Garden Railway Forum

Quiet week at work this week, so I thought I had some railway time. Everything ran according to plan until Tuesday night/Wednesday morning when we got 4 to 6 inches of snow. Since then the temperatures have been stubbornly below 3C, and the snow seems to be freeze drying and blowing away rather than thawing. Makes a change from my usual moan is about those days in the early summer when it is up to 35C and getting outside is uncomfortably warm!

Anyway, got up this morning to find -10C on the back porch thermometer. It has now crawled up to -4C, but that is still too cold to do anything outside. I am even a little reluctant to run a hoe along the track to clear off the worst of the snow when it is this cold.

I am eyeing the wood supply with intent...

Frustrated!
Peter in AZ

Snow in Arizona, that has to be worth a pic or two!
Sadly no settling snow here in Wales, just rain, rain and more bl**dy rain. (and some wind)

Nah!  Snow in Phoenix or Tucson would be worth a pic or two, but not up here.  It does it with fair regularity every winter and especially - it seems - when I have some time off.  FWIW, we even had snow in May in 2006!

Peter in AZ

It's been a gorgeous sunny (if a little cold) day today - gave us chance to run the first trains of the year at Butterley, coz nobody showed up yesterday!

The pic from Butterley was encouraging. I would have thought that you would have got more takers on National Hangover Day for a steam up. It used to be the case when anyone mentioned doing anything on Boxing Day of New Year's Day I used to say 'I'm in' because I am usually bored off my bottom by then.

I'll get the Dutch hoe out, clear the track of icy snow, and see if things will thaw enough for a little run this afternoon. Only -5C this morning when I got up. Snow still freeze drying rather than thawing!

Peter in AZ

Learn to buck up. It's 30 degrees below freezing here and I'm not complaining. Of course, I just finished running my steam engine on the workbench, I wouldn't be caught dead outside today.

IrishPeter:107122 wrote:The pic from Butterley was encouraging.  I would have thought that you would have got more takers on National Hangover Day for a steam up.  It used to be the case when anyone mentioned doing anything on Boxing Day of New Year's Day I used to say 'I'm in' because I am usually bored off my bottom by then.  

If the weather at Butterley on New Years Day was anything like that in North Lancashire on New Years Day I'm not surprised that nobody showed up. Wet and windy doesn't really cover it...

It wasn't wet (otherwise we wouldn't have been there) - it was windy but GLORIOUSLY sunny!

I was commenting on why nobody was there on New Years day, I know how gloriously sunny it was yesterday as I went up to Ravenglass. If I hadn't been there I would have found a garden railway to run on somewhere, or run at home. Tomorrow is supposed to be nice...

I had a little steam up before dinner today, and all went rather well considering that the line has been under 4 to 6 inches of snow for several days and the permanent way is of the floating on ballast variety. 'Millie' hauled a bogie tram coach and a brake van up and down the full length of the line a couple of times, and only ended up in the snow on her side once as I had missed a twig on the line.

First steam up since before Christmas, and it did me a lot of good.

Cheers,
Peter in AZ

I have a day off, and guess what!?

It is snowing! Drat!

At least we got rid of the last lot before this snowfall arrived. However, this time I have a few snow day railway jobs lined up, so it is not such an annoyance.

Peter in AZ