When we started construction on our layout back in 2016 Archie wanted it to include a water feature with a portion of it inspired by the Dismal Swamp Canal. So we ended up with a straight ditch with a small pond at one end and a larger one at the far end. The main pump was in the large pond with PVC piping under the pond liner leading to a spill way at the other. The problem with canals is that (in Sophie’s mind anyway) is that they are inherently not really remarkably interesting.
They are straight. They do not flow. And pipes with joints and fittings can leak. Which they did. So in 2019 we decided to fill half of the canal in and move the spillway to the far side of the bridge, closer to the big pond, and redesign it to be more creek-like. But that is a different story. This is the story about a trolley and a ton of rocks.
That broad expanse of dirt was even less interesting than the canal was so Corporate decided that what we really needed was a trolley line. One with a lot of curves. Tight curves. Because anyone who has ever seen one of Sophie’s show layouts knows that she likes her four-foot curves. Plus, we have a lot of them hanging around and a trolley would like them just fine. And just like that – poof – a higgity jiggity trolley line was born.
Slightly more interesting that the canal and infinitely better than the dirt. But not the easiest spot to take care of. So in 2020, enter stage left: a ton of rocks (2350 pounds actually).
We took up all the trolley track and shoveled out all its ballast to create a depression. The ballast on the main lines was scraped back to the track and weed block cloth laid between the two tracks. (We have been using a good quality weed block that has a fifteen-year warranty. Don’t know about all that, but it has been in place in some areas of our layout for four years now and is still holding up.) Ballast went back in for the trolley line and the track put back in place. And then we used about 1500 pounds of our rock to cover the rest of the area. And voila… Still a bit of clean-up to do and add some details but all-in-all much neater looking and easier to take care of.
Dismal Creek Railroad 