Erskine Tramway

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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi Folks.......

There's been some progress on the ends of the Car Shed. Last Saturday, I finished closing in the back wall, and drilled the corners of the window opening. Today, I got the front wall framed up, but the wind was blowing too 'briskly' to be messing around with sheets of plywood. Maybe tomorrow it will be more calm, and I can get the sheathing on. At any rate, here's what it looked like just before the rain started. At least it would have, if I could figure out how to post a photo with this new interface.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Well, folks......

Now that I was schooled in how to add my pictures again, here's one of yesterday's progress on the Shed. It was good painting weather, so after I'd primed the end walls, I 'played train' :D Just for fun, I parked something on each track. In the process, I discovered that the best way into the Shed when it's full of stuff is through the 'back' door :D

Enjoy,

Mike
10-23-16 parked equipment.jpg
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
tomc
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by tomc »

lookin good Mike!

Tom C.
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

tomc wrote:lookin good Mike!

Tom C.


Thanks, Tom.....

The ends are finished, and I'm waiting on a quote from our friendly local contractor for one of those roll-up garage type doors for the front end. I figure that will work better than swing out doors. In the meantime, here's what it looked like yesterday.

I've got about eight feet of track left to ballast, then it will be done. One more thing I'm going to do is use up the rest of my 'surplus' plywood lining the inside, as far as it will go, to give me places to hang stuff. I'm going to put a shelf under the window to hold my track building supplies and tools.

Mike
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10-28-16 back end finished small.jpg
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Hi Folks...

With the Car Shed finished, this weekend, I started hauling firewood down to the house. When I get it down to the 'pad', I re-split any pieces that are bigger than we use in the fireplace. Here's a couple pictures of the operation. The whole string of cars will fit on one track in the Shed, so I can leave a loaded train inside, out of the weather, when it starts to snow....which isn't supposed to happen for at least a couple weeks :)

Mike
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10-30-16 firewood loaded small.jpg
10-30-16 firewood delivered.jpg
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Looking good out there Mike. Still looks like summer!

What does your back door do? Looks like if you opened it on a dark night you might take an unexpected plunge off the stone wal! :shock: :shock:
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Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Glenn Brooks wrote:Looking good out there Mike. Still looks like summer!

What does your back door do? Looks like if you opened it on a dark night you might take an unexpected plunge off the stone wal! :shock: :shock:
Thanks, Glenn.......

It's still like summer, 70' and 80's last week, only 60's and 70's next week. I suppose you could take a long first step, but the latches are on the outside, so it's unlikely you would. The back door is the easiest way in when the tracks are full of cars.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
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NP317
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Erskine Tramway

Post by NP317 »

Mike:
That's a really fine setup you've created.
I'd like a similar firewood hauling rail line on my 5 acres of woods, but the 10% grades and 4 driveway crossings might lead to disaster.
(Or fun.)
I've enjoyed your postings as you've built your line.
Thanks for sharing.
~RN
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

NP317 wrote:Mike:
That's a really fine setup you've created.
I'd like a similar firewood hauling rail line on my 5 acres of woods, but the 10% grades and 4 driveway crossings might lead to disaster.
(Or fun.)
I've enjoyed your postings as you've built your line.
Thanks for sharing.
~RN
Thanks, RN.....

I'll bet that you could find a route with sharp curves, and maybe switchbacks, that would get you in amongst the trees :wink: I suspect it would work better with an 'Industrial' type loco, than an NP steamer though :) The driveway crossings might be more trouble, but I know they can be done. Take a look at Jack Ozanish's railroad in Michigan: http://www.srclry.com/ I've been there, and he's got some pretty hilly woods to work in.

Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
Glenn Brooks
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Glenn Brooks »

Erskine Tramway wrote:
Glenn Brooks wrote:Looking good out there Mike. Still looks like summer!

What does your back door do? Looks like if you opened it on a dark night you might take an unexpected plunge off the stone wal! :shock: :shock:
Thanks, Glenn.......

It's still like summer, 70' and 80's last week, only 60's and 70's next week. I suppose you could take a long first step, but the latches are on the outside, so it's unlikely you would. The back door is the easiest way in when the tracks are full of cars.

Mike

Thanks Mike! Looking good. I wish I could move along building out my RoW as you have.

One thing you might could do with the back door is extend a section of track out the back on a short dead end trestle and use it for undercarriage maintenance etc...

Hope your weather lasts! We already have had a month of rain with no end in sight.

Glenn
Moderator - Grand Scale Forum

Motive power : 1902 A.S.Campbell 4-4-0 American - 12 5/8" gauge, 1955 Ottaway 4-4-0 American 12" gauge

Ahaha, Retirement: the good life - drifting endlessly on a Sea of projects....
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Glenn Brooks wrote:
Thanks Mike! Looking good. I wish I could move along building out my RoW as you have.

One thing you might could do with the back door is extend a section of track out the back on a short dead end trestle and use it for undercarriage maintenance etc...

Hope your weather lasts! We already have had a month of rain with no end in sight.

Glenn
Hi Glenn......

It's taken me 13 years, and a couple/three visits by guys with machines to get the track where it is. Here's what the area by the Car Shed looked like 11 years ago. The lone pine tree is still there :D
7_10_05 3.JPG
The intended purpose of the back door is to be able to load and unload stuff off the Tramway. The center track goes all the way into the door opening. It's about high enough to back a pickup up to it for the operation. I'm doing loco maintenance down in the Loco Shed. The track is above the floor. There isn't much to do under the cars, usually, I just (just, he says :lol: ) flop them over on their backs, like I did in this shot when I was opening out the pivot hole for the 'timber forks' in #2. I was also changing out the coil springs for "rubber" ones, which is why the wheelsets were out.
9-3-16 new springs.jpg
Mike
Former Locomotive Engineer and Designer, Sandley Light Railway Equipment Works, Inc. and Riverside & Great Northern Railway 1962-77
BN RR Locomotive Engineer 1977-2014, Retired
boaterri
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by boaterri »

NP317 wrote:Mike:
That's a really fine setup you've created.
I'd like a similar firewood hauling rail line on my 5 acres of woods, but the 10% grades and 4 driveway crossings might lead to disaster.
(Or fun.)
I've enjoyed your postings as you've built your line.
Thanks for sharing.
~RN
Sounds like a Western Maryland #6 Shay logging loco would conquer most of those problems. :D

Rick
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