2018

I have big plans for this year! :) My main goal is to continue working on the two raised platforms, get some scenery down on the right platform, build the bridge between the two platforms, lay the track on the upper platforms, and then actually run some trains!



April 2018:

Video 29 - April 22, 2018.
A first look at the state of the railroad for the start of 2018:


May 2018:


Video 30 - May 6, 2018.
Work begins on the large arch bridge connecting the two upper loops:


Video 31 - May 15, 2018.
Track is down on the upper loop!



A photo collection from May 21, 2018:



































Video 32 - May 28, 2018.
Track supports are in! First piece of rolling stock on the track, and switches are in and configured for the upper loop:




June 2018:

Three photos, June 2, 2018:








Video 33 - June 5, 2018.
First look at the "fence panel" wall for the raised loop, and construction of the tunnel begins:





Video 34 - June 10, 2018.
Figuring out the math for the ladder roadbed:


And the solution to the math problem! thanks to the members of the G scale Garden Railways facebook group:

https://www.facebook.com/groups/Gscale.gardenrailways/permalink/2072385746373136/

Here is my post on that group after the solution was made clear:

Thanks Kevin! I was also doing the math while you were! ;) Thanks to Guido Hartmann providing the needed formula..here is what I came up with:

Ok, lets run some numbers then..

Im going to do everything to 5 decimal points, because: why not.
The Aristocraft "8-foot" diamater track isnt actually 8-foot, it's metric, its actually 2400mm diameter, which is 94.48818 inches diameter. (7.87 feet.)

Outer circumference:
94.48818 inches diameter + 6.5 inches = total diameter of 100.98818 inches
pi*d = 317.26348 inches circumference.
Divided by 6" = 52.87724 individual 6" arcs needed to make it around the circle.

Inner circumference:
94.48818 inches diameter minus 6.5 inches = total diameter of 88.98818 inches.
pi*d = 276.42281 inches circumference.
Divided by 52.87724 = 5.22763 inches apart for the inner circumference!
Thats the answer: 5.22763 inches.

5.25 might be close enough..maybe I can switch to millimeters..hmmm..
thanks! :) this will be very useful! :)


So, for "8-foot" diameter curves, the spacers are 6" apart on the outer ring, and 5.23" apart on the inner ring. I will probably try it 5.25" and see how it works out. Havent tried it yet! more on that coming soon..


Photo of Mr. Calvin hanging out on the railroad, June 11, 2018:





Video 35 - June 20, 2018.
The "Fence panel" wall is complete on the right-side raised platform! and some actual landscaping begins:




July 2018:

July 4, 2018.
The first piece of ladder roadbed is built! The first piece is complete just after construction in the garage:






And the first test-fit on the railroad:













Video 36 - July7, 2018.
The first piece of ladder roadbed is built! and placed on the railroad.
Not painted yet though:




And here is the promised 2nd part of the ladder roadbed math discussion. (the first part is under Video 34, June 10, above.)

Here is the excel table I created to work out the measurements:



The left column is running the numbers using 5.25" exactly. I just wanted to see how far off it would be, the answer is: almost an inch over 12 feet. We can do better! ;)

The 2nd column is using the actual measurement of 5.22763", to 5 decimal places. We dont need that many decimal places for the final measurement. (I used 5 decimal places in the calculation though, for the best accuracy)

The 3rd column is the same as column 2, just rounded to the nearest 10th of an inch. But my tape measure isnt in 10ths.

So! last column, in green, are the actual measurements I used. converted to the nearest eighth of an inch, which my tape measure does have! ;) So I laid the tape measure out on the 12-foot piece of PVC, made a line at each location, and used that for the inside diameter. (the outside edge is at exactly 6" measurements.) It worked! :) the ladder roadbed fit the "8-foot" diameter Aristocraft track exactly! success!





Video 37, July 8, 2018.
The ladder roadbed is painted brown, and more progress on the chicken wire "ground" on the raised platform.




Video 38, July 15, 2018.
Painted roadbed is in place, and track down on the roadbed!
And the reason for creating edges.




Video 39, July 21, 2018.
Pink foam sheets as ballast control.



July 21, 2018.
Building the farm scene!

Since there is no real "ground" on top of the platforms, no dirt for real plants to grow (except for the two planters with the trees) there is a need some artificial greenery. Much like a traditional indoor model railroad, some artificial plants are necessary! :) I have seen on-line lately, mainly in the G-scale Facebook groups, and on the G scale Central forums, the use of artificial grass on outdoor garden railroads! It looks pretty good! I like it, so I decided to try it out. I built the platform for the farm scene "pasture" out of foam insulation, then wrapped it in the same PVC edging that I used for the ladder roadbed.

Starting with a sheet of 4X8 foot pink foam insulation board from Home Depot:



I purchased a 3x5 foot piece of artificial grass from Amazon, laid it out on the platform and trimmed it to shape, then laid it on the foam and used it as a template to draw the lines on the foam::






Laid out on the wheelbarrow, and cut out with a jigsaw:

Then I used the same white PVC lattice strips that I used for the ladder roadbed, and screwed them into the side of the foam:







Video 40, July 21.
Building the farm scene! With artificial grass.




Edges spray painted brown:

And placed on the railroad! :) and the rest of the area inside the track filled in with mulch:















Video 41, July 21, 2018.  Building the farm scene!
Artificial grass platform, complete.



Looks good! All it needs now is a barn, a farmhouse, and some cows..




August 2018

August 4, 2018 - The right-hand platform is complete! ground is in place all the way across..a major milestone!

Video 42, August 4, 2018:


And more photos from August 4th:




























Update! August 19, 2018.
The first train is run! 





























A great day for the Stonehedge Railway! :) The first ever train is run!



Also from August 19 2018, video 44.
A look at my Dad's work train, the bridge track arrangement,
and how long it has taken to get to the point of running the first train! :)





Video 45,
September 1, 2018, First run of my Bachmann Connie bash, with sound,
and Calvin:















V
ideo 46,
November 3, 2018. End of season wrap-up video:








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