New garden layout

Hi Rick,

          It takes 3 rotations of the handcrank to turn the table. I just push a finger against the bar to swivel her round and she goes like clockwork. Its really surprising how well it works being so primitive. You can see a soup can lid nailed to the timber at the top and the rest of the can bashed into shape for bottom of the the crank handle to rest on. This is to cut down friction and to stop wear and tear eating away at the timber. A wee blast of WD40 as required and she turns as sweet as you like. Also when it comes to lining her up with the off roads because the cable is tensioned it is very controllable and has a good firm feel to it.

 As for the fish pond.We don't have mosquitos in Scotland ,what we do have is the dreaded highland midgies. No hassle during bright sunshine during the day but on a warm damp evening these characters are merciless. They will eat you alive. And apparently its the female of the species that attack. They draw blood out you.I suppose a bit like Scottish women who are experts at getting money out of your pocket and into their purses....... or is that just females the world over ?? ha ha .

 Anyway Rick, just won a Lionel coaling tower on ebay and another box of PECO track and turnouts have arrived from England so should get my loco servicing area completed soon. Right , I'm away to get on with it.  Cheers  DAVY 

Just been having a wee rest and a cuppa, as you can see in picture 1. (check the expensive designer shoes ..ha ha ) other pics show part of the old G track formation.That is all to be demolished and used for infill up at the paddling pool area.

 Anyway,weather's fantastic so I better keep at it while the sun shines.

CHUCK....if you are there?,meant to ask, you've ordered Peco track, are you going to replace your G stuff or build a seperate O gauge layout ?       DAVY 

 Man, I just love that waterfall! Great job. It's going to look great with the trains. Joe

Cheers Joe. Water features aren't so hard.The secret is to show nothing plastic at all.

I don't care how good a pond or water feature is done .If you can see the pond liner above the water level it ruins it. Keep the liner out of sight and use natural stone and you can't go wrong. I've done a lot of water features in my time and made all the mistakes in the learning process so I know the things to watch out for .So if any of you aren't sure about how to tackle a water feature /waterfall/stream , only too glad to help. Anyway,back to the toil.  Cheers  DAVY

Hi lad,

Midgies ya say. From the sounds of it... their(the midgies) m.o.(modus operandi) mirrors that of mosquitoes.

I like the MacFlintstones technology you used, to move your turntable. Given the abundance of stone and all, Bedrock might be a fitting name for your layout.

I get the feeling you're going to miss it, when all the building is done. When your layouts finished?

One of your recent pictures shows a narrow, raised, long stretch - running down the middle of your layout. A stone viaduct would look brilliant there.

Have your fun Davy... cheers,

Rick

Davy

I decided to stay with Large Scale however, after considering all the great information  what you have posted, I also tore out the entire line and rebuilt the roadbed by following your instructions and the difference is as marked as between night and day. Very bulletproof against the damage that was caused by critters, human and otherwise. Once leveled, it stayed level without wash outs as with the floating track. We had a real monsoon here that would have created several washouts on the high embankments in the past. Not so anymore. Makes it much easier to clear the right of way of leaves, and other debris without brushing off the ballast in the process. Thanks much for sharing your techniques. I highly recommend them for any outdoor scale.

 Hey Davy looking good. Love the designer shoes, you know they might last longer if you keep them out of the cement and water, Hehehe.

As far as the Peco track, that is going to be for my O scale layout.  I have way to much code 332 Aristo-Craft track already on the layout and more going down soon to change to something else.  I tried a type of code 250 brass track about 10 years ago but it didn't make it through the summer without lots of problems, so I went back to the Aristo-Craft.  Maybe it had to do with something like I use to be a dealer for Aristo before they started selling direct to everyone.  Still not happy about that one. 

I just wish I had your energy, I might get more done faster.  BTW I've been doing some research on my family ansestry and have come up with some information you might be able to help me with. I'll PM you later.

Chuck

Hi Guys, Bruce, I'm glad my technique proved to be so helpfull to you. Great stuff.Its no fun when you have to keep rebuilding and re-laying track and stuff. I don't suppose any system is perfect but I know how well this method proved for me.

  As for my energy Chuck,believe me it was tested today,really warm here in my south facing back garden so I didn't get as much done as I'd have likedas it was just too hot but still got a bit done just the same.

Took me ages to get my shoes as stylish and comfortable looking I'll have you know !  ha ha .

 I have to say,I go about looking like a right hobo at times ,but ach what the h-ll, its hard to keep clean doin that kinda stuff. Anyway,aye by all means contact me about your Scots ancestry.

  Rick, aye Bedrock might well be an appropriate name for the layout. In Gaelic that would be (I think) "Clachan Mor" ,sounds good too eh ?.  You are right too about a viaduct...... I know exactly where and what you mean..... and I have a good idea of how to go about it but I have so much other stuff to do... but mmm.... ???? now you've got me thinkin ! I hate when an idea gets put in my head especially when its a good one because it niggles away ,and you've just started a niggle Rick !!

  Anyway need to scoot guys. Cheers  DAVY   

The Clachan Mor Viaduct - a beautiful stone engineering marvel with base lighting, mounted near the footings, aimed upwards.

Picture that with one of your favorite trains making it's way over the grand structure. Absolutely brilliant!

Now, that's something to niggle about and mount up for(don the kilt and pipes...)

See ya lad,

Rick

Nice progress.  You're invited into our backyard anytime!

Hi guys, Michael?(Pitogo) thanks for the thumbs up and if I ever get to New Jersey again I'll be sure to pop in !!  I was over there a few years back and paid a visit to Aristocraft's old place when I was into 1/29th scale. I was over in New York a couple of times in my capacity as a musician playing at a couple of shows for Scots-Americans. Managed to take in Manhattan,Staten Island and over into Jersey city. Another wee place I remember being in was Kearney ?? An old lady there who was originally from Dumbarton in Scotland ran a Scottish "fish and chip" (fish and frenchfries)shop in Kearney with her daughter  ,UK "chips"=US "frenchfries",  US "chips" = UK "crisps". Anyway enjoyed my visits.

Rick, much as that Viaduct idea is a great one I think its goin to have to be the viaduct that never was OR it will get done some time way in the future. Thing is that straight run is a concrete block wall and there would be a fair amount of demolition material to get rid of and a h-ll of amount of work to do the viaduct the way I'd want to. I know exactly how to do it because I lay in bed last night and figured out a plan and I know it would work because I've worked with stone and cement long enough now. But, it would be an enormous job timewise to do what I'd want to and I want my trains running this year. So maybe some time down the road some day. Anyway its 7.30am and the sun is already out so , sitting here at the PC isn't gettin the work done.

 Oh and by the way Chuck, I noted that Aristocraft are now selling direct. Old Mr Polk has now passed the business over to his son. And since this take-over I get emails every day from Aristo saying theres super-duper sales of this and that and to be honest I find it off-putting. It makes them sound like a company that is struggling to survive. Doesn't instill confidence. Anyway, my only interest in G scale now is to sell off what I have left so I am no longer in the G scale market anyway.

 Right I'm offski.    Cheers  DAVY  

There you go Rick, just thought I'd build that viaduct for you , what do you think of the pond and the hills....made a good job of them eh ? ,all in half an hour too ! 

Marvel: one that evokes -

(1) surprise, admiration, or wonder

(2) strong surprise; astonishment

A 30 minute job, doesn't usually make it into the "marvel" category.

The stone viaduct, I envision, would have significant costs including -

time; patience; engineering analysis; trial and error; material collection- including, gathering proportional scale-sized stones; physical labor...

Some adjectives for brilliant -

outstanding, exceptional, splendid and magnificent

A select few... are worthy of such words.

or

You could gather up a bunch of empty six-packs(with beer bottles) and place them end-to-end, in a straight line; then, place some planks, length-wise, on top of the beer bottle mouths; and finally, lay down some track on top of the planks and you've got yourself a viaduct.

I don't think you'd make it into the brilliant or marvel category, but it might make a good beer commercial.

Ya might have to get a prescription, to help you with those pesky niggles...

see ya,

Rick

Hi Davy,

I took some pictures today that go with my previous post. I can't post pictures here, because my computers security system won't allow it.

I emailed publisher@ogaugerr.com and asked to have my pictures posted, on this thread. There's 7 pictures... hope you like them.

It's just about time for me to watch "Full Metal Jousting".

Cheers,

Rick

 Hey I like that viaduct Davy, how long did it take you to build it. Hehehe. I'll keep my eyes open for a water column for you.

Chuck

Hi Davy,

I just emailed you the 7 pictures, I recently posted about. Would you post them here, for the lads to see?

I'm off for a walk with my critter.

See ya,

Rick

Hi Guys,will post your viaduct pics later Rick. , heres the latest pics of the garden. Not a lot of progress I have to say because we are enjoying a heatwave here in Scotland, apparently we are hotter than Hawaii today, whatever its boiling and repressive for working in. Anyway,have done some rebuilding along the fish pond and have done quite a bit of infill and finished edging the paddling pool with stone. That was fernickety but I'll be able to move faster now laying the main patio area.

 Have also demolished most of the old G scale track formation at the house end and am removing/ rebuilding the rubble etc as I go.I will face it off with stone. I have a small lawn there which I'll widen a bit. I'm also goin to put a station along that straight run and put in a passing siding widening that part out to 3 tracks. Oh and located MTH water columns Chuck ,I have them ordered so thats sorted. 

Hi Guys,as a wee break from all this garden of mine,another interest I built up over the years was japanese steam locomotives. Japanese  gauge was 3ft6" and they had steam till 1976 on their North Island of Hokkaido. The JNR C62 4-6-4 type was their star passenger loco. On the main island of Honshu the type finished working around Hiroshima in 1970. However some of the class continued on in the north island Hokkaido, between Sapporo and Hakodate. Check out this short colour film of them around that time. Some great footage. Enjoy.   DAVY

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GB1u5_YwYBA&feature=player_embedded    

Ya, that's not bad, but too bad it's not pictures of the world famous Guinness trestle.

Now that's something we'd all like to see.

Rick