The Charnwood Forest Light Railway
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Soar Valley Light
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- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Funnily enough that's what the neighbours asked!KNO3:117709 wrote:Are you building a pond too?
There will be a stream which will end in some sort of catchment area (to provide a sump to pump back from). The inspiration for this has come from the Peckforton Light Railway. However, it will be a smallish affair and none of the excavation you can see is intended to be part of it. The sunken area is intended to be an operating pit for the station and junction area.
Todays activity was confined to stock-taking the bricks available and tidying up the terminus station area. Domestic chores ruled out anything more I'm afraid.
"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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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
It's been quite a busy weekend for the contractors engaged to build the railway (Me!). The extra day available made a difference of course. The allotment may have suffered as a result, as has my back, but there is some genuine bricks and mortar progress.
I managed to get a bottom ring of headers down on top of the foundations last week but this Saturday I made a start on building up the wall proper. I'm delighted with the progress. I can't say it's finished because I don't know what that looks like yet, there is an element of making this up as I go along! That's mainly because I'm not certain how much soil I'm going to have to work with at the end of the day. At the risk of overdoing a good thing a couple of photos of the progess are attached.
As you can tell, I'm quite chuffed with my handiwork, mainly because I'm enough of an engineer to know that being able to survey, design and specify doesn't make me a natural bricky! I've done some basic foundation bricking in the past and some very minor reconstruction of a couple of walls but I was very reluctant to attempt a curved wall from scratch, let alone one that is more than 200 degrees of a full circle! After a lot of thought I came to the conclusion this form of construction was the only sensible option and money wasn't available to hire in a sub cantractor so, I took the plunge. Despite having a good grounding in surveying I very nearly came a cropper with this job. You will spot a post in the centre of the well, this was knocked in before the hole was dug to act as a setting out point for the alignment of the railway. There were actually two but this one was used for the main baseline, not just the track alignment so I made sure it survived the excavation. It wasn't installed to the millimeter but was pretty close. Once I set my mind on how to control the wall construction I realised that using a piece of timber cut to the radius of the wall to measure from this post to the construction work would do the job. All was going swimmingly, it was a little cramped working around the post and I was worried about disturbing it, especially after having dug so much ground from around it. It was then I realised that I couldn't remember checking it for verticality - ever! I immediately checked an found that it was indeed out of true! I was three courses up by this stage! Fortunately it was out by less than an inch at that height and so I was able to make the necessary adjustments to recover the situation. There is a saying in the world of engineering (and particularly on the p.way) - 'Measure twice cut once' - basically check and double check before you do anything, I should have checked rather than assuming before I began building. Luck for me a got away with it!
I managed to get a bottom ring of headers down on top of the foundations last week but this Saturday I made a start on building up the wall proper. I'm delighted with the progress. I can't say it's finished because I don't know what that looks like yet, there is an element of making this up as I go along! That's mainly because I'm not certain how much soil I'm going to have to work with at the end of the day. At the risk of overdoing a good thing a couple of photos of the progess are attached.
As you can tell, I'm quite chuffed with my handiwork, mainly because I'm enough of an engineer to know that being able to survey, design and specify doesn't make me a natural bricky! I've done some basic foundation bricking in the past and some very minor reconstruction of a couple of walls but I was very reluctant to attempt a curved wall from scratch, let alone one that is more than 200 degrees of a full circle! After a lot of thought I came to the conclusion this form of construction was the only sensible option and money wasn't available to hire in a sub cantractor so, I took the plunge. Despite having a good grounding in surveying I very nearly came a cropper with this job. You will spot a post in the centre of the well, this was knocked in before the hole was dug to act as a setting out point for the alignment of the railway. There were actually two but this one was used for the main baseline, not just the track alignment so I made sure it survived the excavation. It wasn't installed to the millimeter but was pretty close. Once I set my mind on how to control the wall construction I realised that using a piece of timber cut to the radius of the wall to measure from this post to the construction work would do the job. All was going swimmingly, it was a little cramped working around the post and I was worried about disturbing it, especially after having dug so much ground from around it. It was then I realised that I couldn't remember checking it for verticality - ever! I immediately checked an found that it was indeed out of true! I was three courses up by this stage! Fortunately it was out by less than an inch at that height and so I was able to make the necessary adjustments to recover the situation. There is a saying in the world of engineering (and particularly on the p.way) - 'Measure twice cut once' - basically check and double check before you do anything, I should have checked rather than assuming before I began building. Luck for me a got away with it!
"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!"
As others have said, only you will notice - looks spot-on to me. Mind you, when I built our lean-to (only just realised how apt that name is... ) I'd never laid a brick in earnest before. I did it during that really wet summer (1995??), and I'd assumed the line I was using was drooping in the middle because of the damp and so I compensated. Only after the sun shone and the mortar had dried did I realise my wall has a distinct sag at each end. Of course (oops another pun!!), only I am aware of it.
Rik
Rik
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Soar Valley Light
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- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Well, progress indeed today. Filcris componenets have been assembled and a start made on installing them. This is only scratching the surface and some significant ground works will be required before I can progress further. These works involve the breaking out of more concrete (the hardest stuff I've encountered so far!) some wall demolition and, most disruptively, the demolition of some of the temporary pathwork that I put in at the end of last summer to avoid a Winter wading through mud! This will mean some very temporary surfacing whilst this section of line is completed. For that reason I need to have all my ducks lined up before I start. I need to keep this phase as short as possible. I have to construct the branch first (rather than the circuit in the main garden) as it has the most severe gradient (1 in 50) anywhere on the system and will set the level of the garden loop.
This is the station site, looking from the buffer stops out towards the rest of the garden. You can just see the line curving away to go round the honeysuckle arch. the main circuit will be in the garden beyond.
Progress will be pushed on as quickly as possible but I need to take it at a pace that allows thinking time, there's also this unreasonable demand made by my employer, whereby I only get paid if I go to work!
Watch this space.......
Andrew
This is the station site, looking from the buffer stops out towards the rest of the garden. You can just see the line curving away to go round the honeysuckle arch. the main circuit will be in the garden beyond.
Progress will be pushed on as quickly as possible but I need to take it at a pace that allows thinking time, there's also this unreasonable demand made by my employer, whereby I only get paid if I go to work!
Watch this space.......
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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tom_tom_go
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- Location: Kent, UK
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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Hi Tom Tom & Dwayne, thanks for the encouragement.
The schematic track plan for the station is shown on page two of this thread. Exact positioning of the S&C has yet to be finalised and the sidings may end up coming off the main rather than kicking back out of the bay, these details will be sorted as work proceeds.
I'm lucky when it comes to the garden, my partner isn't particularly bothered what happens out there, provided there is a bit of colour. The trouble is the only colour there has been for the last three years has been brown, that needs to change - and soon!
I made a start late this afternoon with chopping through the next bit of concrete slab that needs to go, nothing more than putting a line down on the ground (literally!) with a bolster and hammer. At between four and six inches thick I'm going to have to show it the six foot bar. After a cake filled weekend I need it to work off some calories!
Andrew
The schematic track plan for the station is shown on page two of this thread. Exact positioning of the S&C has yet to be finalised and the sidings may end up coming off the main rather than kicking back out of the bay, these details will be sorted as work proceeds.
I'm lucky when it comes to the garden, my partner isn't particularly bothered what happens out there, provided there is a bit of colour. The trouble is the only colour there has been for the last three years has been brown, that needs to change - and soon!
I made a start late this afternoon with chopping through the next bit of concrete slab that needs to go, nothing more than putting a line down on the ground (literally!) with a bolster and hammer. At between four and six inches thick I'm going to have to show it the six foot bar. After a cake filled weekend I need it to work off some calories!
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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James from Devon
- Trainee Fireman
- Posts: 210
- Joined: Mon Feb 01, 2016 6:58 pm
- Location: Devon
"Progress will be pushed on as quickly as possible but I need to take it at a pace that allows thinking time, there's also this unreasonable demand made by my employer, whereby I only get paid if I go to work!"
Hi Andrew
My employers are just the same...very inconsiderate!
You are certainly making progress, the filcris boards will be an excellent base. I cant wait to see some rails laid on them! I am very impressed with your ground works and definatley good to have the thinking time! Saves mistakes later... (Guess how I know that's a good idea!!)
Good luck with the concrete, maybe try getting a very long 8mm drill bit and chain drilling the concrete...it often breaks out faster that way ... assuming its not reinforced!
Keep the pictures coming!
Cheers
Jim
Hi Andrew
My employers are just the same...very inconsiderate!
You are certainly making progress, the filcris boards will be an excellent base. I cant wait to see some rails laid on them! I am very impressed with your ground works and definatley good to have the thinking time! Saves mistakes later... (Guess how I know that's a good idea!!)
Good luck with the concrete, maybe try getting a very long 8mm drill bit and chain drilling the concrete...it often breaks out faster that way ... assuming its not reinforced!
Keep the pictures coming!
Cheers
Jim
Garden railways don't run on steam or electric rather wine and Jedi master level patience
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Soar Valley Light
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- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
More progress today and just a fraction of it looked vaguely railway like when completed!
I've been working on the basis of the branch from the top station passing through a tunnel to get it under the 'pinch point' where the main path squeezes between the corner of the wood shed and the archway over the old path sloping down into the lower main garden. Once I began building up and installing the Filcris road bed I began to see that a tunnel was going to be tricky.
I was intending to use S&T cable troughing as the tunnel structure but the only stuff I could beg off the GCR S&T lads was 1'-0" deep and 1'-6" wide. This would mean the path being quite high and to maintain even levels would need two units side by side. The units are 1.0m long and so long enough in themselves for the tunnel but being straight meant that the railway would need to curve round to the tunnel mouth in the open. This would cut right into the already narrow path and create a significant hazard.
I took some levels yesterday to work out how the line would cross the top of the old slope (which I need to maintain as an access to the bottom half of the garden). These levels revealed that the line would be so high at the location where it was planned to go into the tunnel that the path would have to be raised (with a step) by at least 4", right at it's highest point and in an area where I really wanted to lower it by the same amout. Neither do I want a step in the path. This confirmed that a tunnel was not an option.
I realised I needed to come up with a way of squeezing in the path and a railway cutting through the narrow space available between the outbuildings (leaving room to add an additional building off the end of the current row) and the wrought iron arch carrying the honeysuckle over the aforementioned slope of the old path. Just to make life interesting one of the honeysuckles is rooted in the same space and I really didn't want to dig it out to replant it; I would have had to cut it off at ground level and loose years of growth. Some VERY careful measuring ensued and I decided I JUST had room to use some old blue brick pavors on end to line the cutting on one side and some stone effect concrete slabs on edge to line it next to the path and to provide a little bit of an upright barrier between the path and the railway cutting. I think it's going to work out ok, the intended dimensions have been achieved. I didn't manage to extend the Filcris bed through the cutting area today though, as I ran out of time.
The bricks and timber across the cutting are only temporary! They are keeping the walls apart until everyhting is firmly bedded in place. The cutting looks deep enough to have been a tunnel in these shots but is actually much deeper than it's intended finished level by about two to three inches. It has been over dug to allow room for the Filcris road bed to go in with some clearance on it's underside for 'tweaking' levels.
I'm not sure I'm going to make much more progress during the next week or so but that may not be a bad thing. One thing I've had confirmed time and time again on this project is that thinking time is everything!
Andrew
I've been working on the basis of the branch from the top station passing through a tunnel to get it under the 'pinch point' where the main path squeezes between the corner of the wood shed and the archway over the old path sloping down into the lower main garden. Once I began building up and installing the Filcris road bed I began to see that a tunnel was going to be tricky.
I was intending to use S&T cable troughing as the tunnel structure but the only stuff I could beg off the GCR S&T lads was 1'-0" deep and 1'-6" wide. This would mean the path being quite high and to maintain even levels would need two units side by side. The units are 1.0m long and so long enough in themselves for the tunnel but being straight meant that the railway would need to curve round to the tunnel mouth in the open. This would cut right into the already narrow path and create a significant hazard.
I took some levels yesterday to work out how the line would cross the top of the old slope (which I need to maintain as an access to the bottom half of the garden). These levels revealed that the line would be so high at the location where it was planned to go into the tunnel that the path would have to be raised (with a step) by at least 4", right at it's highest point and in an area where I really wanted to lower it by the same amout. Neither do I want a step in the path. This confirmed that a tunnel was not an option.
I realised I needed to come up with a way of squeezing in the path and a railway cutting through the narrow space available between the outbuildings (leaving room to add an additional building off the end of the current row) and the wrought iron arch carrying the honeysuckle over the aforementioned slope of the old path. Just to make life interesting one of the honeysuckles is rooted in the same space and I really didn't want to dig it out to replant it; I would have had to cut it off at ground level and loose years of growth. Some VERY careful measuring ensued and I decided I JUST had room to use some old blue brick pavors on end to line the cutting on one side and some stone effect concrete slabs on edge to line it next to the path and to provide a little bit of an upright barrier between the path and the railway cutting. I think it's going to work out ok, the intended dimensions have been achieved. I didn't manage to extend the Filcris bed through the cutting area today though, as I ran out of time.
The bricks and timber across the cutting are only temporary! They are keeping the walls apart until everyhting is firmly bedded in place. The cutting looks deep enough to have been a tunnel in these shots but is actually much deeper than it's intended finished level by about two to three inches. It has been over dug to allow room for the Filcris road bed to go in with some clearance on it's underside for 'tweaking' levels.
I'm not sure I'm going to make much more progress during the next week or so but that may not be a bad thing. One thing I've had confirmed time and time again on this project is that thinking time is everything!
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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Soar Valley Light
- Driver
- Posts: 1451
- Joined: Sun Dec 08, 2013 5:18 pm
- Location: North West Leicestershire
Hi Guys,
Thanks for the positive and supportive comments. I agree that this stage is critical to a well laid and well performing road later on. It's one of the reasons I'm not rushing headlong into anything.
Against all the odds I managed a bit more work this afternoon. Space is getting very tight again but I managed just enough earthworks to allow for the next section of Filcris to be installed when I get chance. This is one section of the railway where I'm not working to a hard and fast alignment design. There is a general direcdtion to follow but the levels are dictating it's relationship with the new levels of the garden path and adjacent flower beds. I'm using a set of (3) standard radii to construct the whole line and I shall use these to follow the edge of the flower beds but also introduce some interesting features and vistas of the line as it makes its way down to join the main circuit.
One of the next jobs is to clear some of the stored timber. Pallets need delivering to the allotment for compost bin construction, old windows too, along with some planed timber, to make cold frames. Another stack of timber is waiting to be turnesd into a log drying rack. These items of work will clear space to move the soil dump visible in the picture. This will allow the formation preparation to continue and also the line of the main section of railway to be set out from the scale drawing. No further construction (beyond the point I've now reached) can be safely progressed until this setting out has been competed. If I'm not careful I shall find I haven't left enough room to achieve a satisfactory alignment and acceptable scenic landscape.
Anyway, here's the shot of tonights work taken from under the arch. The shots from the weekend show the line immediately to the left of where I'm standing. This is also the spot where the main circuit will swing round from one side of the garden to the other (under my feet in this shot). Whislt 'tail chasing' will be physically possible I intend to arrange the stations so that the line normally operates as a linear railway. Trains will run from the upper terminus, down to the far end to join the circuit, then all the way round almost to the branch junction. There they will run round and go back.
All the best,
Andrew
Thanks for the positive and supportive comments. I agree that this stage is critical to a well laid and well performing road later on. It's one of the reasons I'm not rushing headlong into anything.
Against all the odds I managed a bit more work this afternoon. Space is getting very tight again but I managed just enough earthworks to allow for the next section of Filcris to be installed when I get chance. This is one section of the railway where I'm not working to a hard and fast alignment design. There is a general direcdtion to follow but the levels are dictating it's relationship with the new levels of the garden path and adjacent flower beds. I'm using a set of (3) standard radii to construct the whole line and I shall use these to follow the edge of the flower beds but also introduce some interesting features and vistas of the line as it makes its way down to join the main circuit.
One of the next jobs is to clear some of the stored timber. Pallets need delivering to the allotment for compost bin construction, old windows too, along with some planed timber, to make cold frames. Another stack of timber is waiting to be turnesd into a log drying rack. These items of work will clear space to move the soil dump visible in the picture. This will allow the formation preparation to continue and also the line of the main section of railway to be set out from the scale drawing. No further construction (beyond the point I've now reached) can be safely progressed until this setting out has been competed. If I'm not careful I shall find I haven't left enough room to achieve a satisfactory alignment and acceptable scenic landscape.
Anyway, here's the shot of tonights work taken from under the arch. The shots from the weekend show the line immediately to the left of where I'm standing. This is also the spot where the main circuit will swing round from one side of the garden to the other (under my feet in this shot). Whislt 'tail chasing' will be physically possible I intend to arrange the stations so that the line normally operates as a linear railway. Trains will run from the upper terminus, down to the far end to join the circuit, then all the way round almost to the branch junction. There they will run round and go back.
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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