New Home and new Layout! It is time to move dirt time to "level" the line. The tools are here but not all the materials. I had to start soon as Fall is approaching and I wanted to pick the spot and start pre-production. Where as the Original L.A.R.R. started with just throwing track down in the back yard, the latest version of the LiZarD AtTiTuDe RailRoaD will be carefully preplanned. By the way, I am keeping the name of the Line as there are Lizards in Illinois and I am proud to announce that the NEW LiZarD AtTiTuDe RailRoaD, has an official Lizard/Mascot: The "Prairie Race Runner" They are cute little guys and I like the name!
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I used a laser level that I got at the local Farm King. I love that store!
The above left photo is the "sweet" spot that I have designated for the RR. There is quite a slope to the spot and it will require a lot of moving dirt and fill. More than I had hoped for....and it will take a lot of work but I want it relatively flat. I also have to maintain the integrity of the drainage on the land. Just south of my land is a creek [Pennington Creek]. My land drains down into that creek and just before my fence line, there is rock and a small bridge that marks where the water would flow to in the event of heavy rains.
The new Line will go in the area that stretches between the two pines and goes to the fence line on the right
Bring on the dirt. Starting with a paltry 12 Tons. I shudder to think how much more I will need!
More dirt please! You can see the slope as you look beyound the dirt pile along the eastern fence line. It is not as pronounced where the rail line will go.
Real Railroad ties that probably came from the county. I can only surmise that many a mighty Burtlington Route or Santa Fe train ran on these ties. Note: there is a HUGE RR tie plant that supplies BNSF with at least half it's ties just outside of Galesburg
"Nothing Runs Like a Deere" - the Latest toy. I had to go "Green" as John Deere is only 40 miles up the road from me....18 Horsepower Garden Tractor for hauling dirt and RR ties. Good. I sold the wheelbarrel in Arizona....
This also has a nice big mowing deck so I can get the lawn mowing done faster. We are having a new Shed built to store all this now needed lawn equipment/tools. It's a lot of work but we love the yard and our acreage now.
RR ties are HEAVY. I am wrestling with one at a time and getting it onto the trailer/dumper. It works great! I couldn't haul these things any other way.
So here is the first of the ties laid down. The 2nd one is in also. This corner will represent the SW corner of the line.
Drainage
On the new leveled land, I fully intend to lay a drain pipe, along with a gravel bed and then back filled with gravel. I will then add a couple inches of soil over that....
There are several sections of that same process on other portions of the land that the former owner did to avoid water standing [he did that to the entire "high" side of the driveway] so the water could flow it's natural course. The orginal owner thought like a landscaper as he was a master builder and avid golfer... Initially, the RR will be about 40 foot by 75 foot. The section of the leveled land toward the SW corner will have a drainage pipe that will run excess water out the bottom. I don't think I will have too many issues unless there is a severe rain.
