Erskine Tramway

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NP317
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by NP317 »

After all your hard work building your RR, it's fun to see it working The Wood Industry, as imagined.

I just dropped 6 dead tall pines around our house, and left the mess to clean up later. I've already got 3.5 cords of wood split and stacked for the winter.
I've been thinking how nice it would be to have a RR surrounding our home to assist with the clean up.
Hmmm... My new 90-ton logging Mikado is looking better every day...

Stay warm and entertained.
RN
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year to all.

Mike
Christmas 2018 mail.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...

Well, this year's track campaign laid down seven panels, two switches and about nine-feet of tail track. After I built the passing track next year, I'm thinking that will be the end of it.

This week, I went out and covered the new track with ballast. When I get time, I'll lift the track up and tamp it. Right now, I've got to be splitting wood, before the weather gets nasty.

Here's one of the switches up on sawhorses after assembly. One of my retired Conductor friends says that's just like an Engineer, built something where the Brakeman has to walk on air to throw it :D
7-22-19 point lever.jpg
The south switch and a couple panels loaded up to take out to end of track.
8-17-19 switch loaded.jpg
And, here's a picture of my tool wagon trying out the switch.
10-13-19  wagon on south switch.jpg
Here's the new track covered in ballast.
10-17-19 new ballast.jpg
And, finally, a view from the North of the whole area. The mainline now totals 845 feet, from end to end.
10-17-19 overall.jpg
Enjoy,

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
rkcarguy
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by rkcarguy »

Good to see you got some more footage and a turnout down:)
How many feet of track you figure you have left to go?
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

rkcarguy wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 2:21 pm Good to see you got some more footage and a turnout down:)
How many feet of track you figure you have left to go?
All things being equal, that's it. After about 16 years at it, momma thinks that's enough to take care of. And, that's all the rail I've got. There's actually two turnouts for the run-around track, they're just buried in the ballast. Here's a view of the north end before I put in the tail track rails.
10-14-19 north switch.jpg
Next summer, I'll build the siding, and then be done. Then...it's time to call in the surfacing gang and surface the whole line :shock:

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
rkcarguy
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by rkcarguy »

Erskine Tramway wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 6:51 pm All things being equal, that's it. After about 16 years at it, momma thinks that's enough to take care of.
I always thought to myself it would never be done, like a giant HO train set...always expanding lol. Would any of the neighbors be interested in sharing trackage? :wink: After 16 years though it get it, that's ALOT of time and work. Any plans to expand the RR's locomotive roster?
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

rkcarguy wrote: Mon Oct 21, 2019 2:07 am
Erskine Tramway wrote: Sat Oct 19, 2019 6:51 pm All things being equal, that's it. After about 16 years at it, momma thinks that's enough to take care of.
I always thought to myself it would never be done, like a giant HO train set...always expanding lol. Would any of the neighbors be interested in sharing trackage? :wink: After 16 years though it get it, that's ALOT of time and work. Any plans to expand the RR's locomotive roster?
Nobody else around here is interested in my railroad, except to look at. One of the guys who used to work with my son-in-law thought he'd like to do it, until he discovered it wasn't like 'LGB', and you pretty much had to build it yourself :shock:

I'm going to add a gas-mechanical, 'Lister' style loco that I'm started on. It's basically an old riding mower, on a four-wheeled chassis. It's further along than in this picture, but not serviceable yet.
3-20-15 weight bolted on.jpg
There is a lot of welding rod and grinding wheels in the coupler fabrication :D
4-23-15 both buffers.jpg
Here it is with some Heywood cars.
3-25-15 Lister train.jpg
I probably won't get much done on it this winter, account I've got Heywood drawings to make for the second volume of James Waterfield's Heywood book. Roy Link, the publisher, tells me that the first volume, on the Duffield Bank and Dove Leys Railways, is going to the printer the first of November, so it should be out for Christmas.

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 »

Hi Folks...

I took a little break from splitting and stacking firewood this afternoon. I went out and lifted the new track out to the end. I haven't tamped it yet, but I ran a 'test' train out to the end, and it didn't tip over :D So, I'm going to call it good, until I get some more time.

Mike
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PICT0036a.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...
This afternoon, I went out with the 'surfacing gang', which is to say; a level, my Ex-R&GN Ry. #2 scoop, momma's old spading fork, and my old shop push broom 😁

After about 3 hours, the last 120 feet of the mainline is surfaced and broomed off. The first train was run out to end-of-track, and then parked between the switches on the main. Erskine ended up level enough that, without any brakes, nothing wandered off. Success.

Mike
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11-19-19 first train.jpg
11-19-19  work train..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 »

wanna come East and do more track work? U do good work!

Tom C.
tom_at_srclry_com
A student of the Southend RGS!
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Erskine Tramway
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Re: Erskine Tramway

Post by Erskine Tramway »

tomc wrote: Wed Nov 20, 2019 10:07 am wanna come East and do more track work? U do good work!

Tom C.
Thanks for the offer, Tom, but no thanks :lol: I've still got plenty of work to do, to raise some spots, and generally surface the whole line. I need to finish my ballast car :D I ought to build one of those power tampers, it would save my back from all the bending. And, I need to figure out an efficient way to load the ballast car. Maybe a ramp to run the wheelbarrow up, and dump in the car. Even better, a ramp for the John Deere 8) The problem being that there ain't no hills out there in the pasture, the rock, track, and tractor are all at the same elevation, and Johnnie's bucket doesn't lift high enough to clear the top of the car :shock: I need to do some cyphering on that.

Say Hi to Jack for me.

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 »

I got out yesterday to dump the first 'coat' of ballast for the siding. The first thing was to mark approximately where the rock needed to go. Then, I dumped rock along the centerline, and flattened it out with the rake. It's not exactly where it needs to be, but I can refine the shoulders after I build the track. Probably in the Spring, I'll get some good track building weather, so I'll take the rail roller car out and build the last two panels 'on site' then.

Mike
Attachments
11-23-19 ballast lines.jpg
11-23-19 siding ballast.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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