Taita Gorge Railway

Happy Birthday, Beer Train now that is my kind of Train. But not this Month as I have January off the Booze every Year.
JonD
 
duncan1_9_8_4 said:
What plant is that, that has engulfed the rock border, like a green mat. It looks nice.
Click to expand...

It is a moss, called New Zealand Moss. Previous commentators on here, from the Northern Hemisphere, have likened it to Spanish Moss.

Lasts about 5 years before it outgrows itself, and starts to die off in patches.

DSCF4168.JPG

The other cover is Thyme, and is currently in full flower, a nice purple/red colour that is being pollinated by numerous bumble bees that Dodge (our kitten) tries to catch.
 
Ben dropped a handful of miniature plugs that he got from China, on my desk. They looked suspiciously familiar.
Sure enough, they mated with Aristo plugs.

So, the Critter and battery car have had these fitted, and things are back to normal. Bonus.... my FA-1 can now also run on battery (when I have to... still staying with track power).
 
Gav, that New Zeeland Moss is certainly good stuff. Have tried Spanish Moss in UK with mixed results. Must look it up and get it planted in a way that makes it thrive. Certainly for some plants saying you either Live or Die does not work. They do need to be nurtured with the correct conditions, then they will thrive as your Moss has done.
JonD
 
The only nurturing any of my plants get, is a bit of water when it is dry, and the chainsaw if gets in the way of the trains.
 
:) One of the beaut things about battery power, is the ability to 'do' reverse loops without having to 'flick the switch'.

I'd already put the beer train in the hole, and switched off the track power to let the beer transfer job have a real dogbone run through both my return loops.... here it is in action, scooting round the Outback.

DSCF4337.JPG

nice, BUT, I still ain't going full battery power. :wasntme:
 
My battery car (Coors) is LGB. I tried putting an Aristo coupler on it, but it catches. The FA-1 won't successfully convert to loop couplers.

Then Ben came up with the idea of running the battery car as second wagon, and fitting jump wires to the Aristo converter wagon.

Wires fitted, train tested, all is well.
 
:) Wee tweek to the Aristo car to avoid some tension on the jumper, and we are cooking with gas. Obviously, drawing more power than the Critter, I only expect 3-4 hours out of one charge.

Track power still rules on Taita Gorge. :D
 
:) In today's mail (we still have deliveries in these parts), was a 'brown paper envelope'..... with a Kalmbach logo. First Class postage alerted me to this being something special (other than a request for money, or other such begging type letters).

Inside, the Garden Railways Magazine April 2016 issue (I'm sure it is still February here, and around the rest of the world). Surprise, a two page spread on the Taita Gorge Railway. Well, it was about black and white photography actually. I only sent the screed and pics a few weeks ago.
 
Well done Gavin. Must be nice to see it in print.
 
The planting looks lovely and sets off the foreground very well in appropriate scale
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top