The Little River Rail Road in Doc Tom's Back Yard

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
I have dug my kitchen out, and am preparing to fetch some more firewood. My farm truck was in the sun, so I thought I photograph the rocks I have collected for Tom's project so far.

Bill Nelson
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Thanks for the rocks and first track is laid

Hi Guys,

First, thank you so much for all those mossy rocks Bill. They will look great along the banks of the Little River as it tumbles through my large scale scenery.

Second,today was a momentous day for, after a year of planning, measuring, and figuring the first section of 10 foot radius track was laid, leveled, and ballasted.

Here are some pictures of this first step for the LRRR.

Doc Tom:wave:
 

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Sawdust

Member
I have dug my kitchen out, and am preparing to fetch some more firewood. My farm truck was in the sun, so I thought I photograph the rocks I have collected for Tom's project so far.

Bill Nelson

Hey Bill That's a lot of rocks to be digging out of your kitchen! How long did you have to cook & eat around those. :mrgreen::mrgreen::mrgreen:
 

Sawdust

Member
Very very nice job on the ballast Doc Tom, I like that a lot. What did you end up using? The mulch looks good next to it too. I hope you had a good Christmas & I wish you & your family a healthy & prosperous New Year.
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Very very nice job on the ballast Doc Tom, I like that a lot. What did you end up using? The mulch looks good next to it too. I hope you had a good Christmas & I wish you & your family a healthy & prosperous New Year.

Hi Jim,

Thanks for the nice feedback. I used a bagged crushed stone from Lowe's that is used under "pavers" and patios. It is crushed limestone or granite??? The stones are small and jagged which allows them to "lock together" when tamped down. Track was painted and the rusty rails will probably really show after a few rain showers wash down some of the stone dust.

The mulch can look like logged over area and I will probably use alot with some "large scale" stumps until the green plantings start to grow.

We did have a nice Christmas thanks for asking.

Doc Tom:wave:
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
looks good!

Tom I have always loved that combine, good to see it on the rails again . I came this close to retaining the shorty combine and coach , but retained a Delton RPO and combine instead. Good to see it on the rails!


Bill


P.S. Sawdust, them rocks came from my woods; My 81 Toyota 4x4 won't fit in the kitchen!
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
reporting marks

Did any of you guys check out the reporting marks on that boxcar? My Dad had two of these custom made. I retained one of them.

Thanks Tom for your exquisite taste in selecting test equipment!

Bill
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Did any of you guys check out the reporting marks on that boxcar? My Dad had two of these custom made. I retained one of them.

Thanks Tom for your exquisite taste in selecting test equipment!

Bill

Hi Bill

Thank you for donating all this large scale equipment to the LRRR. I think it would have been another 2 years before I could start without all your great support.

I too love that shorty combine and how it has weathered. The DGCC&W is also my favorite boxcar that will show up in a lot of photos because of its exquisite lettering for a noble road and the striking red color. I will NOT let kids run this car when they operate on the Garden Line. In fact when not posing for pictures it is in a place of honor in my shops. Here is another picture of these two favorites.

I hope to lay a little more track tomorrow if the weather allows.

Doc Tom:wave:
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Hi Bill


I too love that shorty combine and how it has weathered. . . . . . . . . .
I hope to lay a little more track tomorrow if the weather allows.

Doc Tom:wave:


The combine is I believe a Kalamazoo product. It is less toy like than the Kalamazoo 4-4-0 that I am going to try to modify, the weathering I believe is a product of mother nature, reacting with the resin casting and the paint. Dad liked the combine more than the coach. and the combine was apparently left on the track in the piney woods more than the coach was, so the UV light , and acidic pine pollen had more time to work on it.


Bill Nelson
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
If you get much wind, you may find yourself picking that mulch off of your layout unless you plan to glue it down.
Hey Mountain Man,

So far winter winds have not moved the mulch. I think it may be because we get so much rain that mulch in these parts stays wet and heavy. It is used frequently in gardens and around plantings.

The large scale "gurus" online recommended mulch in areas devoid of plantings on new garden RR's. This will keep down the inevitable "weed patch" that would grow up on bare soil and bare dirt mountains without the mulch.

Thanks for all the interest, this has been an interesting project for me so far.

Dr Tom:mrgreen:
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
The combine is I believe a Kalamazoo product. It is less toy like than the Kalamazoo 4-4-0 that I am going to try to modify, the weathering I believe is a product of mother nature, reacting with the resin casting and the paint. Dad liked the combine more than the coach. and the combine was apparently left on the track in the piney woods more than the coach was, so the UV light , and acidic pine pollen had more time to work on it.


Bill Nelson

Thanks Bill,
Looks like UV light and rain and wind will be an interesting "weathering product" in the quest for realism on this garden RR. Wish we had a little more PM sunshine so I could work on the RR after regular day job. As it is I have only been able to move dirt and rocks on the weekends.

Tom
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Tom. Is that combine, or the coach missing a door? I found a door off of a G scale coach or combine, and it is the right color red to be off of the coach or combine. I can't rgink of anything else that color.

I was looking all over the house looking for a 7/16th drill for the bifold door in my bathroom. I eventually had to go to to hardware City for the drill. I went to Action Hobbies (the R/C shop) for some stiffer music wire for my attempt at the under the layout actuators for the sawmill area at the club. I also went to randolph and Hale ( the electronics store) but they no longer carry the plan PC board I was hunting for.


Bill Nelson
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
Hey Mountain Man,

So far winter winds have not moved the mulch. I think it may be because we get so much rain that mulch in these parts stays wet and heavy. It is used frequently in gardens and around plantings.

The large scale "gurus" online recommended mulch in areas devoid of plantings on new garden RR's. This will keep down the inevitable "weed patch" that would grow up on bare soil and bare dirt mountains without the mulch.

Thanks for all the interest, this has been an interesting project for me so far.

Dr Tom:mrgreen:

Barrier cloth keeps down weeds. Mulch migrates.
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
barrier

The barrier cloth works pretty good around here Tom, but you have to bury it well with mulch. You won't have the biggest problem with it that I do, cause you are smart enough not to own a Great Dane and a St. Bernard. The big dogs like to bed down in the flower beds, and of course, the mulch isn't fluffed up enough for them so they have to work it some, and if you have the cheap plastic barrier cloth , they shred it in that spot, and if you have the good fibrous stuff, they will pull yards of it out at a time.

Bill
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
The barrier cloth works pretty good around here Tom, but you have to bury it well with mulch. You won't have the biggest problem with it that I do, cause you are smart enough not to own a Great Dane and a St. Bernard. The big dogs like to bed down in the flower beds, and of course, the mulch isn't fluffed up enough for them so they have to work it some, and if you have the cheap plastic barrier cloth , they shred it in that spot, and if you have the good fibrous stuff, they will pull yards of it out at a time.

Bill

Hey Bill,
More good advice.......also since moving to town it is impossible to have a "dawg" unless you can pick up poop with a plastic bag........yecccccchhhhhh.

Dr Tom
 

Mountain Man

Active Member
Hey Bill,
More good advice.......also since moving to town it is impossible to have a "dawg" unless you can pick up poop with a plastic bag........yecccccchhhhhh.

Dr Tom

Better than using your hands..:mrgreen:

Colorado is known for for a weather phenomena known as "katabiatic winds". Warm air rises, cold air rushes down the sides of the Front Range mountains, and accelerates easily up to 80mph or more. Up in Boulder, 100mph roof-rippers are common. When I lived in Colorado Springs, one of these winds broke the front room wall of my house. Mulch tends to disappear, probably ending up in Kansas. :cool:
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member

Colorado is known for for a weather phenomena known as "katabiatic winds". Warm air rises, cold air rushes down the sides of the Front Range mountains, and accelerates easily up to 80mph or more. Up in Boulder, 100mph roof-rippers are common. When I lived in Colorado Springs, one of these winds broke the front room wall of my house. Mulch tends to disappear, probably ending up in Kansas. :cool:


Wow those are incredibly powerful winds!!!! We get tornadoes but they are focal and not as wide spread or prolonged as those monster katabiatic winds.

It is amazing the differences through out this great land of ours.

Doc Tom:eek::eek::eek::eek::eek:
 
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