"Mainline" Construction Logs

The construction of the railway mainline began in August 2019. 

I divided the construction of the railway into 6 separate stages.

Stage 1; runs across the "Back Fence" of the garden around the "Corner" (via a couple of trestle bridges) then down the "Side Fence" (which runs the full length of the house block, but only a small part is used).  This involved bringing the "Upper Level" track down to the same level as the "Lower Level" where they cross a lift up bridge.

Stage 2; takes the two tracks across the yard on a "table" which is all flat so that structures and sidings can be built on it. A lift up bridge, spans a gap left to allow access to the inside of the loop.

Stage 3; involved extending "the table" and putting in benchwork across the front of the shed to carry the lower loop after it runs through a "town area" to close it.

Stage 4; takes the track that came down in Stage 1 back up to "Upper Level". There is a smaller area to achieve this when compared to the "Corner" with the high trestle across it, a Spiral/Helix was considered but eventually one was not required to achieve this.

Stage 5; was planned to be tracks running to storage tracks under the HO layout and space for a sugar mill precinct.  Due to the size of the sugar mill precinct it has now evolved into a second stand alone layout with interchange tracks to the main layout; its progress will be recorded under its own Construction Logs page (link below).

Stage 6; the planned loops running into the shed from Stage 5 with storage tracks under the HO layout, has now been abandoned  This stage has now evolved into the "Re-Configuration" whose progress is recorded separately under its own Re-Configuration Construction Logs page linked below.

Note this is a work in progress at this point in time

Stage 1

1. Stage 1- August - October 2019 G The Beginning of the Railway

2. Stage 1-October to November 2019 Supports Construction

3. Stage 1-November to December 2019 Lower Level Around the Corner

4. Stage 1-January 2020 Starting the High Trestle

5. Stage 1-January 2020 The High Trestle Reaches Halfway

6. Stage 1-January 2020 The High Trestle is Finished

7. Stage 1-March 2020 Down Hill from The High Trestle

8. Stage 1-March 2020 The Low Trestle

9. Stage 1-April 2020 A walkway and safety rail is fitted to the high Trestle

10. Stage 1-April 2020 Stage 1 is Complete

Stage 2

1. Stage 2-May 2020 Stage 2 begins with Coleus Corner

2. Stage 2-May 2020 Inside the Loop Landscaping started

3. Stage 2-May 2020 Lattice Fence extended across the yard from Coleus Corner.

4. Stage 2- May 2020 Lift Up Bridge Work Begins

5. Stage 2- May 2020 The Lift Up Bridge is Redesigned

6. Stage 2- May 2020 The Lift Up Bridge is Redesigned Again

7. Stage 2- June 2020 The Lift Up Bridge Rail Decks are Built

8. Stage 2-June 2020 Baseboards Across the Yard completed

9. Stage 2- June 2020 Lift Up Bridge Finished; Stage 2 is Complete

Stage 3  
1. Stage 3- June 2020 Stage 3 is Commenced

2. Stage 3-June 2020 Stage 3 Base Framework Built

3. Stage 3-July 2020 Framework is Complete

4. Stage 3-July 2020 Lower Loop Baseboards are Installed

5. Stage 3-July 2020 Lower Loop Baseboards Finished; Stage 3 is complete

Stage 4
1. Stage 4-July 2020 Lower Loop is now Continuous

2. Stage 4-September 2020 Upper Loop Construction Begins

3. Stage 4-November 2020 Upper Loop is Now Continuous

Stage 4-December 2020 Upper Loop is Now Complete and Operational

 

4. Stage 4 18- February 2021 Mainline Line Landscape Completed 

 

 Stage 5

This stage has now evolved into the "Cane Line", a stand alone layout with an interchange to the mainline, whose progress is recorded separately under "Cane Line" Construction Logs link below.

Cane Line Construction Logs

 

 Stage6

This stage has now evolved into the "Re-Configuration" whose progress is recorded separately under its own Re-Configuration Construction Logs page link below.

Re-Configuration Construction Logs