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78Triumph

My midlife crisis backyard RC playground

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When I own a house I'm making a paved track. It's going to have cross over bridges, embankments and a pathway leading to the 1:1 car garage. Hmm perhaps with a lift to shelving for cars. 

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On 3/17/2019 at 7:16 PM, 78Triumph said:

That other guy?  Come on man, George needs his due respect!  :D

I think that was a pretty common scenario for kids back in the 80s.  RC tracks, BMX jumps, skateboard ramps, all the good things about being a kid in the 80s!

Plus the action figure craze. I'm a Star Wars freak and SW toys/figures back then were must haves. I collected GI Joe too.

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29 minutes ago, Nicadraus said:

Plus the action figure craze. I'm a Star Wars freak and SW toys/figures back then were must haves. I collected GI Joe too.

Definately!  I've got my original G.I Joe's displayed on a shelf in my office, and I've been trying to replace some of the ones I lost over the years.  More ways to spend money, they never seem to end!

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5 hours ago, 78Triumph said:

Definately!  I've got my original G.I Joe's displayed on a shelf in my office, and I've been trying to replace some of the ones I lost over the years.  More ways to spend money, they never seem to end!

I’ve a small bucket of the ‘Action Force’ (later GI Joe) UK equivalent in my garage. And the Marvel U.K. comic from the start until it was incorporated with Transformers up in the loft.

Not sure I can stretch to a track in the garden but I’m working on a plan for a ‘trail’ section behind the big bush at the end!

This thread is inspiration, along with your vehicles and photos!

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you have enough room for a magnifcient garden train.

 when all's said and done that'll be one of the last to do in my backyard, not as roomy as you have.

what a neat place you have.

putting green would be nice, perhaps a small rollercoaster.

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The past two days have been sunny and warmer so I commenced to breaking ground on the re-vamped crawler area.  I'm making the dry creek bed much wider and deeper, with a new bridge to span it.  Here you can see how I started and what I ended up with.  Obviously still a long way to go but I made a pretty good dent in it.  I put my TRX-4 in the bottom the trench I dug to show some sense of scale.  The sides will have boulders and smaller rocks down the center, like the old one, just bigger! 

Start

32447325827_73743731b2_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

.Finished today like this:

46707074834_6efe2b9b2b_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

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Triumph, 

I don't know the following applies to your local weather and soil conditions but I see a potential problem. 

Last year I decided to put in a pond with a rock garden. The pond was 13 x 8 with a 10-20 foot border of sand, rocks and boulders. When fall weather began, all of the low areas disrupted the natural runoff and caused excess ponding and flooding in the surrounding areas. It was an unfortunate side effect that I am still needing to remedy once the weather stays dry for a few weeks.

This may be specific to my area as in the Wash DC area, there is a clay layer about a foot below the surface which disrupts the percolation of the soil and most water runs off on the surface.

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i can't believe i've never replied to this thread - what a fantastic set-up and a MASSIVE improvement in the dry creek bed. i love that bridge you have btw

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4 hours ago, geniusanthony said:

Triumph, 

I don't know the following applies to your local weather and soil conditions but I see a potential problem. 

Last year I decided to put in a pond with a rock garden. The pond was 13 x 8 with a 10-20 foot border of sand, rocks and boulders. When fall weather began, all of the low areas disrupted the natural runoff and caused excess ponding and flooding in the surrounding areas. It was an unfortunate side effect that I am still needing to remedy once the weather stays dry for a few weeks.

This may be specific to my area as in the Wash DC area, there is a clay layer about a foot below the surface which disrupts the percolation of the soil and most water runs off on the surface.

That's never really been an issue here luckily! :)

 

3 hours ago, Kevin_Mc said:

i can't believe i've never replied to this thread - what a fantastic set-up and a MASSIVE improvement in the dry creek bed. i love that bridge you have btw

Thanks!  The bridge is now gone, I'm going to make a nicer one that will span the creek bed and still have enough room to drive under it.

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I've been working a lot on my scale trail area, but no pictures yet.  Today I began prepping for construction of a new bridge.  I had this big piece of black walnut I scavenged from work and started ripping into scale timbers for the decking of the bridge.  I love the way the black walnut looks very natural, maybe that's because it is I guess! :)

This is the 2" thick slab I have to work with:

46771597484_c54d24a6d0_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

Ripped that into some half quarter inch thick slats

33618462628_12620b8e52_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

laid out

47442299302_cd2cbf623e_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

32553147117_752651086f_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

Probably work on it some more tomorrow.  I might cut the timber slats from two inches wide to maybe 1.5" wide just because a few of them are bowed and I'd be able to square them up better if I took a half inch off. 

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Bridge is in!  Plenty of room to go underneath it or over it!  I also added a faux mine shaft tunnel entrance with a collapsed mine train bridge in the dry river bed.  I'm hoping to get to try it out with the Defender today since it's going to rain tomorrow.

32558928957_38a82c9ffc_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

47448286992_909a382d39_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

40535080363_ab951f8b3b_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

 

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Yeah hats off.... when are Hollywood arriving to use it as a film set?!

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1 hour ago, Jason1145 said:

Yeah hats off.... when are Hollywood arriving to use it as a film set?!

 

2 hours ago, Kevin_Mc said:

That is sheer genius, i love it. 

thanks guys i appreciate it!  Most of my inspiration comes from the diorama and scale courses section of the Scale Builders Guild forums.  There are some guys there that put my little rock pile to shame.  Google search Wolf Creek RC Park, or Smiggin's Folly. 

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3 hours ago, 78Triumph said:

Bridge is in!  Plenty of room to go underneath it or over it!  I also added a faux mine shaft tunnel entrance with a collapsed mine train bridge in the dry river bed.  I'm hoping to get to try it out with the Defender today since it's going to rain tomorrow.

32558928957_38a82c9ffc_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

47448286992_909a382d39_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

40535080363_ab951f8b3b_b.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

 

I am speechless... :)

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On 3/30/2019 at 7:34 AM, 78Triumph said:

 

 

32553147117_752651086f_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

 

Great work Buddy. I see this and can't help but think of an Indiana Jones wobbly canyon crossing rope type bridge as well. ;) 

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4 hours ago, Re-Bugged said:

Great work Buddy. I see this and can't help but think of an Indiana Jones wobbly canyon crossing rope type bridge as well. ;) 

I though the same thing when I saw the mineshaft!!

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7 hours ago, Re-Bugged said:

Great work Buddy. I see this and can't help but think of an Indiana Jones wobbly canyon crossing rope type bridge as well. ;) 

Temple of Doom is my favorite Indiana Jones movie, I've probably seen it 200 times, so maybe it subconsciously is having an influence? 

 

3 minutes ago, ruebiracer said:

I think this beautiful valley needs a name now! And you have a nice Landy there to go!

Thank you!  I've got a few ideas for names but haven't decided yet :)

2 hours ago, Kevin_Mc said:

It reminded me a bit of BTTF3 😎

Lol, if I can find a 1/10 scale Delorean I'll hide it behind some bushes or stash it in a cave until I can find Doc Brown :)

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Yesterday I made this little climb section with a bunch of flat rocks.  This leads up over the "mine" with a few different ways to go from there.

46666298235_5030edd511_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

46857916654_da4284f854_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

I'm thinking of just getting some bigger dwarf spruces or some kind of large shrubs to hide the propane tank, and I'll be adding some more regular mini dwarf spruces to the layout.  I'd also like to try some irish moss in between some of the rocks on the shadier side.  Moss grows there naturally already, so it shouldn't be too hard.

Filled in some more rock around the dry riverbed.  I like to try and tinker with this a little bit each day, as it's pretty relaxing. 

32639287847_d3436d417b_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

Current overview:

47581834121_6bbebc82c0_c.jpgUntitled by Joe, on Flickr

 

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That's fantastic.  My little pile of rubble will never look that good.

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11 hours ago, Mad Ax said:

That's fantastic.  My little pile of rubble will never look that good.

Thanks mate!  I'm by no means an expert, I'm just sort of winging it and doing what I think looks okay.  Are you making a trail truck/crawler spot of your own?  Post up some photos!   I'm a huge proponent of folks being creative in any way imaginable! 

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I’m just seeing this for the first time! Outstanding! You’re wife must be incredibly understanding :D

umm btw what your address? Can I come over please pretty please 

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