Ox Mountain Railway
- Thread starter trammayo
- Start date
garrymartin
My Family,Railways, Beer and the Seaside
I can see it ! I was about to congratulate you on braving the elements but I suspect that picture wasn't taken today ? :-\
playmofire
Registered
It is small in the post, but click on it and it is an adequate size.
playmofire
Registered
No doubt it will come, Mick, but the method of having a small image and clicking on it is something I'm familiar with from another forum, although it works better here.
trammayo
Interested in vintage commercial vehicle, trams, t
alec dawe said:
It does for me Alec but I was trying to post it without the extra bit of fiddling around. Following further instruction, I am going to have another go.
I can be creative and make a conical hat with a D on it - just don't know how long I would have to stand in the corner if I fail this time.
playmofire
Registered
You are now a fully qualified photo poster, Mick! Look forward to many more.
trammayo
Interested in vintage commercial vehicle, trams, t
December 2013? Honest, it does get used (sometimes).
I seem to have lost a lot of my stamina (which wasn`t a lot anyway!) since earlier this year. Doing a little bit now and again doesn`t really work well for me and the railway. Plants were overgrown, weeds were the master, and damage to trestles meant that some prolonged attention was needed.
I needed help but the cats stayed away until I had emptied several large trugs of weeds and unwanted plants (I know weeds are unwanted plants too
).
Anyway, having cleared much of the line, I realised that the trestles were in urgent need of attention. To be honest, there wasn`t a lot of rotten timber - more a case of rotten driving.
The first section needing repairs had already been repaired in March. When I had lengthened the trailer, it was immpossible to park it out of the way without causing problems. If I parked the trailer at an angle, I could just get the car in between the trailer and the railway with about 25mm to spare until I had got the car safely past the curving trestle. If I got the approach angle of the car wrong (which I did twice) then the +25mm gap became a -15mm or more. So the trestle had the legs (of the bents) broken as well as cross members and other horizontal timbers.
So the new wood (as in recycled from a previous project) is discernable because of the colour differences.
The next section had never really been finished off (well the repairs even follow this ommission) but the Leylandii and Box hid a multitude of fragmented timbers which had been stressed to follow the curves in the first place so they just failed. New bits were cut from what remained of the nearly new timbers from the past, The leg is new because there wasn`t one there before (it rests on a rock whilst all the others were treated and brayed into the ground), and the diagonal is new too.
... the other side ...
Then there was the approach to the bridge. Although only the plywood had given up the ghost, the gymnastic activites of the cats had helped the gentle rusting 18g brads to part company with neighbouring timbers. The old sections were (air) nailed back in position with a new piece added to the end.
Next, the opposite end of the bridge where it rapidly descends to the main line. Here, there was some rot as the bushes conspired to create a more humid climate (aboute 120% moisture I reckon) as the shed also joined in to exclude sunlight.
The big bridge (and repaired trestle) proved to be a practical thoroughfare for Mae, our six-month old female. I was testing out a loco after a lube job and, within seconds she appeared ....
At the depot end .....
and down onto the running track as the train enters the tunnel ...
All that was yesterday. Today I did some more testing and we were joined by Tommy, our two-year old orchestrated male.
I seem to have lost a lot of my stamina (which wasn`t a lot anyway!) since earlier this year. Doing a little bit now and again doesn`t really work well for me and the railway. Plants were overgrown, weeds were the master, and damage to trestles meant that some prolonged attention was needed.
I needed help but the cats stayed away until I had emptied several large trugs of weeds and unwanted plants (I know weeds are unwanted plants too
).Anyway, having cleared much of the line, I realised that the trestles were in urgent need of attention. To be honest, there wasn`t a lot of rotten timber - more a case of rotten driving.
The first section needing repairs had already been repaired in March. When I had lengthened the trailer, it was immpossible to park it out of the way without causing problems. If I parked the trailer at an angle, I could just get the car in between the trailer and the railway with about 25mm to spare until I had got the car safely past the curving trestle. If I got the approach angle of the car wrong (which I did twice) then the +25mm gap became a -15mm or more. So the trestle had the legs (of the bents) broken as well as cross members and other horizontal timbers.
So the new wood (as in recycled from a previous project) is discernable because of the colour differences.
The next section had never really been finished off (well the repairs even follow this ommission) but the Leylandii and Box hid a multitude of fragmented timbers which had been stressed to follow the curves in the first place so they just failed. New bits were cut from what remained of the nearly new timbers from the past, The leg is new because there wasn`t one there before (it rests on a rock whilst all the others were treated and brayed into the ground), and the diagonal is new too.
... the other side ...
Then there was the approach to the bridge. Although only the plywood had given up the ghost, the gymnastic activites of the cats had helped the gentle rusting 18g brads to part company with neighbouring timbers. The old sections were (air) nailed back in position with a new piece added to the end.
Next, the opposite end of the bridge where it rapidly descends to the main line. Here, there was some rot as the bushes conspired to create a more humid climate (aboute 120% moisture I reckon) as the shed also joined in to exclude sunlight.
The big bridge (and repaired trestle) proved to be a practical thoroughfare for Mae, our six-month old female. I was testing out a loco after a lube job and, within seconds she appeared ....
At the depot end .....
and down onto the running track as the train enters the tunnel ...
All that was yesterday. Today I did some more testing and we were joined by Tommy, our two-year old orchestrated male.
trammayo
Interested in vintage commercial vehicle, trams, t
Tom just plonked himself down on the viaduct....
.... and then he spotted Mae, and started sneaking up on her ....
However she soon spotted him!
That put a stop to the train. I tried to reverse it up into the station but was thwarted by some ballast fouling the switch blade (good job I hadn`t cleaned the track!).
Lunch called and that ended today`s session! I have still quite a few feet of track to clean and the right of way to clear of any vegetation but at least I`ve made a start.
.... and then he spotted Mae, and started sneaking up on her ....
However she soon spotted him!
That put a stop to the train. I tried to reverse it up into the station but was thwarted by some ballast fouling the switch blade (good job I hadn`t cleaned the track!).
Lunch called and that ended today`s session! I have still quite a few feet of track to clean and the right of way to clear of any vegetation but at least I`ve made a start.