Crossing a Dirt Driveway?

[captain perry]

I have an existing railway but always want to expand...

One way is into the woods which is good but gets a bit buggy and it really is woods so is kinda rough to get around in let alone build in.  There is a good location crying out for trains across the driveway. it is nice and mossy, the right elevation and reasonably flat.

Has any one any experiance making a crossing of a dirt driveway?  It does need to be plowed in the winter and the UPS guy the oil man have to drive their trucks on it.

 I have had three ideas...

1. build a lift out bridge that is only in place on run-days.  It would of course have to be set up and leveled each run...maybe it could have flush concrete pads for the bridge piers and locating holes.

2.  wood or concrete pad to lay the track in/on only during run-days.  again of course it would have to be set up each run and probably swept off frequently.

3. build a perminant grade crossing with the track imbedded in concrete.  would take a lot of concrete to be solid enough to withstand the full scale traffic.

 Has anyone done this type of thing?  do you have any reccomendations?

[ttrigg]

I have seen similar situations before. In this case this fellow in San Diego gets from here:

To here

Via this:

Since you need to plow the driveway (snow, I’m assuming) I don’t think I would build at/in ground level for fear of plowing it up. Plus doing something like this would also require the acquisition of a function set of flashing crossbucks.

[captain perry]

That is basically what I had in mind as probably the simplest and safest.  We do get 20 to 40 feet of snow on the ground in some winters...the little Forneys cannot keep the track open but Billy and his pickup truck can easily plow out the one or two feet of a big storm.

Though, on this rural crossing, just a simple crossing sign is sufficient for a grade crossing.

[Nataraj]

I think a grade crossing with imbedded tracks would look the best. You could always sink the rails a few cm below road level to escape the damage that could be cause by the plows...

[rpc7271]

I think I would try to put in in a tunnel with a concrete bottom & sides. The top would be 4 ft long steel plate set at driveway grade so I gould get it off in case of a derailment or just to view.

[g. gage]

Howdy Captain Perry; I live in the Sierra Nevada and have similar conditions as you describe, gravel driveway and lots of snow. My railroad doesn’t cross our driveway, but I would go with your option #1 on the order of Tom’s. The driveway will develop ruts and become uneven, snowplows will destroy it if it’s on the ground and I would guess a fuel truck (we use propane) weighs a few tons putting any tunnel in jeopardy. We have a grader rejuvenate our 500’ driveway once in a while and they turn the existing gravel/dirt down 8 – 12” and add more gravel changing the previous level.

 

Good luck, Rob

 

[captain perry]

Thanks Rob !!

I aggree with all you have said and...when I get around to it, the bridge system will be the way.  I might even do it as a "swing Bridge" that works like a gate and looks like a two span bridge.

 --Eric

 

[g. gage]

Howdy Captain Perry, the gate/swing bridge sounds like a good idea. My driveway is 12’ wide; I had two 6’ lightweight tubular steel cattle gates that swung together meeting at the center. I’ve had twenty yard 18 wheeler dump trucks deliver DG and gravel with no problem.

 

Have fun, Rob