ANGELS BRANCH - SIERRA RAILWAY OF CALIFORNIA 1912: October 2018

Monday, October 29, 2018

Report No.9

Woods creek Trestle.
Per Brian Curnow- Bridge 42-A, 16 feet high and 224 feet long. Had 15 bents. ten bents had Redwood footing blocks, and five bents had concrete footings. Mine is curved and has 7 spans.

Picture of my copy of Newell's 1916 track plans.

Found this picture six months after building it. I will modify my trestle.

Last week I got around to cutting the 6x1/2 inch ties and 5/8x1/2 stringers out of redwood.
All the redwood is old 2x6 deck boards from when a neighbor replaced theirs.

The bents are recycled from another garden Ry. in the area.
Here is a good site about trestles. Trestles 101

Saw another trestle online that incorporates the LGB track w/ties, so the LGB track is removable and more important, floats a little for thermal expansion and contraction.

I used Gorilla wood glue I got a Lowes for $3.98 8 oz bottle, non-expanding, dries natural color, non- foaming, indoor/outdoor type 2.

I bent the rails w/ a bender and put the track in place between abutments held up w/ pieces of wood. After it looked right and had proper grade, I propped it up w/ two tubes driven into the ground that had T shaped wire inserted in the tops to hold the track w/o the wood pieces. I then took the track to a flat surface and put it rail side down. Next inserted the bridge ties, made a spacer jig to center them on the LGB track. Glued the stringers on, each joint is 10 inches at center of ties. Added an extra piece to join the stringer joints, except two on right side due to need to be flexible for slope change.
Let dry overnight.
Next day I set the whole bridge on the T topped tubes w/ help from my son. It lined up perfectly.

Bridge crew ready to leave Jamestown.

Heading down to Woods Creek.

Ready to start bridge building.

Notice rod under right flatcar. Used a few blocks to level track.

I then modified and installed the bents, put them 10 inched apart at the stringer joints, checking slope and rail to rail level. After a few dry fits, glued tops to stringers. Then added sway and cross braces.

Some more parts were needed, so a train was quickly filled by the office staff and headed out to ride the trestle whether done or not.

It works! Would have made a great picture if it didn't though.

Picking up work cars from Jamestown Industrial spur.

One more time back over for the enjoyment of all aboard.
Very rough grade for the gravel spur below the train.

Crews still have to add more details to finish.

Wednesday, October 24, 2018

Report No.8 and Garden Railway Naked Lady

In this post I will show you some Naked Ladies and the way I had to deal with them in the garden.
Well, some of you may already know I'm talking about Amaryllis belladonna. A flower native to the Western Cape region of South Africa. They have long strap shaped green leaves that emerge from the large bulbs in the spring that engulfs the area and die about July. They must be removed by hand when they dry up to an crispy onion skin texture. It usually ends up to be a couple of stacked high wheel barrows worth.

Of course this is where the roadbed and the Jamestown industrial spur has to go, right through the middle on them. I watched last spring and thought I could weave through them. But they really flood the area about six inches deep.
In the fall, usually early August, the flowers on thick stalks come up to mid October with no leaves. Thus the name Naked Lady where I live. It goes by other names around the globe. Sorry no nymphs dancing around the garden.
I had thought that something to block them would work, but the leaves would just cover everything. I finally had the idea to raise the roadbed above the ground so the Naked Ladies could do their thing.
Next spring will be the test.
Otherwise I have gotten through the Lavender, across the Naked Lady beds and Jamestown Industrial Spur, (right behind the freight cars in the pictures).
I am now working on the Woods Creek trestle bridge abutments and Gravel Spur grade.