[Marauderer]

I have been wanting to lay some outside track for a year or so now and finally with some prodding and help from my good friend RJ the process has started. I decided to lay a loop around the pool until I can properly prep the ground for the main layout in the garden/yard.

Yes, it is winter here in Georgia and finally the leaves are all down but, who wants to clean off the pool liner when they could be laying track instead.

Rj did most of the work and took all of the pictures. We started working in the sun and had a fire going in the outside fire pot. Yea, I know it is in Georgia but to us 30*F is cold.

So, we got about 75% completed of the basic loop and my wife and I should finish it up on Sunday. I will install one turn out so I can run a spur under the porch and have outside storage for the train. I will have to figure an in closed storage that I can put it a small light bulb to keep the moisture out. I really envy the S. Cal, Arizona, and Nevada guys as the humidity and minimal rain fall is really nice.



Hopefully RJ will chime in and add a bit more. More to come late Sunday

 

[jimtyp]

Nice work Barry! It should be fun to watch the train run around while in the pool And you won't have to worry about non-level track

 

[aceinspp]

Yes it was a fun day. Little cool but Barry took care to make sure I kept warm. The time consuming part was the bending of curves and then cutting track ends flush. We used a Trains-Li rail bender and sure worked great. We got some nice sweeping curves. Had I been able to stay about 2 hrs more I think we would have had a train up and running. I can't wait to get back and start building out ward into the yard. This is going to be one neat RR. Best thing it's all DCC. Later RJd

 

[Marauderer]

Posted By jimtyp on 01/23/2009 3:13 PM
Nice work Barry! It should be fun to watch the train run around while in the pool And you won't have to worry about non-level track

Thanks, as you know pool pads are not level. Everything slopes away from the pool so no water from rain goes drains into the pool. So I will have some reverse slope on the curves but RJ made the curves as shallow as could be within the parameters we had to work with. I hope I am home this summer to enjoy the pool and the train but, there is a good chance we may be out West for 6-9 months this year.

 

[Marauderer]

Well RJ, Brenda has it on the calendar to complete on Sunday.

 

[aceinspp]

Well the boss has spoken. Hope you get it up and running then.. Later RJD

 

[wigginsn]

Thats looks like a real nice space Barry, deserves to be filled with some trains.

That pool looks good too, 30+ deg C here again today..

Got a track plan you can share or are you winging it?

Cheers
Neil

 

[Marauderer]

Hi Neil, 30*C is a low temp for us in the summer and if I remember this is your summer. But is that above normal for your area. I remember being in Scotland and a 27*C day was a heat wave there. Anyway, I do n ot have a track plan but in my head so I am winging it. The following three pics are where the main layout will be.
The first picture is the right end of the layout. The track will run parallel to the fence and at the right end will looparound out to the second fence pole, which is about 15 ft (5m). It will go to the left at that 15 ft and dogleg with the fence

When the track passes the second catch basin it will start flaring out

Until it can pass around the most left bird feeder and loop around to the right and follow the fence back to the right. I have to drop the one pine tree behind the two bird feeders close together and then build my border and bring in about 15 cubic yards of fill dirt and bulkhead where the bridge and trestle will be located. I also have drainage from my neighbors yards that I have to deal with. Hence the two drain catch basins.

So, if we don't travel this year I may get that done but we are expecting to be gone for at least 6 months and we won't get to even use the pool. I will open the pool and my daughter will come over and use it. I will probably come home every two months for a week or two and take care of the house. Anyway I would have to go back to school to learn how to use a track layout program and I am probably better off just letting it evolve.

 

[aceinspp]

Barry is probably thinking with all this info given that by some chance when he comes home, some off that RR will be built.

HeHe. Later RJD

 

[Marauderer]

I only got about 25-30 ft laid today. I only have the "S" over by the air compressor to do tomorrow. That will get a bit complicated because I am going to install a #6 turnout to lay a spur up under the porch so I can store the train outside. More pics tomorrow as it was getting dark when I quit and didn't get any pics today.

 

[NTCGRR]

Good for you Barry, even if RJ is helping. I think you should fill in the pool and make it a mountain with a water fall.

 

[Marauderer]

Posted By NTCGRR on 01/25/2009 5:50 PM
Good for you Barry, even if RJ is helping. I think you should fill in the pool and make it a mountain with a water fall.

Huh!! Brenda wouldn't like that at all. That hole in the ground is the boat that I gave up in 92 when I went back to school and we couldn't travel. Anyway I have enough property behind where the proposed layout is to be to expand it 3-4X if needed.

 

[aceinspp]

Looks like i should have been there to supervise you again. Dragging your feet on 25 ft of track and we did 130 when I was there. Yikes. Later RJD

 

[Nicholas Savatgy]

Posted By NTCGRR on 01/25/2009 5:50 PM
Good for you Barry, even if RJ is helping. I think you should fill in the pool and make it a mountain with a water fall.







HE HE HE... [Fill the pool and make it a mountain] i think you should leave it and make it a dock and build a 30ft container ship, then buy some USA trains container cars to service it...

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Yeah Barry! You got to get that track down! RJ is going to ride you until that loop is complete! hah!

Regards, Greg

 

[Joe Mascitti]

RJ had it easy...Helping Barry when it was only 50*....how about moving a mountain of dirt when it's 102*

 

[Marauderer]

Just about have it done except for the final S curve.

I am putting a spur line under the porch and will have a storabge house so I don't have to be bringing the train in and out all the time. I have to design or buy a cabinet to put the DCC stuff in. Hopefully I can find something I like out of plastic and be done with it. I also have 6 #6 turnouts (nice) that I have to service and caulk before I install the one in the pic.

Marty, there is a buch of room left and if I wanted to run a loop around the perimeter of the back yard inside the fence I would need another 500 ft of track not counting spurs, sidings, etc.. Anyway I hope we get out your way this year and if we do we will give you and Bubba a hollar and maybe we can get together.

Well, another day at the Reade Ranch and the BBKB RailRoad.

 

[Marauderer]

Well, finally there is another chapter in the laying outside track saga. Today was a great sunny day outside and it got warm. So late this afternoon I layed the #6 Lt. turnout and almost finished the loop. As soon as the loop is finished and I have the trains up and running I will be completing a spur that will go up under the porch. I will then build a train house with a small dehumidifier to store vthe train in so I don't have to bring it in and out all the time. I also have to find a cabinet that I can store the DCC modules in and then I can proceed.

 

[aceinspp]

I can see by the looks of things you did not have the expertise of the track man available to completely make a good transition to the No# 6 turnout. I hope there will not be an extra charge applied for correcting the problem. It could involve a two beers correction fee. It this acceptable? Later RJD

 

[Marauderer]

Posted By aceinspp on 02/06/2009 7:06 PM
I can see by the looks of things you did not have the expertise of the track man available to completely make a good transition to the No# 6 turnout. I hope there will not be an extra charge applied for correcting the problem. It could involve a two beers correction fee. It this acceptable? Later RJD

Yesterday RJ and Joe came over to help me get the loop finished and running.

And after we got the final track joined we needed a cabinet to put the DCC equipment in so my darling wife donated this one from her craft room and we put some patio stones under it, used some lag bolts and attached it to the wood pillar, and silicon caulked the top and back joints to help keep out the weather

When we checked the track voltage I only had 14 volts. RJ took the Booster box and turned up the voltage as far as it would go. We expected to get around 19 v and were pleasantly surprised to get 21 v.

Joe was keeping an eye on RJ to make sure that everything went ok.

The RS3 runs great. now that I have a 160 ft loop outside I can get some more cars.

Now I am installing a storage spur under the porch.

So, it was a great day and the BBKB Railroad runs outside.

Thanks RJ and Joe.