The story of the CSLR so far, 2007
Milestones and see the map. Click on the pictures for larger images.
Following the removal of the garage in 2006, part of the base needs to be removed to allow for restructuring. This big step has resulted in the lifting and demolition of the high-level part of the CSLR, the viaduct has gone!
After the digging (with 'proper' power tools!), we now have a small mountain of redundant concrete to load into a skip, when we've stopped the jiggling from that concrete breaker.
This view shows the foot of the old incline. With the viaduct gone, the line can no longer cross itself over the tunnel and will pass high around the rockery top, appearing to the left of the line shown here. The new line will be on a falling grade, the old line again rising but not so much, to meet in the distance (on the level) and a return balloon loop formed where the garage once stood. I hope!
The
concrete and patio have gone, now there's a mountain of earth to flatten...
Fortunately, a lot of this was from where a greenhouse once stood, and the soil is good quality, not like the clay under the rest of the garden.
We've begun to check the feasibility of the gradients and the curves, going for the largest radius and gentlest slope possible. The pictures show Ben and a Brake/3rd running some clearance tests.
Nothing is fixed in place yet, only some support blocks are placed to support the track. It's all going rather well!
The mountains and mud have been replaced by a neat patio and turf - despite the three weeks following the turf laying being excellent sunny weather with no rain the new grass is growing nicely - and since then it has rained solidly for two more weeks...
In the first view you can really see the space in front of the shed where the station will be. In the view on the right, taken from that location, the parallel tracks will be coming down the right hand side of the view and across to the left.
Track re-laying has commenced from the church. Left you can see the track curves off to the left, the old track bed heading straight on past the church. On the right we see the new track passing at the higher level behind the tunnel which remains in operation. The shot below is just in front of the train and is the extent of the relaid rails.
The
arrival of some good weather and a little time has allowed progression around
the corner.. the higher level slope has been carefully minimised to around 1:60
and a match made to the lower level climbing at the same rate. The optical
result looks very steep but in practice is much less that existed in this part
of the garden.
On the level, we strike out across the old garage base on concrete blocks, leaving a gap over the manhole cover where a bridge will be, and providing a location for the station.
The first point here with the short siding will head off to the wall behind, and eventually loop around to return the balloon to the far end of the station, thus completing a continuous run.
The bay platform siding is shown here - a concession to R1 pointwork, but I expect only to use the bay for my four wheelers or some vans.
A short circuitous video was taken with my camera phone strapped to the front of No.5 with an elastic band. Not very technical, but the results are on You-Tube here.
September 2007 and the return loop construction has begun. Sir Frederick is sitting on loose track on part of the latest blockwork - the space behind filled with soil and clay taken from when the pond was dug out a couple of years back and piled at the bottom of the garden. There's about twenty barrow loads in there and it still needs topping off with some peat or compost. The wires are for the point motors: I decided that since each point is equipped with a motor then I'd lay in the wires now and hopefully rig up a control panel later.
This picture on the right shows the view from the opposite side. As plans are moving, the bay siding in the station is not going to happen, but a point just under the loco will lead to a siding along the back of the station, an engine storage line and steam-up area. The steam-up area will hopefully have sufficient length to allow the loading of long locos from their carrying trays. Not providing the bay siding as before will give more room for the station buildings and more length in the platform for trains.
The
beginning of October. Leaves on the line again, but The Chief stands where
the station will be. The bay has moved and a steam up area and loading line are
in place. The points have been wired for electrical switching, but there are no
switches on the other ends of the wires yet! Plans have been produced by a local
expert so that I can build myself a curved point for the near end of the
station, curving to the right and sweeping around to join the single track that
will be there.