Brookwood Railroad

Hope everyone had a nice holiday season and that you didn’t receive any COAL in your stocking. If so, I’m sure Santa put it there because he had heard that you were running “live steam"..

As I have been reading the “Workshops", I have become very envious from the people who have been running their trains this winter. The last few days we have had melting weather and there is a small lenght of track now showing. The rest of it is still buried under about 6 inches of snow and ice. Spring can’t come to soon….

Even tho there hasn’t been any outside activity, I have been trying to figure out how I can “mass produce” about a dozen buildings that I can put on the line that has been laid. At this point in time, the line does not have a theme, so what ever buildings are placed, can be “generic".

I am thinking about just making “building shells” that can then be finished at a later date. At least when visitors come, I can say, “you’ll have to come back to see what the buildings look like when finished". I seen a HO layout that was constructed that way. The buildings were in different stages of completion.

I think the building shells will have 3/4″ treated plywood for bottoms, and walls and roofs will be 1/2″ treated plywood. Then sealed with some sort of preservative. Windows and doors will be cut in later, depending on what the “shell” ends up being. I think that will be the fastest way to “mass produce” some buildings. Shell parts will be screwed together, so they can easily be taken apart for final covering, what ever it may be. Will also make it easier to cut in doors and windows.

Anyway, that’s where “railroad activity” stands at this point. Once I get started, and if it seems like a doable option, will post some pictures.

–Happy Railroading–

Jim

The information so far hasn’t had anything to do with Garden Railroading. However, in some cases, getting ready to lay the track, is a long ways down the line. Site preparation can be very time consuming. This happens to be one of those projects. So far I have moved about 2 tons of fill and about 3 tons of pea rock.
If the weather cooperates tomorrow, the remaining pea rock will be added, and then I can get to leveling the track and determining the length of the trestles that will have to be made this winter.

Jim

Today was able to get the underlayment and liner installed in pond by three season porch. Next step will be to get liner attached to pond skimmer. Then I will be able to re-level the track that is running around the pond. Pictures will follow when finished.

Jim

Welcome to the beginning of a Garden Railroad. Actually, I should say the beginning of the “second” Garden Railroad.

Last year I installed a short loop around the stream of a recently installed Waterfall, Stream, Pond. Prior to installing the track, I laid down landscaping fabric, then a good layer of mulch, and then the track. Little did I know that the mulch was loaded with weed seeds! Landscaping fabric is great for preventing weeds from coming through the fabric, but I learned that weed roots will go through the fabric on their way down to moisture..

It is next to impossible to pull out the weeds because their roots are so interwined in the landscape fabric. In order to get rid of the weeds, I removed the track, and riped up the complete area where there was landscape fabric.

I am now in the process of starting over, and now have put down 3-4 inches of wood chips followed by about 3 inches of 3/8 inch pea rock. Track will have to wait till next spring.

I have installed a short line next to our three season porch that I will discuss in a later blog.

Read the other blogs, there is alot of good inormation available, however, subscribing to LSOL will give you a wealth of information on all areas of Garden Railroading

-Happy Railroading-

Jim