Getting the railroad up and running for spring

Spring is here again and it's time to get the railroad running. This year's report is essentially the same as last year...damage over the winter was pretty minimal with some settling as I'd expect. So time to freshen up the ballast and continue work where I left off.

Spring is definitely here. The native plants are leafing out and the lawn is a bright green.

Adding ballast along a section of new track.

This view shows the main line on the right with new ballast, the connector with the upper loop in the middle, and in the lower-left is the reverse loop for the main line.

Defining a rough outline of the curve on the east end.

Laying track to accurately define the curve. I'm thinking this might make a nice location for a future logging camp.

I put a fair amount of fill here to help keep the track as level as possible.

The finished curve with ballast in place.

Now that the mainline loop is complete, a short train is out for a test run.

Here the test train is crossing a switch at a low spot which I don't think is going to work well. I'll need to come up with a plan to raise the track here.

And now for a slightly longer test train with a little added weight for testing.

This section has also become a little uneven due to differential settling. I'll need to raise the track a bit just ahead of the locomotive.

And here is the test train going around the new curve. The curve is perfect and no issues for now, but I expect settling here will require maintenance next year.

Another view of the low spot. With a longer train you can clearly see it is bottoming out here.

Scene from a recent hike. With the spring weather come all the native wildflowers, including fields of arrowleaf balsamroot (Balsamorhiza sagittata)

A few early silky lupine (Lupinus sericeus) are in bloom now

Heartleaf arnica (Arnica cordifolia)

False Solomon's seal (Maianthemum racemosum)

Common camas (Camassia quamash)