The Potters Orchid Railway

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Senior management is on the record for claiming civil engineering is a winter time sport here in Brisbane. So the push is on to clean up the mess and have a reasonable environment to operate wine and smelly cheese night steam specials in the coming summer months. Due to C19 work practices only the two Senior management members were working on site. Stage 2 of the orchid House Loop tunnel concrete was poured. One side and roof to be poured in the comming weekends. Tunnel portals are on contract to be constructed by the local potting works at Potters Junction. Then Terra forming and cuttings and many shovel fills of fill be applied at the Orchid house Loop.

[FWLR]

Looks to be hard work there Dazza. Must admit though, the tunnel will be fantastic when you have it finished. Looking forward to more on the progress.

Like MAM in her supervisory role...

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Looks to be hard work there Dazza. Must admit though, the tunnel will be fantastic when you have it finished. Looking forward to more on the progress.

Like MAM in her supervisory role...

Thankyou. MAM not only supervises but gets stuck in as well. She turns her hand to every thing.There will be a sizable pile of earth and cuttings leading into the cuttings. A few tons of fill to be shoveled, it all keeps me a wee bit of fitness and strength for my firing turns at the Rattler so I enjoy the psychical effort,

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

A Butternut lies undisturbed, till its stalk dries off, a rogue from the garden above. The inner wall of the Orchid house loop awaits the pour, weather permitting at the Potters Orchid Railway this arvo.

[FWLR]

I have seen MAM doing so much to help with your line before Dazza. She is a star isn't she.

Mmmm, Butternut squash.....

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

" Are you sure you did not pick up some old plans for Saint Nazaire uboat pens by mistake ? "

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Winter time sport continues at the Potters Orchid Railway. Tunnel prototype construction. Spray the tunnel walls Matt black. Protective ply placed over the track, (past track bed formation template) , fill between the tunnel walls with Pavers and sand. Mix 1-10 ration of Clay powder (supplied by the Pottery at Potters Junction) with sand. Wet to form a sort of paste. Place on top of filled tunnel. Screen off. Pad down, place paper onto top. Senior manager undertook this skilled task. (this method is used for making pottery kilns and senior management is keen to give this a go for experience)

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Oh for f--ks sake Wallace, how did you end up in there ?

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Next process at the POR was 1/4 Galv rod to assist with direct hits from 12,000lb tall boys. Some Chook wire (Aussie technical term ) and then more concrete. Sit foredog was keeping a close look on progress. MAM (senior management) enjoys a trowel.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

"Preston, I have found Trousers!"

"Stone my gizzards, has every one lost their mind today Feathers ?"

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

MAM, Senior Manager who wears the Red Pull over says, "While you are on a roll, get stuck into the tunnel at Potter's Junction, the team are in full swing at this tunnel making caper." It is well known that MAM has personal interests and real estate at Potters Junction and home made Salmon Fish and hand cut Chips are on the menu this evening for the team so .......................of we go. We know she is right, get it done and dusted and then go back to start the terra forming processes.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Since the past lessons learnt from Wallace using the historical plans for Saint Nazaire Uboat pens the Orchid House Loop the construction team have made considerable reductions in concrete pour volume. The POR accounts department now have noticeably less perspiration on their brows and have reduced their alcoholic beverage consumption. The base is poured and if all goes well the walls will be done in the few days time.

[Jimmyb]

Well Dazza that is looking very good, very professional, beats my tunnel hands down

[Soar Valley Light]

Well Dazza that is looking very good, very professional, beats my tunnel hands down

And mine! Great job Dazza, that's a bit of quality civil engineering.

I'm looking forward to seeing construction progress.

Andrew

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Thanks for the compliments, much appreciated. The proof will in 5-10 years time and the tunnels are holding up well and proving to be low maintenance. The whole budget for this POR has blown out of the water and over one ton of concrete has been mixed and we reckon it will be 1.5 to 2 tons will be used. None of which will be visible when the terra forming is completed.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

The permanent way head plans to have the space between the track bed and the intended stone and rock cutting walls lined with a concrete floor. This will be covered with loose stone chips and such like between the track bed and the cutting walls. This is to give a fighting chance against the weed problem and the ease of maintenance after the fierce sub tropical storms. The actual track ballast will be fixed with the Aussie equivalent of SBA. Senior Management is in agree with this plan. The trial section of this was poured at the southern end of the Orchid House loop. Then the tunnel at Potters Junction was commenced and there was much grumbling and curse words echoing over the worksite. It seems that the altered dimensions to reduce the concrete volume was some of the cause of the consternation's. Workers left the site in the early evening darkness after the outer wall was poured and retired to the work donger for a one only beer. It is also reported that the beer was enjoyed immensely.

[ge_rik]

Some really impressive civil engineering there, Dazza. I like the way you've domed the tunnel roof. I'd probably have just used flat paving slabs and just curved the tunnel entrances, but I don't possess your enviable attention to detail.

Have you received a contract for the construction of the UK's HS2 Project by any chance? You'd no doubt do a far better and sustainable job!

Rik

[FWLR]

That's a very impressive job on constructing the tunnel and the permanent way.

You are certainly committed to finishing when you are doing it by torch light Dazza. Just shown Anne what you and MAM are doing and she is also very impressed. And after showing her, she has more of an idea on what I want to do with our smaller build on the raised bed. Shows how well the forum is in helping people with their own builds.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

Some really impressive civil engineering there, Dazza. I like the way you've domed the tunnel roof. I'd probably have just used flat paving slabs and just curved the tunnel entrances, but I don't possess your enviable attention to detail.

Have you received a contract for the construction of the UK's HS2 Project by any chance? You'd no doubt do a far better and sustainable job!

Rik

Senior management took the UK's HS2 project to the board of directors. The board turned down the contract, mumbling something about bureaucratic nonsense and complexity and we all would be better off with stone viaducts, timber sleepers, mechanical interlocked frames and leisurely hauled trains with steam locomotives.
Thanks for the nice compliments, the truth is, I wanted a garden railway since age 12. Just one will do and do it so as to enjoy it with friends and meet new friends. Railways are about people. I am very pleased that the other half of senior management enjoys this sort of stuff as well.

[Hydrostatic Dazza]

That's a very impressive job on constructing the tunnel and the permanent way.

You are certainly committed to finishing when you are doing it by torch light Dazza. Just shown Anne what you and MAM are doing and she is also very impressed. And after showing her, she has more of an idea on what I want to do with our smaller build on the raised bed. Shows how well the forum is in helping people with their own builds.

That is super, I am pleased to hear, sharing is what forums are about.