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

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Meant to comment on Tyler's prototype loader pic earlier, but have had internet problems and then just didn't get around to it- pretty sure that pic was taken up at Cass WV, on Cass Scenic, hence CSR lettering, and yes, if it's the one they have that will run, it's a diesel, and I've seen it running in a log loading demonstration with Artie Barkley at the helm...

Mack

Hey Mack,

Good to hear from you again. I thought that loader looked dieselized with the muffler/exhaust on the roof. Apparently they did that a lot with conversion of previous steam power over to diesel.

The bent boom is interesting as Bill N. commented also. I wonder if that was purposeful or just one heck of a big log did it in????

Thanks to Tyler for posting the pic and it is going in my prototype folder as Bill and I prepare to build this beast in 1:20.3 scale.

Mack I am still driving Miatas...........thanks for the good advice on these fine automobiles so many years ago!!!!

Doc Tom:mrgreen:
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Hey Mack,



Mack I am still driving Miatas...........thanks for the good advice on these fine automobiles so many years ago!!!!

Doc Tom:mrgreen:


Jennifer's red Miata is hibernating in the garage. it is Subaru weather here in Northern Middle Tn.


Bill Nelson - anxiously awaiting the return of Miata weather
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
But yet me and my 2wd S-10 would have no issue getting anywhere in what you call "bad weather"...

Tyler


To keep that true, you might want to avoid visiting my farm when there is snow on top of ice; 2 wheel drive trucks, unless they have a limited slip differential, have a very poor record of being able to get out of my holler when there is snow on ice; although things have improved considerably since they paved my road. That is the reason why four out of five of our vehicles are 4 wheel or all wheel drive, and the Miata hibernates in the garage.


It got above 40 degrees today, and they are calling for that to happen for the next five days. I'm thrilled, as the fan motor for my wood stove insert in the dinning room fireplace melted down. I have a wood stove in the kitchen fireplace too, but in is much less efficient, and my woodpile is getting low.

with the warmer weather Tom may be able to get some work done.
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Doc Tom,

I just found this website and thought it could apply to garden railroading also, although I could be wrong. But here it is: http://www.railsystemsco.com/Groovy%20track.htm
I thought it was a pretty good idea and almost makes me want to get into 7 1/2" gauge... and I thought my wife yells at me enough now for my trains taking up a small spot in my kitchen...

Tyler
 

Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
Tyler. my dad used a similar system back in the early 70's using extruded aluminum rail with a tab sticking out the bottom of the web. The rail was the smallest available for G at that time, and that and the self gauging in the slots in the ties. The ties my dad had were very nice. the man who sold the track lived near a piano factory, and the ties were made from scrap wood from the piano factory. all of Dads wooden ties were mahogany. they looked really good. there was no good system for rail joiners and hooking up electrical connections to the aluminum rail was a bear.


building a switch from bar stock is easy. ??? You guys at the club have heard me ***** about how much harder code 100 rail is than code 70. of course a grinder makes things easier I personally , sadly, am not a welder.


The 9 Sou hoppers have hit the RR. they are photographed all together here. they will not likely ever be all together, as they will be divided into day #1 and day B deliveries . few delivery locations will get more than one . five maximum might show up in a delivery from the southern interchange, but since there will be two or three deliveries for the Southern getting all one days deliveries of these cars in the same delivery is unlikely.


Besides playing with those, I have been working on the Gegokayoosa Viaduct over Dugassi Creek. it is all together, and ready for paint. I have also been working with a Lifelike coaling facility, which I like, as it has provisions for a coal dump in front of it as well as in back, so I may be able to use it in places where I did not plan for coaling facilities, as when I started this incarnation of my RR almost all of my locomotives were wood burners.
 

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Bill Nelson

Well-Known Member
oops that should have gone in the DG CC & W RR thread. I must need a nap, as it is well past my bed time


Bill
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
building a switch from bar stock is easy. ??? You guys at the club have heard me ***** about how much harder code 100 rail is than code 70. of course a grinder makes things easier I personally , sadly, am not a welder.

Bill,

They were comparing the difference in ease between scale sized rail and bar stock in 7 1/2" gauge and larger. Of course that'd be a beast between making switches in a larger scale if you keep thinking small scale, but to me it seems relatively simple. That being said, if either you or Tom has access to some bar stock and a torch, I could braze some track up and maybe a couple of switches. For the larger stuff, though, I would do as the website suggests and weld the loops for the bolts. Of course, that's all up to Tom.

Tyler
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Fishin at the Little River

This week the Smoky Mountains have looked like this and not much has been done on the Little River Rail Road.

Yet, the boys remember when it was springtime and Little Jimmie Smith showed off his catch of Little River Trout to the crew of 2147. Little Jimmie also wondered when the heck were they going to move that locomotive so he could go back to fishing from his favorite river bridge over the Little River.

Well it seems El Greco ,the brakeman, was worried about a dragging brake line and just had to fix things right at Jimmie's favorite spot. Brakes are very important in a loaded logging train coming down grade from Elkmont to the mill at Townsend. Jimmie must learn patience.

Doc Tom
Doc Tom and the Little River Rail Road in Tennessee
 

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Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Doc Tom,

I just found this website and thought it could apply to garden railroading also, although I could be wrong. But here it is: http://www.railsystemsco.com/Groovy%20track.htm
I thought it was a pretty good idea and almost makes me want to get into 7 1/2" gauge... and I thought my wife yells at me enough now for my trains taking up a small spot in my kitchen...

Tyler

Hi Tyler,
I do not know how I missed these posts. Senior memory failure perhaps.

I enjoyed the groovy track. Working outdoors in this large scale does allow you to use all kinds of heavy equipment that would destroy my old HO layout. A lot of fun!!!

Bring on the welding torches and iron bars!!!!

Doc Tom
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Tyler. my dad used a similar system back in the early 70's using extruded aluminum rail with a tab sticking out the bottom of the web. The rail was the smallest available for G at that time, and that and the self gauging in the slots in the ties. The ties my dad had were very nice. the man who sold the track lived near a piano factory, and the ties were made from scrap wood from the piano factory. all of Dads wooden ties were mahogany. they looked really good. there was no good system for rail joiners and hooking up electrical connections to the aluminum rail was a bear.


building a switch from bar stock is easy. ??? You guys at the club have heard me ***** about how much harder code 100 rail is than code 70. of course a grinder makes things easier I personally , sadly, am not a welder.


The 9 Sou hoppers have hit the RR. they are photographed all together here. they will not likely ever be all together, as they will be divided into day #1 and day B deliveries . few delivery locations will get more than one . five maximum might show up in a delivery from the southern interchange, but since there will be two or three deliveries for the Southern getting all one days deliveries of these cars in the same delivery is unlikely.


Besides playing with those, I have been working on the Gegokayoosa Viaduct over Dugassi Creek. it is all together, and ready for paint. I have also been working with a Lifelike coaling facility, which I like, as it has provisions for a coal dump in front of it as well as in back, so I may be able to use it in places where I did not plan for coaling facilities, as when I started this incarnation of my RR almost all of my locomotives were wood burners.

Bill,
Your dad some amazing stuff in large scale!!! Mahogany wooden ties....that is something and probably very moisture resistant???

Like your viaduct that is very nicely made. You have a real knack for bridging chasms. Your 5 foot monster bridge will be laced on the garden railroad probably within the next 2-3 months......gots a Haiti mission trip that may slow up construction some.

Doc Tom
 

Sawdust

Member
Hey Tom glad to see your progress, you make it hard for me to keep up on here. The snow pic is beautiful & a fantastic job on the trestle. A snow covered trestle dosen't get any better than that.
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
First operating switch stand for the LRRR

Many thanks to Bill Nelson and all the nice large scale pieces he donated to the cause of the Little River Rail Road. He gave me the parts of an operating brass switchstand from his Dad's collection that I was able to put together today on a "snow day" (the clinic was closed).

Bill also has given me a very well made LGB turnout from his Dad's old RR.

First step was to remove the electrical motor from the turnout.

Second step was to fashion long ties to mount the mechanism for the switchstand.

Third the brass stand was assembled and mounted using a brass rod to serve as linkage.

Fourth step will be to clean up the turnout and stand and paint the track, switchstand and target.

The switchstand does work just like the prototype as you can see in the pictures.

A lot of fun!!!! Thanks Bill.

Doc Tom
 

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gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
I love that pic of the snow on the trestle, reminds me of stuff I'd see back home. Maybe you should have a removable snow plow on the pilot of the Shay to clear the tracks... that'd be a interesting concept.

I posted this message before in the "For Sale/Wanted" folder here, but I have two 1:1 scale switchstands made by the Milwaukee Road from 1880's-1900's. It's all cast iron with non original flags, WC or maybe even Soo Line must have replaced them. If anyone is interested, I'll be home in August as mid-tour break and November-ish for good so we could work something out as far as shipping.

Tyler
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
I love that pic of the snow on the trestle, reminds me of stuff I'd see back home. Maybe you should have a removable snow plow on the pilot of the Shay to clear the tracks... that'd be a interesting concept.
Tyler


Hi Tyler,

With all the snow we had this winter I am considering purchasing a snow plow. I am a little frightened about exposing all the fancy electronics in the Shay to all the moisture though. I make a beeline for the shed with the Shay when a little rain starts to fall.:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Tom
 

gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Hi Tyler,

With all the snow we had this winter I am considering purchasing a snow plow. I am a little frightened about exposing all the fancy electronics in the Shay to all the moisture though. I make a beeline for the shed with the Shay when a little rain starts to fall.:eek::eek::eek::eek:

Tom

Once again, another reason to get a live steamer! There's something about a steamer in the cold that makes it really become alive. If I had the capital and plans of a future garden railroad, I'd get one to play with. They always have a few live steamers on eBay that go for a reasonable price.

Tyler
 

Doctor G

Well-Known Member
Steamin' in the garden

Once again, another reason to get a live steamer! There's something about a steamer in the cold that makes it really become alive. If I had the capital and plans of a future garden railroad, I'd get one to play with. They always have a few live steamers on eBay that go for a reasonable price.

Tyler

You are so right Tyler. I have loved all the pictures of steam in the snow this winter on the large scale sites.

One of the reasons I have limited my grades on the Little River RR to 1.5% was to keep the door open to possible real steam engines on the line. I have even researched real coal fired steam engines....interesting little beasts.

Here is a photo of the "entry level" "RUBY" (made by Accucraft) that is supposed to be the best way to start out with live steam in the garden. It can be purchased for less than $500 on eBay and some of the discount sites.

Here is also a picture of Accucraft's "Plantation" engine in 1:20.3 that I also really think neat. It too is live steam and reminds me of my Haitian Sugar Rail Road.

I think what might be my first live steam will be the Ruby and then a conversion of it to a 0-4-0 with a sloped back tender to model the real Little River Rail Road #1.

Thanks for keeping my feet to the firebox and the steam lines.
Tom

Here is also a picture of
 

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gbwdude

General Manager, W.R.Ry.
Doc,

I personally like the "Plantation" engine, it's quite similar to WRRy's #12 (the one that you thought was the DZUL). #12 is also a 0-4-2T but doesn't have the fancy cowcatcher or link and pin couplers, and is a little chunkier in design. I plan to remotor it with a nice can motor with a flywheel so it runs smooth, as it runs really good right now with the stock motor in her.

Tyler
 
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