Cumberland Station TTrak and Other Adventures

[Tad_T]

Congratulations on your hidey hole in the woods.

I bought some property up in the mountains about ten years back. I designed a cabin and we got it finished about a year and a half ago.

This past year I was offered the opportunity to take early retirement. We sold our place in Boise and moved to the woods, too.

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[John]

Congratulations on your hidey hole in the woods.

I bought some property up in the mountains about ten years back. I designed a cabin and we got it finished about a year and a half ago.

This past year I was offered the opportunity to take early retirement. We sold our place in Boise and moved to the woods, too.

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All the homesteader shows on TV recommend a 100' clear area around buildings for a fire break.  Nice looking cabin

[Tad_T]

All the homesteader shows on TV recommend a 100' clear area around buildings for a fire break.  Nice looking cabin

Thanks.

There actually are firebreaks, but you can’t see them in these shots.

[wm3798]

I was on-site for the big snow storm last weekend... I don't worry so much about fire coming close to the house... it's watching those trees swing around in the wind that makes me think chain saw thoughts. 
There's one enormous pine right off the corner of the house, and it's big and straight enough to be a ship's mast.
I'm negotiating with my guy up there to bring his portable saw mill up and turn it into 11 million board feet of trim boards...

I'd rather have it in the house than on it!!
Lee

[Tad_T]

I know what you mean about that.

You have too nice a place to have a tree through it.

I cut down every questionable tree anywhere around my house.

The posts on the corners of my porch are trees that were cut down to make room for the cabin.

So is the center pole to the roof beam.

[wm3798]

We're sliding into the realm of Cabin P0rn...  That looks really nice.
Did you have to have the logs engineered?  Or was "good enough for the squirrels and monkeys, good enough for me?"

Lee

[Scottl]

I just sold our cabin and 12 ac mixed hardwood and softwood in Ontario.  I am still in awe of how many trees die in a given year and how even perfect, healthy pines could snap off 10' off the ground in a wind.  We had a 75' white pine miss our cabin by a few feet when it came down.  It is all part of the fun.

[wm3798]

Good thing no matter where I am, I'm on the Lee side of the mountain!!

[Tad_T]

We're sliding into the realm of Cabin P0rn...  That looks really nice.
Did you have to have the logs engineered?  Or was "good enough for the squirrels and monkeys, good enough for me?"

Lee

Thanks.

Sorry, I wasn’t trying to mess up your thread. I just meant to compliment your good fortune and share mine.

And then I was responding to your comment about having the tree in the house instead of on it.

Those were three of the trees that had to be cut down to make room for the cabin.  The three logs had to be debarked, inspected, certified, and approved as structural members to be used in the structure.

My design had to go to a certified and licensed structural engineer to be drawn and have certified plans made because of the area that I built in, the cabin and my shop have to withstand a 128 pound per square foot snow load.  I forget what the earthquake/seismic rating was that had to be met. My place is 18 miles from the West Yellowstone Gate of Yellowstone National Park.

So, not just good enough for squirrels and monkeys.

[John]

My design had to go to a certified and licensed structural engineer to be drawn and have certified plans made because of the area that I built in, the cabin and my shop have to withstand a 128 pound per square foot snow load.  I forget what the earthquake/seismic rating was that had to be met. My place is 18 miles from the West Yellowstone Gate of Yellowstone National Park.

I don't think he was complaining .. that's a good looking cabin ..   It's interesting that they enforce regulations like that out there

I'm going to try to get to Yellowstone and Alaska next year -- My son was out there in YS this year, and said the city slickers were overwhelming the place .. 4am start each day just to beat the crowds ..

[packers#1]

My place is 18 miles from the West Yellowstone Gate of Yellowstone National Park.

So, not just good enough for squirrels and monkeys.

But what’s the rating for Wendigo protection? 

[wm3798]

@Tad_T thanks for that information.  Not sure you knew, but I design houses, that's what interested me in your timber work.
I really like your place out there.  We don't have to deal with the snow loads you do, so I can completely understand why they enforce THOSE regulations, even out there in the Prairie.  I have a structural engineer that I consult with when I get into a jam.

So, to wander back into earshot of the topic, I'll be working on a handful of TTrak modules in the coming months to bring my station modules "full circle" so to speak

I already have the track and wire harnesses, just need to build some boxes.  I'd like to continue with the Cumberland theme, so the straight boxes will likely include the double track bridge across the Potomac, to Ridgeley, WVa,  or perhaps something more representative of the Narrows in the other direction. But the turnbacks will just be turnbacks.  We'll see.

Lee

[wm3798]

[wm3798]

A little field research for the next TTrak grouping


Good to spend time with some old friends

[Ed Kapuscinski]

Did Gerald's SDs finally make it there?
Did they finally take that poor butchered F40PH out behind the barn?
I really need to get out there to see the 2-6-6-2.