The DVLR Mark 2

laurence703 · Post by **laurence703** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 8:28 pm

I think the cats been making itself comfortable... Good luck bringing the railway back from sleepeth mode!

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Sat Mar 16, 2013 9:00 pm

Ouch, not good, hope you can get things back runnerble soon

hussra · Post by **hussra** » Mon Mar 18, 2013 10:16 am

Yikes! Looks like the line needs re-rescuing, how many times can a line close and be rescued? (Hope it's more than the cat's nine

)

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:05 pm

Yup line is not in a good state, also making some big differences so it will get worse before it gets better!
Having tried to start on the buildings at Woodbridge I laid everything out and didn't know where to start. So I finally decided that finishing projects off is better than starting more. So I decided to finally sort out the docks and tide mill area which I was always unhappy with.
The tide mill is finally receiving windows and doors,

I redid the far bank of the deben so it was less steep and canal like. Took two identical photos on different settings on the camera which is better?

Then I decided that what was wrong with the tide mill end of the river was that is was too full - the Deben is more often mud than it is water so I raised up the bed untill all that was underwater was a little channel. I then built a docks out of kindling split up into planks and some square dowel with rounds turned on the ends. This will be infilled with concrete and there will be the odd boat sitting in the mud on the side.
The only pics I got were after dark so apologies!

Better photos tomorrow I promiss, anyone got any idea how to paint black pond liner brown?
Final photo attempting to show the less canal like river

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:18 pm

I prefer the top photo as it is brighter you seem to see more details in the pic.

TTHLRMatt · Post by **TTHLRMatt** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 9:54 pm

Is the andel bug box a permanent erection there?

DLRdan · Post by **DLRdan** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:38 pm

Only if its taken too many pills........

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:44 pm

Dan!

In answer to your question Mat, I use that branch for taking coprolite out of the quarries so a bug box in the way wouldn't be terribly practical. I positioned it there to help me set the bank in such a way that I could maximize the reflection.

DLRdan · Post by **DLRdan** » Tue Mar 19, 2013 10:50 pm

Ah yes, I hear positioning is very important

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 7:34 am

Dan what has gotten into you!!

tom_tom_go · Post by **tom_tom_go** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:24 am

Oh the fun you could have with captions if a loco with a female name was in that pic

Great looking line Zach. I like the changes you are making so keep up the good work.

Cheers,

Tom

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 4:45 pm

Thank you for the comments, its still got a LONG way to go!

Bit of progress and some better shots of the docks.

I have also removed the hill, I'll still have the road winding up to a bridge but the rest of the hill has become flatter (yet still slightly rolling) fields, planning one for live stock and one for crops. I'd like to be able to replicate this typically Suffolk scene

Ie, railway running along field with fence. I realised I have so many rivers and trees and grand ideas for beaches and buildings I have missed out on a very important part of this area - agriculture.
Taking down the hill has made me realise how much space it took up!
Hill gone!

cutting gone!

Need a brick arch bridge to put in there, any ideas?

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 5:53 pm

I'm liking the "new look" (and the extreme ironing shot

), glad to see that I'm not the only one involved in some heavy engineering around the line

With regard to your question about painting the pond liner, what happened with the hessian that you applied over the bank?

Stuvon · Post by **Stuvon** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 6:14 pm

The new additions look great Zach!

Are you planning to have any open days this year?

laalratty · Post by **laalratty** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:36 pm

Must say in my honest opinion that it looks loads better, and it will do even more once you get some plants growing to hide the bare soil. Can see also that the pond looks much more like how you want it to

And Sam, nothing had gotten into Dan, he is pretty much always like that...

Lner fan Sam · Post by **Lner fan Sam** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 8:39 pm

I see thanks Chris. I look forward to meeting the practical joker at elsecar!

jim@NAL · Post by **jim@NAL** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 9:07 pm

to panit the pond liner get some paint from builders merchints called MSP muilti surfface paint .does what it says on the tin will paint over anythink

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Wed Mar 20, 2013 10:21 pm

Thank you for the encouragement! It is starting to shape up into what I wanted. I mainly just play around with an area with objects mocking up what it might look like. To experiment with the "Tide out" look I simply lifted up that end of the liner and heaped soil under neigh and squidged the liner about till it looked right.
I think the extreme ironing board is in fact a garden table taken from a funny angle! The hessian all rotted away or got pulled up by the (new) dog and the cats or fell into the river having half rotted away. I then tried linnen which, being half artificial, should have lasted longer but doesn't seem to have done terribly well. I guess "Multi-purpose" paint will have to do but I bet it wont stick terribly well and I am loath to using chemicals near an pond (I've got rather fond of the pond snails - I put 2 in when I started the pond, there are now hundreds..) As to open days, I've only ever had one and that was the official closing ceremony of the last railway! I should have more I suppose but not untill the garden is "right". It can be frustrating for visitors as track conditions arn't perfect, theres soil everywhere and very little siding space. End to end isn't for everyone either. Also the garden railway is TINY (as I am sure Narrow Minded will testify), I think we can all be quite crafty with camera angles and I find it difficult to show exactly how little space I have to work with. Thank you for the help and encouragement - I am slowly getting there, its just frustrating when I am away for half the year and spend most of my time getting back to square 1!

Dr. Bond of the DVLR · Post by **Dr. Bond of the DVLR** » Thu Mar 21, 2013 7:22 pm

A little bit more happened today:
I worked in the corner of the garden, re-working the hill behind the railway. I used what ever plants were going spare to plant up this bit and broke off lots of bits of Nobodies business to start sprouting over this area. The road which will cross the railway and go off behind those trees needs to be done and I need to think how to do the fields properly.
I bought (yes I actually bought something) some wood preserver finally and some wire for making some fences up to go along the line.
Some more photos - still lots of mud but bits are taking shape. The wagons are there for the sake of photographs and are not a permanent feature... (';)')
Huge pile of terracotta chunks will be moved and reused in the bawdsey branch

Narrow Minded · Post by **Narrow Minded** » Sat Mar 23, 2013 10:29 am

Blimey, you've been busy!

I've been giving some thought to your "brown river banks", and the only real suggestion I can make would be to drain the water and then line the pond with cement.
You can texture and colour it by adding sharp sand to the mix - not a convenient quick-fix I'm afraid, but should work. I'm going to be attempting to do my banks this way

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The DVLR Mark 2

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