The story of the CSLR so far, 2005
Milestones and see the map. Click on the pictures for larger images.
May 2005 - Deviation
We've been having serious problems with keeping the pond free from weed and fish of late - they seem to multiplying out of control. The answer was not to clean everything out and refill, but since we now had some seriously large fish and established plants in there, the decision was made to make a larger pond altogether, next to the original. In true Ffestiniog style, this effectively floods the lower track through Lower Willow Tree station, and so a deviation will be needed.
Not all bad news however, the size of the new pond will mean that an easy 5 foot radius will be available to complete a return loop instead of a temporary R1 circle on the patio. This will mean visiting trains of all but the largest size will be able to run the full length of the CSLR.
This view shows the 'hole' being dug. The interrupted route of the old line is bottom right. The new line will curve left and go right around the new pond. Present plans are for it to link back onto itself, the high level line on the far right of the picture may stay high and terminate in a new station area / steaming 'table' up by the house. This will involve a raised section through a tree!
June 2005 -
Moving
swiftly on (!), the pond border built and the liner in, water, fish and plants
from the old pond are beginning to show the effect. No.3 poses for scale! This
view is looking the other way to that above, here the high level line can been
seen on the left, the lower level on that side of the pond is just below.
Block
construction is very bare, as is the steaming bay in fresh plywood and decking
timber. The track is laid on loosely at present, it will need to be lifted prior
to finishing the table top with fence-type wood paints. The blocks will be
pointed and finished in a darker colour. It is intended that a wooden deck area
will go outside of the curve - this will hide the squareness of the blocks.
These blocks are easily cut with a saw, so I may round of some of the corners
before then.
July
2005 - Beginning to lay the track around the pond. Using a homemade rail
bender, half a dozen of the old LGB flexi track lengths were straightened, then
re-bent to bring the rail head to the point behind the waterfall. Then, new
Aristo-Craft track has been purchased to bring the trains onto the Deviation.
This picture shows the track bent and in place, but before fixing down. The
visible track is bright in colour and represents six pieces, each five feet
long. There are seven or eight more lengths needed to complete the run back to
the point, then a bed of cement will give a firm and level base to hold the
track.
The
pictures here show "The Chief" doing some clearance trials... I need to make
some adjustments to the rocky features here! The stone walling is Tuxcraft
sections in concrete, the small bridge is from a fish tank store. These items
are giving the effect I want, and can be easily secured with silicon later, but
only once the clearances are corrected around the engine.
Bambrough
and Ben are pressed into trial duties as the track laying progresses. In the
picture on the right, the blocks are holding the track in position whilst the
cement/ballast mix goes off, on the left Bambrough is testing for levels with a
couple of new additions to the goods stock.