My G-guage Empire...6' at a time!

Hi all,
Cosmo here posting the first of what I hope to be many progress reports on my backyard Mountain Division.
I started last year with about 9 pieces of USA Rail, adding over the winter about 20 pieces of LGB straights and curves (the curve radii are too sharp, of course, but they were cheep on Ebay and will work for now.)
Last week of Feb. I picked up the Bachmann "Mountaineer" set at the Greenberg show in Fitchburg. I was soo happy to have it that I had to set it up on my livingroom floor AS SOON AS I GOT HOME!! (OK, some of us like to stay young, I'm 38 going on 9!)
With the coming of spring and dryer weather, I was finally able to get out and do some "yard work," (read: GRADING!)
I graded approx 40-50' of roadbed/subroadbed in the N/W corner of my yard and did some experimenting with bridge abbutments,(read "CONCRETE BLOCKS".)
After all this, I was finally able to run the 4-6-0 over about
15-20' of track on Friday, march 31'st! YAAAAAY!
I now realize a few things:
1) I need smaller sized gravel for ballast as the stuff I'm using now (recovered for free by sifting the earth in the backyard) is mostly too large for the tie-spacing of even the LGB stuff.
2) LGB 1100 curves are WAY TOO SHARP! They'll be fine for sidings where I can't see 'em, or as temporary loops at either end of the mainline.
3) I need to find a good metal fabricator to be "buddy-buddy" with so I can get "specialized shapes" made for bridgework!
and last but not least:
4) Building "Frankenstien Trestle" is going to be relatively easy compared to getting over the 20' PAST the trestle that I'll eventually have to deal with.
More later!
Cosmo

Well, it's official, my mainline is now (approx.) 36' !!
Add to that a six foot siding for the future lumber mill and that makes over 41' laid out since last summer!
Also, grading is mostly complete for the next 10' or so, and I have the metal I'll need for my first bridge.
I'll keep posting as things progress, and if your ever in Norwich, CT,...
Pete "Cosmo" B

March-Apr: Got major grading mostly done from first bridge to east abut. of Frankenstein trestle. This impressive fill stretches approx. 5' and is approx 3-4' high.
May: Well, once the rain stopped I was able to complete the fill between the two bridges and pick up some wider radius curves for "compost curve." The end of May saw some grade re-alignment to accomodate these curves and the first sections of track placed on the fill. The mainline must be close to 50' now.
The next month or two will (hopefully) see some "steel" for the Frankenstein trestle.

sounds great now too see some pics of your work

I'll try to post something tonight. Also, I edited my last post, (look up!)

I succesfully uploaded t Yahoo G guage group last night. Here's the link:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/G_Gauge/f ... 600003.avi

Enjoy!

Finished with the long fill all the way up to the "Frankentrestle" about a week ago, and have been "foliating" it with ferns, evergreens and other small plants. There is now a nicely rooted patch of ferns in the foreground and two small evergreens and some miniature roses in back. Not to mention, numerous random "little guys" that I either seeded, back when it was real rainy, or planted here and there as artistry struck me as I was working.
The resulyt is actually quite pleasing!
I'll try to post pics this weekend.
Cosmo

Busy weekend! Despite it all, I managed to swap track around to complete the passing siding where path crosses track, and I purchased a 50lb bag of "chicken grit" for ballast! After today, the mainline (excluding the passing siding,) is now approx. 50% ballasted and leveled. If I can, I'll try to take some pics in the am.
Bye bye 4 now.

It is with a heavy heart that I must report the first major accident on the new Mountain Division. A 4-6-0 pulling one boxcar, two coaches and a caboose left the rails on Sunday shortly before 7pm, resulting in "Confusion and delay!" The locomotive and tender plumeted in spectacular "slow-motion" fassion into the ravine, plowing through the small forrest of ferns, to come to rest approximatwely five feet below railhead height. Fortunately, the virtual crew jumped clear of the cab, and the coaches remained on the track, but the boxcar was left dangling precariously above the ravine. Amazingly, the locomotive suffered no damage whatsoever and thanks to a speedy response by the railroad, the line was open again in short order with the locomotive carying on like "a really usefull engine."
OK, yeah, the line's first wreck, and all turned out ok. (Gawd, I love G-guage! )
This past week saw some major bridge work: The angle iron on the "First Iron Bridge" has been replaced with stamped-aluminum hanging-celing-tile frame pieces ("T"-bars combined to fiorm "I"-beams,) and the mainline has been supplanted with 5' of brand-new straight track from Aristo-craft. The single 5' piece allowed me to use individual 1' LGB sections to return the main to the previous length, +1' ! Also, the Mill Spur has been re-extended close to it's previous length, but due to reconfiguration with the passing-siding it stops a couple feet shy of the previous termination. This does leave me with room to place the future sawmill structure at the end of this track.
Gotta go,
Shift about to end!
Cosmo

Ouch, glad no one was hurt
very cool about the 5ft sections I'm thinking of getting some of my own

The 5' footer cost me around $20.00, (on clearance, I belive,) and worth every penny!
The afforementioned drop down the ravine turns out to only be about 3 1/2' to 4' or so.
And the BIG news: (drumroll please)
My official measurement for the length of my operational mainline track is.....50' !!!!
(Woohoo!! [buzzers, applause, cheers])

You may want to try USA track
http://www.lgbpola.com/usa/USATrainsTrack.htm
around 10$ per 5ft section if you buy the box

I just posted some new pics on the G guage Yahoogroup!
Here's the link:

http://ph.groups.yahoo.com/group/G_Gaug ... rowse/e189

Enjoy!
Cosmo

Very cool

I posted more pics, with the loco and my full consist of rolling stock, at the previous link. If you lokked before this past weekend, take a seccond look! Nice shots of my engine amongst the roses!
Enjoy,
Cosmo