We have moved all of the ties, spikes, and rails into the backyard
caboose rail bed. We have put all of the wooden ties down and have
them appropriately spaced. John picked up the rail plates from
the GGRM yesterday.
Next steps to complete this construction phase:
- Put 2 steel plates on each wooden tie
- Put one steel spike partway into each plate to hold it in place
- Cut one of the three 30-foot steel rails in half
- Move the rails into place on the plates: one 30-foot rail and one
15-foot rail (half rail) on each side - Attach the 30-foot rail sections and 15-foot rail sections with
rail joiners - Put in the 2nd spike and drive in both spikes
- Put down the ballast (large gravel) around the ties
- Tamp and level the ties
- Stand back and admire our new 45 foot long caboose rail line
As our friend Wendy says, when you are working with pieces that weigh
half a ton (like train rails), you do a lot of thinking before you
do a little lifting.
KatysBlog 
There’s an old German proverb, too:
“Zweimal messen, einmal schneiden” – ‘Measure twice, cut once’.
I’ve found from (regrettably) repeated experience that the first irreversible cut I make is always the most likely to be wrong. ;^(