lake or pond

[SteveWard3928]

Ok, Now that I have my train running pretty good (only took 2 months  )  I want to put in a small "lake" or pond next to the track.  I am going to keep it to the side for now.  If it looks pretty nice I will expand it and build a bridge/track over the water later.
**I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips or clever ways to make a pond. What should I line it with, if anything?  Ohio is in a drought now so maybe lining the pond is a good idea?? Any tips on making the edges of the pond look nice? I think what I am going to go with is a mining theme (gold, silver, ore,copper etc..) using my old reliable 4-6-0.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Steve

Ooops! I do not think I made myself clear.  I am going to buy a building (G-Scale) the building has a sign that says "live Bait" with a few fishing poles.  I was wanting just to put in a small "lake" next to the building, maybe 1x2 or 2x2 feet. I was not concerned with fish, plants or pumps, as I am sure the water will evaporate quickly. What I was trying to figure out was how to hide the plastic on the sides and yet secure it without having a bunch of dirt fall into the water. I thought about cutting a large dark trash bag to see if that would work. Just wondering if anyone had built something similar.

[Loco Bill Canelos]

Steve,

From my perspective ponds are nothing but a maintenance nightmare!!   In hot weather they suck up water at an unbelievable rate. There is the pump to maintain, the sump has to be kept clean or the pump will clog.  If you shut the pond down, the algae and scum build up pretty fast.  Unless installed perfectly, I have seen them heave up out of the ground by frost or damaged by frost heaves.  Water plants need a lot of extra care, and when conditions are poor die quickly.  I have seen damage caused by racoons digging into the sides for bugs to eat causing leaks and cosmetic damage. If you have fish the pond has to be deep enough for their survival over winter, if they make it to winter.  Racoons love free fish dinners as do Great Blue Herons. Leaves seem to find ways into a pond and stay there and rot till you get the chance to clean things up once again.  I personally would rather take the time to keep my track in perfect condition than spend the time maintaining a pond. 

Don't ask me how I know all this!!  I willl tell you I got rid of my pond many years ago.

Now if you spouse promises to keep up the pond, that may help! 

I am sure others will tell how great theirs is, as the above is purely my own lazy opinion.

[Kevin Strong]

I would suggest that if you live in an area with a particularly high water table, don't do it. One day, my neighbor and I were talking about putting ponds in our back yards, joking that all we really needed to do was to dig a hole and the groundwater would naturally fill it up. Well, that's what I should have done. Instead, I dug a hole, lined it with old carpet (like the books tell you to do), dropped a liner in, added the pump; all that stuff you're supposed to do when you install a pond. Everything "by the book," as they say. That was July (the dry month.) Come February--when I unexpectedly had to put the house on the market to move west for a new job--I noticed that the pond liner was floating on the surface of the pond. Thinking at first there was a hole or something, I quickly discovered that it was just groundwater that had pushed the liner up and out of the ground. Ain't nothing I was gonna do to beat Ma Nature on that one. I drained the water, sunk a bunch of rocks on the bottom for weight, and hoped for the best. The new owners tore it out and filled it in anyway.

I wouldn't say "never again," because the sound of water is peaceful. But "not very likely in the near future" certainly comes to mind.

Later,

K

[Sleeping Bear]

     Bill has a point when it comes to the maintenance issues....they tend to crud up ....push up in winter if the foundation isn't drained right but if you are going to do it then consider using a rubber animal watering troth/dish....they can be had at tractor supply and home depot as "garden ponds"...at least at ours... and are thick and hold up well....place rocks around the edge to hide it and if a water fall or stream is in the plans ....a submersible pump will do good but the intake will clog quickly if leaves get in.....my grandmothers dog loves her garden pond and is a major cause of water loss and contamination....drain it for winter and take the pump inside...line your stream, if doing one, with rubber as well.....one piece if do able......an inner tube for a good size tire would work pretty good.......spray glue some small gravel to it for looks and hide the edges with rocks, sand, dirt and plants....if no fish ....bleach will slow the algae but kill plants as well....all I can do is give info and opinion....up to you in the end.....they are neat and look good if done right but can turn into a lot of work....get the wife to help and things will be easier.


    Later All.......S.B.

[StanAmes]

Ok, Now that I have my train running pretty good (only took 2 months  )  I want to put in a small "lake" or pond next to the track.  I am going to keep it to the side for now.  If it looks pretty nice I will expand it and build a bridge/track over the water later.
**I was wondering if anyone out there has any tips or clever ways to make a pond. What should I line it with, if anything?  Ohio is in a drought now so maybe lining the pond is a good idea?? Any tips on making the edges of the pond look nice? I think what I am going to go with is a mining theme (gold, silver, ore,copper etc..) using my old reliable 4-6-0.  Any advice would be appreciated.  Steve

We have 4 ponds with 2 streams and we love them.  Yes they require maintenance but then so does the railroad.  We are in the Northeast and never drain them.  The fish survive over the winter as the main ponds are 2 ft deep.  We have a bubblier to keep an air hole in the ice during the winter.

2 of our ponds are gunite and 2 have a liner.  Both types require maintenance. Only one of the ponds have fish about 20 or so at present. 

If you like water gardens then yes do it.

Stan

[glennk28]

Ace Hardware and others have had plastic pond liners that just need a hole in the ground.  Use a small pump to recirculate the waterl  gj