly relatives with similar issues. Will the new G scale loop be the same 3 track main as your old one? It's been awhile, what will your O look like too?

Seacoast posted:

Davy all the best with your family. I understand as I have elderly relatives with similar issues. Will the new G scale loop be the same 3 track main as your old one? It's been awhile, what will your O look like too?

Hi George, aye ,gettin old is sumthin eh !??. As for the garden railway.The G scale line is now single track with passing loops. The O scale line will be double track mainline . Both have turntables as I have a thing about steam locos , turntables and steam loco infrastructure  Here in the UK steam era infrastructure generally was swept away with very few places retaining turntables ,water columns etc., etc., considering the amount of special steam trains that run in the UK these days retaining more of the old infrastructure would have been a smart move.