Barbecue
Friday was a gorgeous day - unbroken sunshine and, for almost the first time this year, pleasantly warm. An impromptu barbecue was organised after work. Very pleasant to sit in the garden with a glass of fizz and blackened meat which was once a kebab, with a train chugging away in the background.
Snagging
The weekend was spent mostly in sorting out some of the
snags from tracklaying so far. I decided that, rather than lifting track and levelling the underlying trackbed, I would try a less radical solution. I figured that even after re-laying the blocks, they could re-settle and then I'd have to re-do the whole procedure. Besides, I wanted an easier life!
My solution was to use strips of roofing felt. At around 1mm thickness, I could use it to even out some of the inconsistencies. Eventually, it would be hidden by ballast, so .................
In this photo you can see that the pointwork in the through station has been levelled. Also you will notice I have invested in some plants - a mixture of alpine perennials and a few annuals to provide a bit of colour.
Various other depressions and high spots have been levelled around the garden. Trains are now running a lot more smoothly.
Stream
I also took the opportunity to dredge the sump at the bottom of the stream - you'll notice the dead leaves in the photo above - the water from the sump (which I am sure is rich in nutrients) used to help establish the new plants.
At the same time, the stream was sluiced through to rid it of leaves and rain-washed soil. The resident frog in the sump (I refused to call it a pond) looked on with interest but seemed to enjoy the refreshed water - a combination of rain water from the butt and tap water.
As can be seen, the weekend ended with rain. The wires in the background are those for the terminus station which need to be threaded through to the control panel in the leant-to.
Control panel
This is still very embryonic. A few wires soldered together to check on circuits and to enable me to run test trains. One day, this will become a well crafted control centre ........ In the meantime............... needs must!
<< Go to Progress Report 3
Friday was a gorgeous day - unbroken sunshine and, for almost the first time this year, pleasantly warm. An impromptu barbecue was organised after work. Very pleasant to sit in the garden with a glass of fizz and blackened meat which was once a kebab, with a train chugging away in the background.
Snagging
The weekend was spent mostly in sorting out some of the
snags from tracklaying so far. I decided that, rather than lifting track and levelling the underlying trackbed, I would try a less radical solution. I figured that even after re-laying the blocks, they could re-settle and then I'd have to re-do the whole procedure. Besides, I wanted an easier life!My solution was to use strips of roofing felt. At around 1mm thickness, I could use it to even out some of the inconsistencies. Eventually, it would be hidden by ballast, so .................
In this photo you can see that the pointwork in the through station has been levelled. Also you will notice I have invested in some plants - a mixture of alpine perennials and a few annuals to provide a bit of colour.
Various other depressions and high spots have been levelled around the garden. Trains are now running a lot more smoothly.
Stream
I also took the opportunity to dredge the sump at the bottom of the stream - you'll notice the dead leaves in the photo above - the water from the sump (which I am sure is rich in nutrients) used to help establish the new plants.
At the same time, the stream was sluiced through to rid it of leaves and rain-washed soil. The resident frog in the sump (I refused to call it a pond) looked on with interest but seemed to enjoy the refreshed water - a combination of rain water from the butt and tap water.
As can be seen, the weekend ended with rain. The wires in the background are those for the terminus station which need to be threaded through to the control panel in the leant-to.
Control panel
This is still very embryonic. A few wires soldered together to check on circuits and to enable me to run test trains. One day, this will become a well crafted control centre ........ In the meantime............... needs must!
<< Go to Progress Report 3
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