Proper Roadbed Construction

[emipapa]

Hello All,
I have two question's regarding the proper construction of a ground level roadbed. I have been reading this and other forums for about a year now and I have never seen the the question's asked. The question's are:

1 - SHOULD A GROUND LEVEL ROADBED HAVE A DITCH, DRAINAGE OR OTHER-WISE ON BOTH SIDES WHEN POSSIBLE.

2 - SHOULD THE BALLAST COME UP ABOVE GROUND LEVEL.

The reason for my asking these questions is that I have seen both situations in some area's and not in other area's on the same railroad and both area's have the same type of topography . I am hoping to start construction of my layout within the next month or two and the answer's would be a GREAT HELP.
Thank you in advance for your reply

[Anonymous]

Hi there .My entire layout is at ground level with 2 large loops and 2 passing areas.It's at the top end of my garden encircling a grassed seating area.It's been down for over a year now and has performed perfectly.One stipulation my wife had about garden railwaying was that it must be able to be walked on,mowed over and survive the 4 children playing football over it.
I first got hold of some treated 6" by 2" timber.Worked out where the track was going to go and started digging.I found that if I was carefull with the trench digging the wood slotted in perfectly with no movement.If it rattled in the hole I packed it out with sand.
I left the wood at ground so that when the track was ballast it covers the wood.
Once the track is nailed to the wood and left to settle for a while it will withstand anything.Mine certainly does.I've had no trouble with drainage,frost or snow.Only thing is that you have to make sure you know where the trains are when you're trimmimg the grass edges.Troy

[Marty Cozad]

I guess I'd have to say YES on both questions. And no this has not directly been addressed,BUT. I know when i post info on how I do my roadbed I use the term "modern mainline" and i guess i figure most folks understand that it is up above ground level and has draiage on both sides LIKE the real 1:1 RR do.
Hope this helps.
as seen in this photo of the newest tunnel .


Completed.


Its ,,ALIVE[;)]

[bman36]

Marty,
Just love how you make those tunnel portals. They look very natural. Always enjoy seeing what you have been up to. Later eh...Brian.

[emipapa]

To Troybetts and Marty Cozad,
I would like to Thank the BOTH of you for your reply to my two questions. Both reply's provided good useful information. Marty the pictures were great and as they say "a picture is worth a thousand words". Your pictures showed just what I was talking about. You have a Railroad to be PROUD OF, I just hope I can learn form others like the BOTH of you folks.
Again I say Thank You to BOTH of you,
Emipapa

[Anonymous]

Hi Marty, well it looks GREAT

now for the real question on roadbed, i just got my sod up and have a blank space, i live in ohio, so the weather is from good to BAD. Do i lay out my track on wood base, then balast? or directly on the ground..... H E LP


thanks Jeff

[Anonymous]

saboja
I laid mine on wood and then ballasted afterwards.It depends on how much foot traffic there is in your garden.Where the kids go it is on wood and is indestructable.Around the edge of the garden where no-one can stand on it ,it floats on it's own ballast.After a few months of weather it "locks" itself and is very robust.Mind you,you have to put up with the "ballast fairy".She sneaks in every night and steals some! Every 6 months or so I have to reballast my whole track.Where does it go?
Troy

[Anonymous]

I think a lot depends on what the drainage is like where you live, here where i am it is on a man created island and the drainage is so good you are lucky to be able to water your garden properly.


I just put crusher fines down no digging no nothing.

As we get monsoonal downpours we put down decrotive gravel as finishing ballast sprinkle cement (not concrete powder and water it in. Sets well and it runs great no trouble at all.

We have several embankment and we do the same there but with a slightly different emphasis on stones and gravel, and cementing the whole thing together.

Where i do have short term draingae or wash away problems, I dig a small pit and fill it with stomes and run some electrical conduit to it, so creating a drainage pit and the whole thing works for me.

The ballast i use initially, is crusher fines or Quarry fines as it is known in some places very cheap they nearly pay you to take it away, in fact the bag you put it in is more expensive than the fines, so reuse your bags.


Rgs


Kawana Ian.

[Anonymous]

Hi guys,
I have had a trial section of track down for a few weeks now, my garden is mainly lawn that gets very wet in winter and very dry in summer. I marked out the track position and cut through the sod with a knife and then rolled it back in sections to expose the soil. I have a load of old housebricks so I positioned these parrallel in the trench with a 4" gap between them and infilled the gap with broken brick, rubble etc. I poured some fine gravel on top, positioned the track and then topped off the gravel. I rolled the grass back and cut off the excess sod to the edge of the brick. The garden was quite wet when I did this and it has now dried out to rock hard, the bricks haven't moved & the track's fine. The bricks give me a good edge to cut grass to and the drainage should be ok because I haven't used any polythene, I'll zap any weeds that pu***hrough! The track is proud of the land level by an inch or so, depending on levels, and should be above water level even during the heaviest rain, so I have decided that this is the best I've had and to install the rest. Keep you informed.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Hey Kim, sounds like you have a good way also. I just laid down some track last nite( just on the grass), in a good configuation and ran my train.. woooohooooo was i excited. so now the hard part starts,the setting the roadbed ect...ect...ect.... I was thinking about using a wood road bed in some spots but, the question is... will it warp?Most will be on gravel, and bridges (hopefully)
im looking at this weekend for getting ALOT done , guess we will see !!!


Jeff

[Anonymous]

Hi Jeff,
Go to it mate, you'll know when it's right! I'll be glad when mine is down full time, it's a pain picking it up after a good day.
Cheers,
Kim
[tup]

[Anonymous]

Marty looks like he had to many Pepsi that day[:D]
Might have to start watching him. [;)]