The Charnwood Forest Light Railway
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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Evening all,
Updates have been lacking of late, due entirely to a minimal level of progress. A few days signalling on the Bluebell and a few days holidaying in Devon (right next to the L&B trackbed again) have kept me out of the garden. The weather has begun to turn a little too and a couple of the occasions when I had the time to do someting the ground was just too wet. Even taking care I began to create a 'hippo wallow' on one of the days I ventured out. Have you noticed the nights are starting to draw in too?
However, this weekend I had both the opportunity and the weather. There won't be too many good days for muckshifting left this year, so I was keen to make the most of it. My back, arms and shoulders can testify to the fact that I did just that! I managed to get the last of the concrete units that will be the store place for my ladders and form the path for the washing line, set to their proper line and level. This involved some adjustments to the arrangements around the steps recently built. I knew this would be needed and could only be finalised once the big units were in place. Having achieved this I could then see (for the first time) exactly how I am going to complete the retaining walls to the final side of the operating well. To this end I also managed to dig in and set the concrete posts that will hold up the small concrete panels I plan to use to retain the ground. It also highlighted a short section to be completed in granite stone wall. The pictures below show the main circuit of the railway as a complete entity for the first time. One shot from either end.
Looking up the garden towards the house. The whole circuit is visible as is the branch (just) beyond the arch up by the kitchen door.
A somewhat gloomy view looking down the garden through the arch. The whole main circuit is visible (apart from the short stretch on the right temporarily buried under soil!)
The amount of heavy work left to do is getting less by the day now. Once the retaining wall is in I can begin to move the last of the soil into it's final resting place. That's going to need some careful consideration on how and what landscape to create around the whole railway. The one major job left is to break out the last remains of the old yard up by the house. This will create some surplus spoil and this needs to go into the backfill behind the retaining wall before too much top soil is placed and levelled. This means that the main path to the house is going to be ripped up just as we go into the Winter - not the best time but it can't be helped. We had a winter two years ago, right at the start of this mamoth upheaval, when we had temporary paths to contend with, I've got enough paving slabs stacked out of use at present to keep us above the sludge. The downside is that it may hold up finishing off the paving of the sloping path up from the operating well. At least that isn't going to be needed for anything other than construction work until at least next spring. Considerations like this are very important when planning the work of landscaping (including garden railways) and also when phasing the work. Maintaining a fit access that can be kept acceptably clean is very important if having the garden brought into the house bit by bit on peoples shoes is to be avoided!
So, I feel like I'm entering the final phase of heavy work. It's a nice feeling and a comforting thought that the graft will soon be over and I can start to concentrate on the reasons for doing it all in the first place - the railway and the flower beds!
Updates to follow as weather allows,
Andrew
Updates have been lacking of late, due entirely to a minimal level of progress. A few days signalling on the Bluebell and a few days holidaying in Devon (right next to the L&B trackbed again) have kept me out of the garden. The weather has begun to turn a little too and a couple of the occasions when I had the time to do someting the ground was just too wet. Even taking care I began to create a 'hippo wallow' on one of the days I ventured out. Have you noticed the nights are starting to draw in too?
However, this weekend I had both the opportunity and the weather. There won't be too many good days for muckshifting left this year, so I was keen to make the most of it. My back, arms and shoulders can testify to the fact that I did just that! I managed to get the last of the concrete units that will be the store place for my ladders and form the path for the washing line, set to their proper line and level. This involved some adjustments to the arrangements around the steps recently built. I knew this would be needed and could only be finalised once the big units were in place. Having achieved this I could then see (for the first time) exactly how I am going to complete the retaining walls to the final side of the operating well. To this end I also managed to dig in and set the concrete posts that will hold up the small concrete panels I plan to use to retain the ground. It also highlighted a short section to be completed in granite stone wall. The pictures below show the main circuit of the railway as a complete entity for the first time. One shot from either end.
Looking up the garden towards the house. The whole circuit is visible as is the branch (just) beyond the arch up by the kitchen door.
A somewhat gloomy view looking down the garden through the arch. The whole main circuit is visible (apart from the short stretch on the right temporarily buried under soil!)
The amount of heavy work left to do is getting less by the day now. Once the retaining wall is in I can begin to move the last of the soil into it's final resting place. That's going to need some careful consideration on how and what landscape to create around the whole railway. The one major job left is to break out the last remains of the old yard up by the house. This will create some surplus spoil and this needs to go into the backfill behind the retaining wall before too much top soil is placed and levelled. This means that the main path to the house is going to be ripped up just as we go into the Winter - not the best time but it can't be helped. We had a winter two years ago, right at the start of this mamoth upheaval, when we had temporary paths to contend with, I've got enough paving slabs stacked out of use at present to keep us above the sludge. The downside is that it may hold up finishing off the paving of the sloping path up from the operating well. At least that isn't going to be needed for anything other than construction work until at least next spring. Considerations like this are very important when planning the work of landscaping (including garden railways) and also when phasing the work. Maintaining a fit access that can be kept acceptably clean is very important if having the garden brought into the house bit by bit on peoples shoes is to be avoided!
So, I feel like I'm entering the final phase of heavy work. It's a nice feeling and a comforting thought that the graft will soon be over and I can start to concentrate on the reasons for doing it all in the first place - the railway and the flower beds!
Updates to follow as weather allows,
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Peter Butler
- Driver
- Posts: 5724
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
I am delighted for you, it must feel as though all of the effort (and expense) has now been justified and you are on the final lap!
You have gone about this project in a determined and calculated way and managed to keep us informed of your successes (and delays) and now have the finished product in sight. I wish you hearty congratulations on sheer determination, although sometimes against the odds!
You have gone about this project in a determined and calculated way and managed to keep us informed of your successes (and delays) and now have the finished product in sight. I wish you hearty congratulations on sheer determination, although sometimes against the odds!
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
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LNR
- Driver
- Posts: 1902
- Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:26 am
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Thanks chaps, the encouragement really helps.
I'm not sure which Christmas Grant! I've got a shift working on the GCR for one day of each of the next six weekends - after the shopping and domestic chores that doesn't leave too much time for railway construction - but I shall be looking for every possible opportunity!
Andrew
I'm not sure which Christmas Grant! I've got a shift working on the GCR for one day of each of the next six weekends - after the shopping and domestic chores that doesn't leave too much time for railway construction - but I shall be looking for every possible opportunity!
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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ge_rik
- Administrator
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- Joined: Sun Oct 25, 2009 10:20 pm
- Location: Cheshire
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I know how you feel, Andrew. Domestic life does seem to get in the way all too often. What we all need is more train time ....Soar Valley Light:120221 wrote:Thanks chaps, the encouragement really helps.
I'm not sure which Christmas Grant! I've got a shift working on the GCR for one day of each of the next six weekends - after the shopping and domestic chores that doesn't leave too much time for railway construction - but I shall be looking for every possible opportunity!
Andrew
All the same, you've made fantastic progress. Those foundations look like they're going to last!
Rik
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IanC
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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Hello readers,
Progress has been fairly slow, thanks to far too many demands on my time and some worsening weather...... but there HAS been progress. The civil engineering continues but railway construction is still some way off (although now visible in the distance!).
I have managed to set the posts and install the concrete panels behind them to retain the soil in the last part of the landscaping, this included some stone wall construction. Two further short runs of brick laying are required to complete this work. This work had to be the next step as I needed to be able to tip the excess spoil from under the last remanats of the old yard deep at the bottom of this fill.
So, with the wall built out came my old friend 'Billy the bar' and the last of the old yard became fill material for under the new (eventual) shed extension. I was then able to start trimming the soil beneath to the required levels and depths. It seemed strange after all this time to be setting up barrow runs again but it was the only way, and much simpler now there is some concrete surfacing for part of the journey!
It was a real flashback to the mess of eighteen months ago outside the back door!
Once I got cracking the levels were soon dropping but of course - I got carried away, forgetting the golden rule of taking REGULAR check measurements. When I finally did check I was about two inches low over the half of the yard I'd trimmed - good job I paused to take the picture, it was that break that lead me to get the level out again!
There was nothing for it, the empty barrow went back to the tip and I began to load spoil back up to the yard! I think I'm still a wee bit low but dusk was fast approaching and I needed to get a temporary slab path back down so that we could come and go without bringing the garden indoors with us!
Another day (or two) of muck shifting should see the majority of the soil in it's final resting place and the way clear for some of the last construction work on paths. A bit more bricking after that and I'll need to start thinking about ordering the concrete for the yard. That really will be a big step towards completion.
A chink of light shone through the curtains of sweat pouring from my furrowed brow though....
I had to assemble a length of track to check on height clearances of some of my rolling stock, relative to the Filcris foundation. Once the measuring was done I decided it would be a constant encouragement to me to have it laid loosely in the terminal station area, so I will see it every time I look through the kitchen window or come and go from the house.
All I need now is this wet weather to go forth and leave me a couple more days of dry ground to take advantage of!
All the best,
Andrew
Progress has been fairly slow, thanks to far too many demands on my time and some worsening weather...... but there HAS been progress. The civil engineering continues but railway construction is still some way off (although now visible in the distance!).
I have managed to set the posts and install the concrete panels behind them to retain the soil in the last part of the landscaping, this included some stone wall construction. Two further short runs of brick laying are required to complete this work. This work had to be the next step as I needed to be able to tip the excess spoil from under the last remanats of the old yard deep at the bottom of this fill.
So, with the wall built out came my old friend 'Billy the bar' and the last of the old yard became fill material for under the new (eventual) shed extension. I was then able to start trimming the soil beneath to the required levels and depths. It seemed strange after all this time to be setting up barrow runs again but it was the only way, and much simpler now there is some concrete surfacing for part of the journey!
It was a real flashback to the mess of eighteen months ago outside the back door!
Once I got cracking the levels were soon dropping but of course - I got carried away, forgetting the golden rule of taking REGULAR check measurements. When I finally did check I was about two inches low over the half of the yard I'd trimmed - good job I paused to take the picture, it was that break that lead me to get the level out again!
There was nothing for it, the empty barrow went back to the tip and I began to load spoil back up to the yard! I think I'm still a wee bit low but dusk was fast approaching and I needed to get a temporary slab path back down so that we could come and go without bringing the garden indoors with us!
Another day (or two) of muck shifting should see the majority of the soil in it's final resting place and the way clear for some of the last construction work on paths. A bit more bricking after that and I'll need to start thinking about ordering the concrete for the yard. That really will be a big step towards completion.
A chink of light shone through the curtains of sweat pouring from my furrowed brow though....
I had to assemble a length of track to check on height clearances of some of my rolling stock, relative to the Filcris foundation. Once the measuring was done I decided it would be a constant encouragement to me to have it laid loosely in the terminal station area, so I will see it every time I look through the kitchen window or come and go from the house.
All I need now is this wet weather to go forth and leave me a couple more days of dry ground to take advantage of!
All the best,
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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LNR
- Driver
- Posts: 1902
- Joined: Sat Feb 27, 2016 5:26 am
- Location: Melbourne, Australia
Andrew, that concrete walling and post work has a most professional look to it. As hard as your soil is to break up initially, it looks like it's the sort of mix that will stay put once in the right place and packed down. I'm on sand here, and rain and wind tend to move it around, especially on embankments.
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
Grant.
The light at the end of the tunnel is getting brighter.
Grant.
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Peter Butler
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- Posts: 5724
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
All of your hard work has paid dividends and everything is now heading for the grand finale. Most impressive groundwork there and nothing left to chance. It is a shame the winter is fast approaching and inevitably time to continue progress will be curtailed, but enthusiasm will prevail and the end is in sight! Great work.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Hello all,
Progress in the Charnwood Forest has been slower of late but at least there has been progress! It's all civils stuff rather than p.way. I've just about finished the retaining walls in the junction area now and done some backfilling, levelling and profiling on the back of it.
Maybe the biggest step forward has been the progress on the path down into the operating well. The earthmoving made possible by the bricking work made room for this next and important step. A great deal of thought and planning has also progressed as the final shape of things begins to emerge and railway plans are adapted from what was envisaged to what best suits the actual ground profiles. It's quite an enjoyable process!
This is in danger of becoming a 'spot the difference' contest but for those who have persevered with my reports so far here are two shots today, one each way, from the ends of the main garden.
There is much still to do on the civils front but every step brings me closer to railway construction -it's finally getting close!
All the best,
Andrew
Progress in the Charnwood Forest has been slower of late but at least there has been progress! It's all civils stuff rather than p.way. I've just about finished the retaining walls in the junction area now and done some backfilling, levelling and profiling on the back of it.
Maybe the biggest step forward has been the progress on the path down into the operating well. The earthmoving made possible by the bricking work made room for this next and important step. A great deal of thought and planning has also progressed as the final shape of things begins to emerge and railway plans are adapted from what was envisaged to what best suits the actual ground profiles. It's quite an enjoyable process!
This is in danger of becoming a 'spot the difference' contest but for those who have persevered with my reports so far here are two shots today, one each way, from the ends of the main garden.
There is much still to do on the civils front but every step brings me closer to railway construction -it's finally getting close!
All the best,
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
-
Peter Butler
- Driver
- Posts: 5724
- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
Excellent progress again, I do enjoy your posts and pictures, it all makes sense and shows how well organised you have been right from the planning stages. It may seem a long time but well worth the wait and will be a permanent feature in a cleverly used space.
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
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ge_rik
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1490
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
THanks guys,
The words of encouragement are very welcome. I'm so please you enjoy the posts.
Having worried alternately about having too much or too little soil left, it's finally begining to look like I'll be a wee bit short. I'm planning a fair amount of rock garden planted with alpines. Does anyone have any suggestions about suitable material for planting such plants in. If I'm going to have to buy some in I might as well get the right stuff!
Andrew
The words of encouragement are very welcome. I'm so please you enjoy the posts.
Having worried alternately about having too much or too little soil left, it's finally begining to look like I'll be a wee bit short. I'm planning a fair amount of rock garden planted with alpines. Does anyone have any suggestions about suitable material for planting such plants in. If I'm going to have to buy some in I might as well get the right stuff!
Andrew
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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Peter Butler
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- Joined: Sun Sep 09, 2012 10:33 pm
- Location: West Wales
I think my best advice would be to listen to your local garden centre expert when you buy your plants. I think there are so many variables involved with some plants liking specific types of soil which doesn't agree with others.
My wife organises my plants as a rule so most of them do well, sometimes too well and I have to be ruthless when thinning them out, on the plus side that means I don't have to buy so many!
My wife organises my plants as a rule so most of them do well, sometimes too well and I have to be ruthless when thinning them out, on the plus side that means I don't have to buy so many!
The best things in life are free.... so why am I doing this?
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bazzer42
Lovely to see how it is all coming together. All I know about alpines is that most like sun not shade and soil that drains well. Perhaps you can eke some of your soil out by adding some horticultural grit. We've plenty of shade and struggle with alpines as a rule but it doesn't stop me buying and trying (and failing) 
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Soar Valley Light
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- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Thanks for the advice guys, I think I'll take Peters and do some local research. I hear what you're saying too Bazzer, I'm faced with a space for one of the rockery areas that spends at least half the day in shade. I need to carefully research plant types too I think. Thanks goodness for heather! 
"Smith! Why do you only come to work four days a week?
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
"'cause I can't manage on three gaffer!"
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philipy
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Andrew,
In a month or so Tesco's will probably have small fir trees in as indoor Christmas decorations. They usually sell them for about £3 each. They are a naturally dwarf variety called "Top Point" . They sell them at about 10" tall and after 5 years my biggest one is now about 12" but most have just bushed out slightly without getting significantly taller. I've had about 6 of them growing under an apple tree in shade for most of the day, for about 5 years. I have lost 1 or 2 because they dried out in a very hot spell, but at £3 each that isn't a financial disaster!
There are some other dwarf conifers that will tolerate shade, I usually keep an eye on the 'end of season' collection whenever I go to a garden centre.
Edited to add: Camomile will tolerate shade, Hutchinsia likewise (and it spreads easily without being invasive ), and some small leafed Hebe as well as long as they are kept watered.
In a month or so Tesco's will probably have small fir trees in as indoor Christmas decorations. They usually sell them for about £3 each. They are a naturally dwarf variety called "Top Point" . They sell them at about 10" tall and after 5 years my biggest one is now about 12" but most have just bushed out slightly without getting significantly taller. I've had about 6 of them growing under an apple tree in shade for most of the day, for about 5 years. I have lost 1 or 2 because they dried out in a very hot spell, but at £3 each that isn't a financial disaster!
There are some other dwarf conifers that will tolerate shade, I usually keep an eye on the 'end of season' collection whenever I go to a garden centre.
Edited to add: Camomile will tolerate shade, Hutchinsia likewise (and it spreads easily without being invasive ), and some small leafed Hebe as well as long as they are kept watered.
Philip
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tom_tom_go
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