Closure of part of Sandstone and Termite

[gregh]

Due to some track damage by a falling branch and the discovery of rotten bridge piers, I have decided to permanently close the section of track from Ti-tree to Sandstone, thus removing my round-the-yard continuous run.
I have enough maintenance to do on the rest of the line as it ages, to not want to add all this work to it.
This video tells the story..

 

[GAP]

RIP Black Wall.
Can't Just put a reverse loop at TI-Tree, or a loco run around?

 

[The Tinker]

Bit of a shame mate. But closing one door opens another

 

[The Tinker]

Maybe a working bee would sort it

 

[ge_rik]

Always sad to hear of a line closure. However, as you said in the video, it didn't see much traffic and so doesn't seem worth the effort involved in repairing all that elevated trackbed. I like the idea of an industry/loading gantry. Opens up fresh opportunities.

Rik

 

[Nodrog1826]

I have a neighbours fence that wobbles a bit like that, good job the ivy is keeping it up.

 

[Riograndad]

Just as the real thing low patronage,high costs, abandonment is the best or only option,the video says it all Greg.The good thing is that the rest of the line is running

 

[dunnyrail]

Dr Beechung strikes again, this time in Oz! Sensible decision I think Greg. Moral of the story though build in haste with shody materials repent at leisure.
JonD

 

[gregh]

Thanks for all your comments.
I still can't bring myself to rip out the arch bridges 'just in case I change my mind'. I can blame the local Historical Society for wanting to preserve them! Certainly mates have offered to have a working bee but I can foresee fixing that then having another branch fall. I don't like working under the neighbour's big tree anyhow.

I had 4 mates over yesterday and 3 of us 'pretended' there was a log loader at Blackwall, using geared locos to service it. I also ran a 'last passenger train'.
I'll get some pics up later.

 

[Greg Elmassian]

Hmm, in the US, if a neighbor's tree goes over the property line, you can trim it back to the line. Of course it is recommended that you work it out together, but you have the RIGHT to remove the part that is over your property line.

I've only 2 places where there are (small) trees over the rails and those trees are mine. The railroad has priority ha ha!

Greg

 

[JRinTawa]

Makes sense Greg but I sure you'll come up with a new cunning plan.

 

[gregh]

Hmm, in the US, if a neighbor's tree goes over the property line, you can trim it back to the line. Of course it is recommended that you work it out together, but you have the RIGHT to remove the part that is over your property line.
Greg

I 'believe' the law is similar here and the cut branches have to be returned to the owner! BUT you need Council approval to lop or remove native trees around here.
This is a BIG tree and I have no easy access to my backyard for any machinery (crane). In order to even lop branches over my land the tree-loppers would have to have access to climb the trunk on my neighbour's land. I'm not even going to ask.

It is ridiculous that such large trees are allowed in suburban land, but the Council has refused permission to remove a similar tree of my other neighbour which overhangs his house. tree-huggers seem to rule.
Previous quotes for lopping smaller trees on my land have been $2000 and up. So after all my recent expenses on termite removal, the tree must wait.
Besides, the tree is not the only reason for closing the line - maintenance of the whole line is becoming a chore rather than a pleasure.

Anyhow, here's the last passenger train departing Blackwall


and logging operations begin..

 

[dunnyrail]

Know what you mean by trees Greg. My last House was blighted by bloody great big Oaks owned by the Council that said I could cut only any branches that overhung my property, but they were 50-60 ft high so how do I get to them. They then said that they had made a 30% reduction of the tree, actually they had been round with a pair of loppers and derisoraly cut off a few low branches. I pointed out the actions that their Contractors had taken (or lack of it actually), at this stage they refused to talk to me any more. Public servants!

So I moved, my current Garden had 3 Flowering Cherries that all got removed in prety quick order to be left with a monster of a Conker Tree in the Infant School Playing Field at the bottom of the Garden. I was able to demonstrate to the School that there were dead branches on my view of the tree that could come down onto the kids that were not visible from the School. When the surgeons cut these they discovered that the tree was disiesed (we have a thing called Conker Canker that is decimating these trees) and to my surprise it was gone in pretty quick order. What joy to now have no direct trees directly over my Garden.

Fortunately no bloody tree huggers had to be maimed during all of the above process. You have my greatest sympathies with those great monsters near your Garden Greg and the idiot huggers near you. I do love trees, but as you say near suburban homes ridiculous.
JonD

 

[Tim Brien]

Prior trimming an overhanging branch the property owner affected MUST consult the owner of the tree before making any alterations. If the owner refuses permission to alter the tree then the matter is referred for arbitration. If permission is received then all removed matter (including any fruit that may have been on the offending branch) must be returned to the owner.

Greg and I live in the same local area ("The Shire" as it is often referred to).

 

[beavercreek]

Sorry to hear of your predicament Greg. I know that you will overcome the problem and still have a great line to operate.

My line passes under large trees (fir and broadleaved) and through bushes and, although most of the foliage is evergreen, it is at this time of year that keeping the line clear starts to be a bit of a real chore. Evergreens tend to shed their leaves all year (or in surges) so the pine needles are real pain (literally) all of the time.
The needles can also get into the gears of my shays, with the possibility of real damage (as has happened once already).

I have trimmed the trees back a certain amount but besides going for outright removal, they will stay and continue their yearly cycle.
Nearly all of the trees and bushes in question are on my land and I do like the appearance that they give ....... just means more work for me though

 

[ge_rik]

Glad to hear the truncated line is getting a new lease of life as a logging station.

Ten years ago, we came home to find that one of the trees belonging to the council which overhung our garden had blown down. Fortunately it fell away from our house - but did end up in our neighbour's garden, just missing the house.






We asked the local council to lop the tops off the other four (protected) trees which were within reach of our house and they sent out a couple of tree fellas who decided to cut all four trees down to the ground. We were sorry to see them go (though not sorry to no longer rake up the leaves each autumn).The largest tree - a rather beautiful and magnificent beech tree turned out to have a rotten core to its trunk and we were cheerfully informed by the arborologist that it could have come down at any time and he was surprised it hadn't done so already. It would have made a heck of a mess of our sheds, the railway and one side of the house.

Not sure if there is a moral to this story - but suffice to say, I imagine it would have cost us a fortune if the trees had been on our land.

Rik

 

[PhilP]

We have a flowering Cherry in the garden..
The Girls called it 'the Bee Tree', for pretty obvious reasons..
It has small 'curly' branches, from larger limbs. These seem quite brittle, and I have to clear them before cutting the grass.

Other problem, the roots seem to 'run', are quite shallow, and they throw 'new' trees.. I did spend a couple of weeks, off and on, a year or so back digging these roots out of the far-end of the garden..
A thankless job in Staffordshire Clay!

 

[Gavin Sowry]

View attachment 228191

Now, that's a tree !

 

[Gavin Sowry]

Makes sense Greg but I sure you'll come up with a new cunning plan.

Yes, mill the wood and use it to repair the trestle, and stock up on a supply of spare sleepers.

 

[gregh]

My line passes under large trees (fir and broadleaved) and through bushes and, although most of the foliage is evergreen, it is at this time of year that keeping the line clear starts to be a bit of a real chore. Evergreens tend to shed their leaves all year (or in surges) so the pine needles are real pain (literally) all of the time.
The needles can also get into the gears of my shays, with the possibility of real damage (as has happened once already).

Pine needles seem to have the ability to get caught in every rail joint and they won't blow away either! I never thought of them getting into valve gear.

Glad to hear the truncated line is getting a new lease of life as a logging station.
Ten years ago, we came home to find that one of the trees belonging to the council which overhung our garden had blown down. Fortunately it fell away from our house - but did end up in our neighbour's garden, just missing the house.
Rik

Boy Rik, you were lucky that big tree missed your house.

Yesterday a couple of mates came around to test out the idea of logging at Blackwall. A fun time was had. here's the video.

Now a question for Operators..
The line from Sandstone to Blackwall is 1:30 downhill. Should the unloaded trains be propelled down the grade and then the loaded ones pulled up by the loco, OR should the unloaded wagons be 'pulled' down the grade so the braking power of the loco is at the front, and then the loads pushed back up ??

And to maybe make things a bit clearer, here's a simplified line diagram of the track layout now.
The closed section is the blank space at lower left. There is an existing log loading siding at Oleander too.
I was planning on removing the dotted purple as it was part of the round-the-yard, but it was found to be useful to run a direct passenger service from Ti-tree to Sandstone. So it will stay.
The Mill is at Melaleuca