The Potters Orchid Railway

[Peter Butler]

It's OK for you guys living just around the corner..... some of us need to catch the bus!

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Awnings look great, one of the best additions a garden line can have. I'd certainly be interested in visiting when it cools own next Winter. Hope to have my new flagship loco rebuilt and fit to be seen by then.

Most welcome, simply call me on the dog and bone
07 3353 3368

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

It's OK for you guys living just around the corner..... some of us need to catch the bus!

That is a problem, till we can sort out a working TARDIS

[Soar Valley Light]

It's OK for you guys living just around the corner..... some of us need to catch the bus!

That is a problem, till we can sort out a working TARDIS

Having seen some of the things you've tackled Dazza, I would be at all surprised if we were to spot a prototype sitting in a corner of your workshop!

Andrew

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

It's OK for you guys living just around the corner..... some of us need to catch the bus!

That is a problem, till we can sort out a working TARDIS

Having seen some of the things you've tackled Dazza, I would be at all surprised if we were to spot a prototype sitting in a corner of your workshop!

Andrew

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

It will be some time in the years to come till Potters Junction receives its signalling, buildings,details and such like, so the Potter's Orchid Railway's chairperson of the board tidied up the station yard with weed matting and 20mm sunset stone to hold over.

[FWLR]

Looks really good Dazza. Seems like it's been there ages. Like the big Cactus plant in the third photo....

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Looks really good Dazza. Seems like it's been there ages. Like the big Cactus plant in the third photo....

That fella pushes out a nice flower, but one has to be quick, it only last hours. It is about to push out three more flowers soon.
The native stingless bees like them as well.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

past the dunnydoor


Past the Red Room (Llewellyn Loco Works)


Down the path (MAM's creation and labour) to the Potters Orchid Railway.






" Hey Ben you look keen to get cracking" "Yeah mate !" (Ben is a guard and trainee driver at the Mary Valley Rattler)



The first rolling stock is in the yard


Hugh readies his Slomo Lady Ann. Smooth, proper runner is this loco ! Hugh also makes and fly RC planes.


Ben has a Coopers Pale Ale and the little radio informs us of early stages of India's batting collapse. Crikey !


The monsters of the deep ponder the racket going on out there, as Captain plods contemplates the water fall's signicant leak. The pond basin is OK the water fall has a problem. Heck after the tonnage of rock, pond liner and concrete...


We seem to have lost the loco at the Orchid house loop. This winter's project is the paths and more gardens.


First of the crowd arrive at Potters Junction. Mr Edd the talking horse peers over the bridge, thinking that Iron horse must eat a lot of good feed, steroid oats perhaps? to be able to pull that number of wagons. He can only pull on on the flat with a good tailwind.


More locos arrived and more visitors from all over. After 30 mins Captain Plod was too busy, too excited and soon forgot to take enough pictures. More arrived later as darkness settled, the artificial moon light was turned on and the drinks in the esky and the cheeses were demolished. Heck that was fun. But the big buzz was seeing the kids from a few doors up out street enjoy the evening and have a drive of Steve's little locos. Their first experience of steam. That was the highlight of the evening. Sorry for the lack of pics. MAM might have some more.

[Peter Butler]

That all looks wonderful, brings back memories of when we used to do something similar, perhaps next year???
You have both worked your socks off to get such great results and it makes all the difference to share with friends, neighbours and horses!
Shame about the pond though.

[FWLR]

Agree with Peter. That's looks a brilliant opening day for your line. Both you and MAM's hard work has been so worthwhile. And the pond will soon be sorted i'am sure.

Thanks also for the info on the Cactus. It does look beautiful..

[ge_rik]

Looks like a fun time was had by all. Makes all the hard work worthwhile.

Rik

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Pond problem , not the water fall or basin, but the pipe from the pump up to the top, it is leaking badly, I have no idea how that could have happened, any how, we managed to thread a tube inside and proved it was the pipe.
Stay tuned

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Saturday the 19th December 2020. The first open POR run day.
Photo credits to Hugh Beckers.
Hugh's Slomo equipped Lady Anne is a sweet runner. Proper job says Captain Plod

[philipy]

You should be very pleased at the results of all your hard work, these pictures say it all, for me. I particularly like the third piccy down, heading in to the tunnel, and of course trains on bridges always look superb for some reason!

[FWLR]

Brilliant photos.
I love them all, but the ones with the locos in steam are my favourites.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

You should be very pleased at the results of all your hard work, these pictures say it all, for me. I particularly like the third piccy down, heading in to the tunnel, and of course trains on bridges always look superb for some reason!

Yes and thanks. It was an intense 6 months on the terra forming, I need a break and when winter arrives and it the motivation levels are present we will get onto more details, buildings, the yard at potters junction and the signals. The signals and making the interlocked frame will be a big job. This time I am making the frame as Harold at Modratec has stopped making them, he supplies one the drawings and design. I made some parts for him last summer so I have some fixtures here to ease the chore but at the moment I want to get back to my coal fire loco build.
We have not yet had time to chase good pictures. Too busy, but soon. I did often sit with a glass of Red, contemplating things, letting thoughts drift in, pondering scenic imaginations and solutions would arrive and some creativity would develop as the evening darkness descended. This is important, just sit, no real thoughts or plans and let stuff arrive. Then things and ideas arrive and develop. I like that. The recent pictures were the work of Hugh, who we met for the first time on Saturday and he has been itching to run his loco and rolling stock at the POR for the last 12 months but we held back till it looked reasonable and most importantly we had some hard paths in place or it becomes very muddy. We scraped in just in time for this Summer. In the next life and if the budget would allow, I would love to make another garden railway, with all the lessons learnt, longer around the property run, 300mm higher than current from ground level, bigger hills, a few more bridges, sizable pond with fish and lilies etc, longer loops and sidings and a straight through run into a shed workshop shed for carriage stock shed and locos. However an empire is not what it is about, it is about social fun and projects with others.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Brilliant photos.
I love them all, but the ones with the locos in steam are my favourites.

The POR has only one steamable loco and its cab tank work and RD is not complete. (runs nicely at a realistic speed unattended for 30 mins) Meanwhile until at least another 2 years when perhaps the coal fire loco will be readyfor delivery from the Llewellyn Loco works red room workshops, so management are contemplating a ready to run RH Fowler with a Slomo fitted. Captain Plod would like to have a Taliesin but a Slomo cannot be fitted. Slow speeds and shunting is very much desired.
Oh well, just one garden railway in one's lifetime is all that can be fitted in this time around.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Captain Plod will plead guilty of encouraging and assisting with this. "Your Honour, I was inspired by photos of the Southgate Light Railway's Christmas lights, I blame Rob and Nicki for this frivolity.

[philipy]

Very festive. I think Captain Plod should be congratulated not prosecuted!