Options to avoid sharp corner, & steep grade ( Hind sight is wonderful)

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

In the centre of the upper loop the gound is excavated down 3ft, to ground level, for a slate quarry ,

known as Longstone Quarry, You can just make out the single track there

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

View from the other bedroom window, platform visible here, with upper loop to the left & lower loop to the right.

Ignore that odd retaining arch wall moulding at bottom,

its just holding a bit of board in place to keep cats from springing out of tunnel at the birds

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

between the path on the right, & that rose arch/ wheelie bin shelter on the left,

the rail 'right of way' narrows down to about 4 ft.
then widens out to about 10ft at the far end

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Photo taken standing up on the upper track level, you can see just how narrow it gets here in the middle.

The track down at ground level on the left is the branch to wheal Prosper Mine & Deep Pit Quarry etc

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

To the left of the railway at the far end was this shelter with seating

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Backed onto which was this alcove that used to have a bench across for potting up plants etc

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Jan 29 2009,

I say was, because yesterday being a lovely sunny spring like day,

I demolished them both.

More developement area!!

But have carefully preserved most of the Clematis up that post there.

Prefer to recycle if I can.

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

QUOTE(simon@mgr @ Jan 29 2009,)
I hope any passegers are breathing in when they go past some of the features.

Anyway a near miss is a miss (quote)

Oh Yes, I love that aspect of narrow gauge

ever seen this on the Welshpool & Llanfair?

Clearance? One paving slab wide!!!

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

One idea I have in mind is too use the ground freed up by demolishing the shelter etc,

to build a raised bed, 15ft x 12 ft, coloured light green on the plan,

and see if I can fit a smoother return loop in there,

might just manage it

The darker green is the existing layout,

the white is the ground level areas, mines / Quarries

The grey is the Motorway, sorry wheelchair track!

The light blue/grey is areas dedicated to more mundane matters

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Always one to think ahead

I observed that a certain tree trunk might be in the way of garden adjustments

It was an old plum tree that died 3 - 4 years ago, I had it cut down, but left the stump 4 ft high, to gain leverage when pulling it out.

So Monday being a nice start to the day, I thought back to my school days & applied maths, levers, fulcrums, applied forces etc.to the problem.

10 ft away was a strong live tree, so rope around base of that tree near the ground (Anchor Point),
up twice around top of stump, loop in end of rope, other end thread through tie with releasable knot,
place 3x2 lever through middle of double rope & twist, this shortens rope & applies very considerable force

WARNING

do not stand in line with rope, if it breaks, it can whip back & take an eye out or worse, How do I know? I used to be a crane driver, first lesson was, never stand in line of rope & never stand underneath hook or Jib!!!!

Good job I was aware of that, as the rope I was using was not new, it was about as thick as my first finger, & that blue polywhatsits name type, pretty tough.

Wound the rope up, stump creaked & moved a bit, & there was a sound like a gun shot & the rope broke.

So take the good end knot it back together past the break, try again, success, stump out & lying on ground.

Now I got to find a way to move it as its pretty lumpy & my Chronic Fatigue severely limits what I can lift or move, thats apart from my foot problem & heart output limitations



But there is a way around everything

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

The trunk is about 9 - 10 ins in diameter, with a root clump of about 18 ins

As you can see the main root was pretty substantial

As it looks like it might be a bit wet today, I might get the hose pipe out & reduce the weight of soil around the roots

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

There again I might not, its pouring down

Ok think positive,

blank canvas, area for exploration of possibilities

Rail must enter at point "A" & leave at point "B"

and radius of curve must be generous.

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

I am thinking criteria

raised area points A & B will be about 24 in high

track to remain level


Dont want to much soil to move for infil, so will fall toward the center towards ground level,

maybe a valley,

Maybe a Quarry.

got to be scenic ie photogenic background

With a bridge for a walk in for maintenance of plants etc in the middle

Maybe 1 point for a siding?? to be developed later?

want to incorporate these castings I made from Mikes mould

Thanks again Mike

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Maybe simple like this

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

I have got some peco track that I can salvage from this old board thats got to go,

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Feb 1 2009,

As the weather for the next week is not looking good,

I thought I would get out there today & see what I could do its cold, 4' but no wind,

so wrap up warm, do 10 mins, come in for a warm up, do 10 mins more

Surprising what you can do in instalements

Using two hammers, one a chisel head, works wonders for your fingers

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Pete digging deep

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

Clearing down to soil level

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)


Will a train ever get thro this tunnel again?

 

[Granitechops]

Re: Options for avoiding a sharp corner, Also on a severe gradient ( Hind sight is wonderful)

After taking the wood track panel out

we get to removing the first half of the floor slab

Bit restrictive swinging a hammer in a tunnel