Dyfrdwy Tramway: end of the holiday...

It's been a good family holiday this Christmas, but not as much 'down-time' as I'd have liked. Looking at the weather forecast for next week which shows rain and cloud I decided to make the most of the cold crisp late afternoon and between cooking dinner and tidying up before school I dug out a train for the garden...

This is the beauty of the garden railway, it's always ready, and after a quick sweep of the track bed the trusty Simplex 40S, the loco that started it all, combined with a few stalwart wagons traversed the line and I grabbed a few photos and enjoyed watching the slow progress along the line...

...whilst day dreaming of projects for the spring. The track bed seems to have held up well enough, the slate fencing too, but the post and wire needs a few bits renewing as do some of the slate slab walling areas. Note down in the wharf another pile of shale ready for another wall - and inside I had a delivery of some corrugated plastic sheeting so the long promised start of some buildings has inched a little closer.

The line has matured well over the autumn, the moss and grass has reclaimed the embankments along the lawn, everything looks much more 'lived in', although I'd love the cement to not appear so 'white' in photos...

Up at the quarry I've got some ideas for a more permanent stone structure, but with the bushes behind and overhead I'm not sure how best to incorporate something. Ideas of a simple stone build powder store are probably the most likely project, built into the rock face.

Heading back down the tramway, this lawn section of line could do with some small shrubs and scenic detail, I've got planning permission from my partner to do this, so I'll sketch some ideas in the spring when the garden is ready for planting again.

I do hope this little bush survives the winter, it's got real character. Here on the left I plan on planting a small 'wood' of similar trees to stop the kids jumping over this part of the garden, and to add some screening from the house.

Down a the wharf I pruned back the cheaper 'thinner' conifers earlier in the autumn but now the tree/bush has lost it's leaves this feels wonderfully scale and exudes 'winter' to me...

...and the advantage of removable drivers is apparent here, the 40S parked up after an afternoons work, probably wishing it was undercover or better still in a shed. Maybe soon, as I've drawings of a garage that featured on the wharf in Glyndyfrdwy so that might work at the end of the headshunt for the small diesels. Back to work tomorrow, so undoubtedly more soon...