PE&A Opens for 2019 season

The PE&A has opened for the 2019 garden railroading season. Last weekend I cleared off the track and did a full inspection to make sure I could run a train. Despite all the snow and downed branches this winter there was surprisingly little damage and less erosion and subsidence than I expected. I think that's a sign that my railroad has settled into place. My primary task was clearing twigs and duff off the track and cutting back a few plants that had grown too close to the right-of-way. I had a locomotive out and running in little time.

This weekend I added some new ballast in spots, but most of the track was fine as is. I think I added half as much ballast as I did this time last year. I pulled out a few more cars and put a train together for a test run. I even pulled out a second locomotive and set up a consist, which worked fine for awhile until one of my two batteries died.

Next up is to start on the projects I thought I was going to get done last year, specifically the installation of the wood trestle, adding permanent piers for the two bridges, cribbing along the trestle approach, and a retaining wall along the back fence. I'll post pictures of those projects as they progress.

 A string of boxcars heads across the bridge.

New ballast in a couple of spots.

I noticed that there was an unexpected dip in this section. So I pulled out about eight feet of track, leveled the ground and then put the track back down. It has a very even slope now.

Alki kept watch over the activities. He is very happy that it is warm enough for him to comfortably stay outside.

I cleaned out the stream bed, which had been messed up in spots by moles over the winter.

A couple of trailing hoppers running through the iris.