Part the Second; Off the dirt

[John_Caughey]

Well since I don’t have those moments, (reasons to moan) No.

Being a dedicated day dreamer, I Imagineer behind my eyelids. Although 11 out of a dozen ideas are quashed, that hot one can pay off. Working without a net nor napkin, I begat the notion of the Narrows! Seemed like a baker’s dozen to finalize the HighLine (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Since last year, those that know said 4 years was the mark to make. Today the doc brushed that off with 5 years is the real mark! Yet so far I’m still cancer free!

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

John

edit to clarify like butter.

[Korm (Korm Kormsen)]

John Caughey said:

… Today the doc brushed that off with 5 years is the real mark! …

sure he does that. to keep you on tip toes. so that you are not tempted to fall back into old, bad habits.

hold on and keep going!

[Rich_Niemeyer]

Sounds great John. Stay the course, too much railroad to build!

[Devon_Sinsley]

John Caughey said:

Since last year, those that know said 4 years was the mark to make. Today the doc brushed that off with 5 years is the real mark! Yet so far I’m still cancer free!

(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

John

edit to clarify like butter.

Well it would have been great to hear that it was official but 4 years cancer free is good news. You’ll make five.

[John_Caughey]

I’m betting on 25 more…

Pondering…

The Official Chair* of Pondering

• for me.

The view from my chair …

The sharp eyed will have noticed another wooden hill side…

This one gets attached to the plank it sits on, but … wait for it … I have an idear! Stay tuned!

I’m on Siesta …

Jaun

[David_Maynard1 (David Maynard)]

but … wait for it … I have an idear!

Ok Devon.

[John_Caughey]

David Maynard said:

but … wait for it … I have an idear!

Ok Devon.

Yes! I’m channeling The Great Idear from Planet 99!

It’s weird to have static in my brain… but I kinda like the tingle.

Jaun from de Ponder-rosa!

Keep smiling.

[David_Maynard1 (David Maynard)]

I get most of my channels form Beta Centauri 3, and I always have static in my brain, or is that the tinnitus? Its hard for me to tell the difference.

[Cliff_Jennings]

[Cliff_Jennings]

Looking fine, Juan.

Love the throne!

[John_Caughey]

David Maynard said:

but … wait for it … I have an idear!

Ok Devon.

Imagine! A pushy Butt Modeler!

It got overcast and I was hoping for cool, instead I got humid.

Boy did this get heavy and awkward! It’s just propped in place for now…

Tomorrow the screws come out on the East end and that end gets pushed down with the blocks the fulcrum.

Then the screws go back in…

I used up more energy than I had…

Yawn

[Devon_Sinsley]

That is an excellent Ponder chair and the view is great.

[John_Caughey]

I fine tuned the High Line into position and took care of the warp at the end. The climb is all of 2", but helps add variety. My saw needs work, so the pecky cedar cliff will suffice…

This is the view from my front porch.

Hot 'n humid today.

John

[John_Caughey]

After re-hydrating I went out to fill in a blank…

Using the ‘scallops’ cut off the right of way, I stacked up Topo cliffs.

Ignore the bits on the right …

I’m going to continue a bit more, but not too much. Behold Topo Cliffs. I studied many such maps looking for old mines, each line is 5’ of elevation.

I had the electric level out and the grades are nice and easy…

This has to hold me for a couple of days, tomorrow is a go to town day.

John

[John_Caughey]

I have been adding …

[John_Caughey]

Johnny P asked about my latest constructions …

I had considered a long trestle as used by roads when they planned to bury them under fill. Usually a lighter structure only designed for the rock trains to cover them up.

Hot days in the ponder chair reminded me of why I lifted the dang bum thing in the first place; I want to play, not do repairs. The critters were a constant at creating repairs… So, that combined with the death of two saws (OMG) , I’ve extended the fill and IF someday I want to do that trestle I can lift out as much as I want…

I’m already committed to 5 bridges, so there’s plenty of fiddly work coming. The lonely section of track (above) will be replaced by a section of starter set track and be a ‘heritage’ section from the ‘original’ ROW. As if.

I pulled the cars out of the barn because of a change in plans. Behind the caboose was the route planned to access the car barn, but instead I filled it in.

The off set support beside the gons is for the connecting ‘earth’. That is for the mandatory Rock Ridge tunnel and can connect to the earth beside the passenger train.

I got lucky, the angled separation hints at a climb, but the grade is tame. Cutting in the switch, will really require cutting, I didn’t like the forced in result.

This the new fill. When I built the barn I went too long. My plan now is to shorten it and squeeze it inside the Tucson reverse loop.

So, I burned up the bearings on my table saw, can’t replace them and a new motor is twice the price of a new saw ! Next month maybe… yeah a new saw…

Last month I replaced the recip saw, went from a Ridgid to a Milwaukee. Not Happy! POS I’ve used it 2 times and have 3 big blisters and a smaller one. In 10 years I never got one from the Ridgid!

Hard to tell, but a little here a little there and the grounds are being sorted out. All but one buried plank have been removed from around the perimeter of the layout. Piggy protection (Javalina). Motivation is on back order. But cooler more productive weather is scheduled…

I must apologize for taking a private matter public.

Upon rereading, mistakes were made by both.

John

[smcgill (Sean McGillicuddy)]

Geee I need a cold drink just looking and reading about this…(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-smile.gif)

[StFrancisConsolidate (John Passaro)]

Unique as always. I love it.

Do something for me…weather the track/ties and ballast in one section, just one little old section, I just want to see what a finishing touch like that would look like.

[John_Caughey]

John Passaro said:

Unique as always. I love it.

Do something for me…weather the track/ties and ballast in one section, just one little old section, I just want to see what a finishing touch like that would look like.

Thanks for the kind words, I value your thoughts.

Ha Ha, just last night lying in bed dreaming up the next big thing and my mind’s eye saw those mismatched tie strips; color intensity. My track gang decided I should make up stacks of new ties to place near each grey section! That would be the “Splain’s it Lucy” moment…

It would look perfect, each tie stained and slightly different while part of the whole. Each tie plate would know rust and the rail foots would be dirtier than the webs or shiny rail heads. I favor the early Colo. narrow gauge look with ballast over the ties in the center…

Reality … Nothing lasts in my environment. Like the guys painting the Golden Gate, the job would be never ending, get to one end and start over again.

I won’t (at this time) try spay paints, my jeweler’s eye would see the over spray and the Old adage of If you’re going to do something then ‘Do It Right’ would be a constant nag.

Tell you what, after I finish cramming the car barn in it’s new location and when I find the old starter loop, I’ll weather the heritage section in the corner.

Yer pal,

John

[John_Caughey]

No barn at all!

It WAS 14’ it’s now only 9’ long, but really should have been a two man job, but I looked around and that second guy was nowhere to be seen!

In the last couple of days Tucson gained area and a single lead has become two. The area in my shadow will be team tracks where boxcars are serviced by wagons and carts.

The freight shed suffered some damage in the move, but our crack repair team has noted the work order and replied ok.

I’m exhausted! I could lift one end and drag a couple inches each burst of umph! First I drug it back out to where I could roll it on new supports. I cut 5 feet off the end and then swung it 120 degrees so I could lift and slide into place.

The track will be re-positioned and the barn covered with 9’ of facade. I can have a hinged top and it’s easy to reach inside. Before it was a walk around the layout to get the cars out.

I’ll trim the far end for sight lines down the branch line and I’ll plug the end of the box.

Track extends 3’ inside, after that you’d have to be looking for faults … I used lathe z flashing, a 1/16th shim and I was good to go. My brad nailer made quick work fastening it down 10 years ago, still tight.

The weather has been great for 3 days!

Happy Rails,

John