The Potters Orchid Railway

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Thanks every one, MAM has mild symptoms. Late yesterday arvo, like a a good chairperson of the board she came down to peruse the rock wall work.



Before location


After
The segmented rock comes from the Stewart tce road bridge area at the north end of the Mary Valley Rattler's station yard at Gympie.
Liquid nails and rock on top of a mortar base Two drain holes can be seen that drain water from the upward rock side of the track. The greenery shall propagate down the rock, stony slopes over time.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Plod finished off the lower access steps to the Pottery and Railway while listening to 15 wickets at the Gabba.



However before the warmth of the day set in some scenery fill ins was commenced at the Orchid House Station location.

[philipy]

Can't believe how much you've done in 6 months! Amazing progress and amazing quality.

[Peter Butler]

Ahhh, summertime, I remember that, we had one here, once!

[FWLR]

Looks great. It has to be worth all the effort you have put into so far. I would love something like this.

[steamgeorge]

I really admire the way you've made the most out of the available space. I can already tell the landscaping is going to look very convincing once the greenery takes over

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

A few spare hours of distraction and Plod knocks up a small wall. The stone is a bag full of rock pieces from the Gympie station yard, then some mortar and dye powder. There is a gap so if the signal cable cable casing or electrical wires have t be lifted then this can be done. The intention in ground covers here only.



Pull some scraps up from other locations and shove into the soil/potting mixture and water with seaweed emulsion and some worm juice, dust with sugar cane mulch. It should take over nicely given 4-6 weeks.


Then this morning 1/2 metre of 20mm sun set stone, shovel it into the dunnydoor.



Then fill in the last two days of step making that takes one down to the Pottery and the POR.

Done. MAM will plant out the small area just below the rain water tank. The rain tanks are for garden and pottery use. Gravity fed down to the lower levels. Very handy.



10kgs of ballast chips has just arrived, time to check the weather. Plod ponders "3 days to ballast the track?" Plod says, starting tomorrow, he will "Give it a real proper nudge!"

[Andrew]

Looking great!

I particularly like the last picture, where the railway genuinely cuts through the terrain - looks just right, even with the overscale steps and water butt!

[Peter Butler]

It all fits together so well, picturesque and practical. I like to see road vehicles used for such purposes, proper workhorse there, just like mine.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Mr Specture is lurking, he has some final reports to do soon. It seems that Head Office is getting a bit toey for him to resume his inspections of other railways.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Captain Plod was collecting an unidentified species on his back. MAM who is the head entomologist of the POR is yet to identify this little fella. Meanwhile the track ballasting continued at the Potters Orchid Railway.

[Peter Butler]

I wouldn't feel comfortable with that thing on my back, or even in the next garden! How you manage to achieve so much with such potential hazards around is just astonishing. I feel very comfortable digging around here in Wales, but that's due to fact that there is nothing here eyeing me up for lunch!

[Tropic Blunder]

Ballasting looks exceptional mate I think im going to have to try something similar down here. Its amazing what a difference the little details make.

[ge_rik]

Top marks on the ballasting. Looks great - both in terms of colour and size.

Rik

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Popped another flower out last night, by lunch time it will have withered away.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Plod lifted the plastic off the Potters Junction yard area his morning and discovered an effing cane toad has hoped about under the plastic last night and disturbed some soft areas. Never mind, out with the flying gang to do so some repairs today. Locos crews clean their fires while waiting time for the board to drop and thus proceed out of the platform and loop roads onto the next section.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

SBR is baking off nicely after 48 hours.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Cooler weather and regular applications of H2O from the rain water tanks has MAM's plant selection coming along nicely after 2 years.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

The plantings on the new extension to Cabbage Tree Creek station yard are progressing. One day a wooden trestle will replace the plywood and pavers. Plod has always wanted to make a trestle bridge and 2023 might be the year.

[invicta280]

Planting and rock faces looking awesome. It really is turning into a railway at home in its landscape.