tooters scooters...

[diburning]

Hmm, so your house's foundation sits on rock?

 

[tooter]

Yes. The foundation sits in bedrock. It's one continuous seamless concrete pour of 27 cubic yards encasing a rebar frame that goes down 8 feet below grade. The bedrock is a fractured basalt called ironstone... very hard but brittle. The jackhammer breaks it up pretty well. Looks like this with the dirt separated out...

I'm getting pretty close to finishing the initial rough dig, then comes the finish leveling out the floor.

 

[diburning]

Crush it to make ballast

 

[tooter]

No joke, Eric...

I've been experimenting with using rocks and fine sand...

There's literally tons of material to work with... and it's all free.

Greg

 

[diburning]

Looks like a mountain pass

 

[tooter]

Yes it does... I'm pleased with the prototype and will use that as the basic theme for the layout which is going to have lots of elevation with switchbacks and really steep winding climbs. That's one reason for specializing in small very short rolling stock.

 

[diburning]

switchbacks Now THATS some nice ancient technology

 

[tooter]

They're a neat way to change elevations in a layout using up very little space. I got the inspiration to use them from these...

http://nfrailroad.com/TourPics/TombstoneSwitchback4-15-08.jpg

 

[tooter]

This is my all time favorite...

It's a double switchback overpass.
I'm definitely going to model this one.

 

[tooter]

Since there are no 1/87 scale mining cars that will run on HO track, I've been having fun seeing if I can build a simple one myself...

It's made from an old Model Engineering diecast logging truck with a cut down diecast frame from a barnhart logging crane on it. Then I filled in the center with some wooden decking, and put on a pair of Kadee #148 couplers and draft boxes.

Next, I'll be trying to build a box to hold a small load of ore.

 

[thaddeusthudpucker]

I about peed my pants at the thought of operating 1:1 train over that...

 

[tooter]

Hi thad,

When you see this... you're gonna crap your pants, too.

That really cool switchback is just a tiny part of what is now called the Cass Scenic Railway...

Note the really neat red crew car.

This spectacularly STEEP logging railroad has two switchbacks and plenty of eight and nine percent grades! And on parts of the line the average grade is four and a half percent!

Greg

 

[diburning]

Bachmann makes those excursion cars in HO scale.

 

[tooter]

More Cass pics...

 

[tooter]

Put an old fashioned Kadee diecast brake wheel on the little flat car...

 

[Rico]

Wow those guys sure like to "choke" those locos!
Makes for impressive photos but also shortens their lifespan. Cool trackwork tho!

Cool flatcar Greg, I'm planning on making some in On30.

 

[tooter]

Wow those guys sure like to "choke" those locos!
Makes for impressive photos but also shortens their lifespan. Cool trackwork tho!

Yeah, Cass is one of the most interesting railways I've come across so far because of the incredibly steep grades and the switchbacks. And while my layout won't have any prorotypical accuracy, it will have steep winding mountain grades and switchbacks with small short trains crawling up and down them. There is one feature I'll be modelling for sure! it's this totally intriguing double switchback crossover...

Cool flatcar Greg, I'm planning on making some in On30.

When you do, please post some pics. I'd love to see what you come up with!

Greg

 

[tooter]

In his neverending quest for scooters...

...tooter is building this really cool powered 23 Ton Industrial Locomotive...

It's a Grandt Line Kit... and so far everything is fitting together quite nicely.

Greg

 

[JazzDad]

Greg, you need to model this: http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_S9IrnD1u2u8/S_wnk995lGI/AAAAAAAAApA/7c0vgKh5Mg4/s1600/DSC_0086.jpg

 

[tooter]

I don't think I have enough lard...

However, I did just buy a mining ore car set of three kit on ebay...

Can't wait to put them together!...

Greg