Our next work party will be on Sunday, March 14 at Jim’s house. We will continue to make more track panels. Anne estimates that we will need about three more days of building track before we have enough for the loop. Please e-mail us if you can make it.
To all.
We did it.
Had a late start, but Steve and I met at Jims at 1:30 to pick up the test panels and headed to the park.
Leaving off where we finished last weekend in the eastern fenced area headed West for the turf area. After clearing the fence, we made a rough layout of the reverse curve into the trees. Things were not looking good, as we headed straight into a large tree.
Plan B. We started laying track east from the North east corner of the Turf area east back into the trees. After a couple of tries we had a good path. But it didn't connect with our westbound path. By then it was 4:30 and Steve had to go so we loaded up the test panels, and I finished up staking and painting. I just couldn't let it go, so I took some of the test panels out and started relaying the West bound trackage out of the fenced area. Making the curves fit obstacles like trees is a challenge. The two tangent ends of reverse curve track meet within 4 feet. The solution is the two curves will have to be tweeked from 75' radius to 73" radius. I think we can live with that.
So the layout is completed. Now we need to do a level survey to establish the "grades" in the trees. Next weekend I will plan on bringing a laser level and rod to run the elevations so we know were to cut and fill to make grade.
Dave
It’s slow going when you are surveying in a swamp! Members of the Redwood Empire live Steamers took advantage of a break in the weather and continued to survey the main line of the youth community park railroad. We have moved out of the civilized grassy area of the park and into the rugged back country. Our survey crews battled there way past bogs, poison oak, blackberry bushes, and a reported “spider!” to complete this portion of the survey. We are lucky to be in the company of hearty brave souls such as these.
Last Sunday (3/7/10) members of the Redwood Empire Live Steamers met at Youth Community Park to continue work on the railroads right of way. We cleaned up a few areas under the oaks and put down an additional 3 yards of crushed rock. In addition to this, Dave has completed a terrain survey and we are now just waiting for the ground to dry out so grading on the second half of the loop can begin.