A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway - The saga continues

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Thu Apr 11, 2019 11:24 am

Soar Valley Light wrote: Wed Apr 10, 2019 8:39 pm You remain the pioneer of the 'trickle trade' .......
That's very astute of you ...... my wife and daughter will attest to my prostate problems ........ :oops: ;)

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sat Apr 20, 2019 9:02 am

With the arrival of some half decent weather earlier this week, and the promise of it improving further, I bit the bullet and decided to make a concerted effort on the stream.

I said that I'd had a niggling problem to work out, but in fact there were two. One of which concerned the ground levels and support for the side walls of the liner. On the garden side I had been planning to use lumps of stone, but I knew that in reality they would move, and in any case just wouldn't look right.

Then I had a minor flash of inspiration... I had a some old roofing slates lying around and found that by carefully bashing them I could force them into the ground to form the sidewalls of the stream and support the liner and mortar and stones of the stream itself. Then the surrounding soil can be built up to them do what it likes as it expands and contracts with the weather. I didn't have enough slates to do the job properly but a quick look on ebay found somebody fairly local selling reclaimed ones at just under £1 each.
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Having knocked those in and trimmed the liner, it was time to start getting 'permanent', which I did yesterday. Basically following Rik's method of wearing a pair of rubber gloves to manually squidge the mortar in and around the stones to create a one piece stream bed. As part of this work, the bridge was permanently mortared in, which was a somewhat traumatic time ( scared of getting mortar where it shouldn't go) but it is looking quite good, now.
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Today, the plan is to to again follow Rik and wire brush the mortar off the face of the stones whilst it is still green.
Then I need to curb my impatience for a few days and allow it to cure properly before testing the water flow!

I forgot to mention that I've also installed a ball valve/flow restrictor, which can just be seen top left of the picture above. It may not be necessary but since I've had one in the garage from years ago, I decided to fit it whilst the pipe was easy to get to. Although the test flows showed the volume to be just about right, the mortar and rocks will have reduced the x-section of the stream, and the volume may need winding back a bit.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:46 am

That does look good, Philip. Really taking shape now. Did you add dye to the mortar or is it down to the sand you used?

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:39 pm

ge_rik wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:46 am Did you add dye to the mortar or is it down to the sand you used?
No dye, although I did buy both brown and buff dyes for exactly this purpose. It's as much down to the cement as the sand, actually. I found that using White cement rather than the standard grey, with yellow sand, it comes out a nice Cotswoldy colour very close to the stones I'm using. They are of several different shades anyway, having come from a number of sources.

Along the way I've discovered that not all yellow sands are created equal, unfortunately. I had a part bag of Hansen yellow sand which I bought from Wickes last Autumn, but when I went to get some more I discovered that Wickes have changed their supplier and they now sell a reddish coloured sand. After much searching I found a local builders merchant who advertised yellow builders sand so I bought a couple of bags. I used up the part bag of Hansen and it came out an almost perfect colour match, but although the new stuff looked much the same in the bag, the mortar mix came out much more yellow, as in these pics. However it is calming down a bit now that it's drying out and once its weathered it will be OK, I think.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by tom_tom_go » Sun Apr 21, 2019 1:11 pm

Looks great Phil, I like the sound of water trickling away so once it's all running film it please :thumbup:

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:46 pm

philipy wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 12:39 pm No dye, although I did buy both brown and buff dyes for exactly this purpose. It's as much down to the cement as the sand, actually. I found that using White cement rather than the standard grey, with yellow sand, it comes out a nice Cotswoldy colour very close to the stones I'm using. They are of several different shades anyway, having come from a number of sources.
That sounds interesting. I must investigate white cement - will save a lot of faffing around when it comes to colouring the mix. The local sand is red - so would be a handy way of simulating our red sandstone.

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sun Apr 21, 2019 9:04 pm

ge_rik wrote: Sun Apr 21, 2019 8:46 pm I must investigate white cement - will save a lot of faffing around when it comes to colouring the mix. The local sand is red - so would be a handy way of simulating our red sandstone.
It's more expensive than the standard grey stuff, but worth it for our relatively small quantities. Mine cost about £13 for a 25Kg bag and I've used about half for the stream. Just ask for white cement, simples!
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by Soar Valley Light » Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:45 pm

Fantastic work Philip. I'm seriously impressed. Between you and Rik I'm thoroughly inspired now!

I've got an old header tank and ball valve stashed that I thoguht might one day form part of a 'waterway system' in the garden so I was very intertested to hear you were doing something similar.

My main problem now is finding a course for the stream to run along. I fear I may need to get on with building the final brick wall before I can achieve the space I need - see what you've done between the pair of you, I'm hooked now!!!1 :twisted:

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:11 am

Soar Valley Light wrote: Wed Apr 24, 2019 8:45 pm
My main problem now is finding a course for the stream to run along. I fear I may need to get on with building the final brick wall before I can achieve the space I need
Thanks Andrew.
Given that you are at the stage you are in the overall scheme of things, I'd suggest that you decide on the approximate course now, rather than wait until you've got infrastructure, planting, etc, in place that will subsequently either require moving/altering and/or developing the skills of a contortionist to work behind ( don't ask how I know!!).

As for mine, I've been plodding along over Easter, and yesterday morning before it started raining, I managed to get a fair amount of reinstatement done at the top end, with the refurbished thatched cottage back in place, the lifted section of track reinstated over the bridge ( although ballasting will have to wait until the forecast gives me a clear spell) and the Halt back in place but still needing some work. The planting in this area still needs sorting out though. Further down the course of the stream, I still have to finish off both sides of the stream bed and the sump area.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by FWLR » Thu Apr 25, 2019 9:16 am

It really is coming along Phillip. :thumbright:

Shows that you don't need to have it running for yards and yards, or metres for those that are using that measurement....To have a great stream on their line....Thanks for your thread and showing us what is needed to build something similar.

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:48 pm

Looking great, Philip. Would love to see a video of the stream in action sometime.

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:04 pm

ge_rik wrote: Thu Apr 25, 2019 12:48 pm Would love to see a video of the stream in action sometime.

Yes, Tom has said much the same already.

As I said I still have to finish off the sump end and few other odds and sods and then I'll post a Grand Opening with the local brass band in attendance ( well, not really).
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by Andrew » Thu Apr 25, 2019 2:15 pm

philipy wrote: Thu Apr 25, 2019 1:04 pm I'll post a Grand Opening with the local brass band in attendance
Looking forward to it! Even without the brass band it'll be a great sight - the photo you posted of the stream, bridge and cottage is just fantastic.

Naturally it's got me thinking about an underused area of garden next the the line which would look great with a stream tricking down to pass beneath a bridge... That's one for the future, but if it ever comes to pass I shall be looking here, and at Rik's site, for inspiration and advice!

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by IanC » Fri Apr 26, 2019 12:10 pm

Coming together nicely. It looks superb.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sat Apr 27, 2019 12:56 pm

I said that there are some odds and sods to sort out, and the more observant amongst you may have spotted in the last photo, above, that there was no gate into the cottage garden and, more importantly, no way for the residents to cross the stream and get to the railway.

The gate was simply a question of replacing the original one from the corner into the new position in the centre, which has now been done.

A small 'rustic' footbridge has always been on the jobs list as part of the stream construction. So much so that last Autumn I had the foresight to save some prunings from the apple trees , and this is the result:
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Sorry it isn't shown in situ, but I'm not messsing about outside in this weather!
The main logs spent the winter soaking in creosote substitute and the whole thing will be given a coat before it is fixed in place.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by ge_rik » Sat Apr 27, 2019 3:13 pm

Looks good, Philip. Is it pinned together as well as glued?

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Sat Apr 27, 2019 3:49 pm

Yes, the handrail components are pinned and glued, but the deck and main logs are just glued. I got some of the new (-ish) clear non-foaming Gorilla Glue recently so I thought I'd give it a try - seems OK so far. The pins are small diameter brass dress makers/lacemakers pins that I've had for about 20 years. Drilling and pinning before gluing was the only way I could think of to hold so many irregular shapes together.
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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by FWLR » Sun Apr 28, 2019 8:36 am

Nice and rustic bridge Phillip. It's a long way from the usual bridges we see. It well look excellent on your stream...

Just need a few little fishes now swimming under it.... :roll:

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway

Post by philipy » Wed May 01, 2019 2:56 pm

OK, it's been a long time coming but the stream is finally finished. It still needs some attention to the planting and of course needs time for Mother Nature to do her stuff, and the railway itself needs some tlc as well, but other than that it's there.
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I did say earlier that I needed to work out something that had been bugging me and that it would either be an epic fail or a triumph. Well I'm happy to report that it isn't a fail, but although I'm not 100% happy with the result, I'm hoping that time and plant growth will finish it off.

Rik's end sump he finished with an upturned lid filled with white pebbles which looks fine in it's context and I was originally planning to do something similar. However my sump would be in the middle of a planted garden border and a circular patch of white pebbles simply wouldn't look right ( Remember the conditions on my Planning Consent? " You can do what you like as long as it doesn't spoil the garden"). After throwing various idea's around in my head, I came up with a plan. I didn't want a static pond which might attract mozzy's and I was mindful of Rik's experience of trapping and drowning wildlife, so I fabricated a basket from some 1" weldmesh which was lying around and sized to sit inside the sump at about 120mm down.
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Then I bought some marginal pond plants in 110mm deep pond pots and arranged them, along with bits of rock, in the basket. Around the sump I've arranged 3 Prostrate Junipers, bits of rock and various other plants to disguise the edges. When the stream is switched off, the plants are semi- submerged
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and when it is running the waterfall created keeps them splashed wet. My hope is that in due course they will spread and sprawl over the rocks.
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Finally, a video for Tom and Rik!

Philip

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Re: A stream for the Elderbury & District Light Railway - FINISHED

Post by tom_tom_go » Wed May 01, 2019 3:25 pm

What an achievement Phil, the sound of the water is brilliant. I could listen to that for hours sitting outside with the occasional train chuffing along.

You should be pleased with yourself, enjoy it.

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