Mark, it's nice to hear from you!

Your barn looks like a good sturdy structure, for your future layout plans.

You just need to finish taking it back from your feathered friends.

Please keep us posted, as you move along.

Happy New Year to you and your wife!

Greg Shinnie

Mark, Barb and I wish you the very best.

My nephew Ben lost Peter his beautiful English Bulldog, three months ago. Barb and I surprised him Christmas with a four month old pit. We went to a shelter in Tampa and ask the lady which dog would be put down next? She said don't you want to know what kind? Barb said no, they are all worth saving. He is so sweet.

I knew Ben was ready, he works for me.

I agree all dogs, especially larger dogs need GOOD training. They are appreciative, and like humans become better citizens. Usually better than humans.

ed

Wow Mark, great to hear from you!

And the barn looks great to me :up: . ...albeit a ton of work!

Please keep us updated as you plug along!

Mark good to see you back on line. Great RR building especially with the bath and kitchenette.

Hi guys - thanks for all the comments.

I guess with the new challenge starting up this thread in its present state might be a little different. Of course its our summer here - so a good time to tackle this sort of thing. In the heat of the day I can come in out of the garden and work in the barn - which, with its high ceilings, isn't too hot.

Mike - sorry about the upside down photos - strangely they all display as they should to me, as they did when I checked everything on 'preview' before posting.

Pennman - thanks for that - but I can't take a photo of a door opening with 12' stud in landscape - I'd have to cut a hole in the wall through to the utility bay just to get far enough back! All seems a bit weird to me. Trouble is my good camera is being a pain in the backside loading on to my laptop, and I haven't located to older user friendly camera yet since our move.

Greg - and a happy new year to you! (and everyone else!)

Ed and Barb - Cornelius and Daisy LOVE their new home! We take them for morning runs in the paddock and it is great to see them at full speed! At dusk they sit backwards on the couch and watch the rabbits out the window.

Thanks, Carl. There has been a lot of waiting over the last few years so I am determined to get my modelling space sorted. Its been hard having so many other jobs with higher priority since we moved in.

Thanks Frank - no bath, just a loo. It will be great for layout tours. A kitchen and toilet without people having to go into the house, and a long veranda where we can put lots of seating for coffee and nibbles - rain, hail or shine!

I have made a bit of progress and was going to upload a few more photos, but I'm being told I must be logged in to do this, even though I am logged in! Giving up for now.

More soon, cheers, Mark.

We appreciate it when you adjust your photos for viewing in the Northern Hemisphere
dave

Hi Mark

I just got caught up with your thread - the new place looks great. The barn is going to make a fantastic home for your layout.

Hi Mark,

Great to see you back at it. You have a fantastic venue there, and with your skills and artistic talents I'm positive you could put together a layout to rival the best in the world. There is a couple up here in the Wairarapa who have built a railway that is open to the public as part of their retirement funding - in fact they also have a little hobby shop attached to bring in a little extra cash on top of layout tours. You've certainly got the potential to do something similar with that AWESOME barn!

I'm am literally jealous.

Bede

Hi guys.

Thanks for the comments!

Dave - I have found my old faithful camera so all photos should now be adjusted to the Northern Hemisphere! I'll try to get back and retake photos where I can and replace the 'upside down' photos.

Thanks John. Yep. I'm sure looking forward to getting some bench-work in place! Still a while away yet. Our girl Bullmastiff is nearing her season and so getting the second dog run, so we can keep her and her brother separated, has jumped up the priority list!

Thanks Bede! Another one to add to the 'ideas' list.

OK - so here is a picture of the barn progress.



The door at the left has been moved hard up against the wall. I cut the door jams away from the framing and then cut the opening stud and the two jack studs above the head off the top plate, cut the four short dwangs off the stud next to the wall, and cut the bottom plate. I removed this whole section and spun it 180 degrees, re attached and put the door and jams back in. Its only a move of about 8-10 inches, but makes quite a bit of difference when considering my plans.

The opening to the right has now been put in. I took one full sheet of ply out and cut the next one vertically in half back to the existing stud. I added a couple of opening studs at each end and put in two 8 by 2 beams. This approximately shows where the layout will be split from urban to mountain. Tellynott - the urban part of my layout - will sit in this room through to a line a foot or so to the right of the left end of this opening (about where the second rung of the ladder on the floor is). The rest of this room from a foot to the right of the left end of the opening and back, along with the entire room through the opening, will be Shadowlands.

I have also cut the huge workbench that spanned the entire width of this room (approximately where I was standing when I took this photo) in half, moved half next door into the utility bay and set up, and disassembled the other half. All the shelving has been taken down, and the hardwood wall linings removed.

More soon, cheers, Mark.

Hi guys. Time for a quick update.

Along with finishing the new dog run - along with flash new gate and cobblestone paving, I have scrapped all the bird droppings off the timber work in the bay shown in the photos and taken this along with the nests out and carefully disposed of. By the way - when doing this work I wear disposable overalls with a hood, gumboots, rubber gloves, breathing apparatus and googles. I then scrubbed all the timber work down with hot water and disinfectant. It sounds quick and easy when written down, but it was a big nasty job - wearing all that gear and working up ladders. I did the work in lots of small hits. I have just finished putting the ceiling battens up, and next will be running the wiring for heat points and lights. The insulation is all there waiting, ready to be install. I also made it up in the loft and cleaned out all that mess! Wow! On a positive note I found up there three bales of unopened insulation batts - before I had bought any insulation. My plan is to finish this room off, move everything through from the second bay, and then work on that one. I'll take a picture after work and load it up.

More soon, cheers, Mark.

PS - the birds have all moved out - even in the places where bird proofing is still to be completed - they have seen the writing on the wall!

Mark, thanks for the update!

Good to read that you've taken the place back from the birds & their droppings.

Sounds like a real messy clean up job, but someone had to do it.

Hopefully that's the worst of it, behind you now.

Greg Shinnie

Mark, That is nasty, messy work, but it sounds like you have gotten that portion done and are still eager to continue with wring and insulation. That's good !!

Thanks for the responses Greg and Bill.

Yep = its starting to look much better in there and I'm keen to keep things moving. We had 100mm (4") of rain over the last 2 days so not much outside work could get done. Shame! I had to work in the barn! I ran all my wires - ready to be hocked up, and installed most of the insulation. I've taken a couple of photos, but the site wont let me load them. I'll try again a bit later. Unfortunately its back to the outside work for a bit!

Cheers, Mark.

Good to hear progress is being made on your place Mark! The RRLine has been a bit finicky lately, but you'll get thru!

Hi Mark

Can you contact me offline regarding my visit in May

cheers mate

Mario