wooden trestles

[JITO]

Hi,

I'm currently working on building trestles - the beginner project from the Feb/08 Garden Railways issue. Things have been progressing nicely up to the point where I would like to treat them before putting them in the ground. The author of the article, Eric Schade, wrote of using a dark-walnut coloured stain mixed with linseed oil as an additional preservative. The staff at the local hardware store have varying thoughts on what to use. My wonderment is how Eric's combination will stand-up to the weather extremes in Southern Manitoba, Canada. Would this be the best treatment or are there other suggestions? If this would work, would I need to reapply every so often?

thanks,

michael 

 

[DennisB]

   I am from southwestern Ontario but the garden railway hobby is more active in our cottage or northern areas. Trestles are left outside over the winter and damage is minimal. Many use a 50/50 mixture of liseed oil and Varsol or paint thinner. Adding a stain is a good idea for color but the stain does not add to the protection. For strength, the trick is to glue and screw the structure together. Your trestle will suffer damage over time but as long as it suffers no major accident, damage thru wear and tear should be minimal. Regards, Dennis.

[ttrigg]

My climate conditions are way different from yours. I live in San Diego area, frost on the windshield about 8~10 mornings per year. Lots of sunshine and heat, which can speed up wood deterioration. I have several structures, ~20 foot long timber trestle bridge, coaling tower, etc. I use a copper-based wood preservative as my prime treatment. It turns everything a bright green color. It takes about a week to totally dry. Then I mix 1 part gel stain with 2 parts paint thinner to put the "color" coat on. My coaling tower has been up now for about 3 years and is just now showing signs of needing another color treatment. My bridgework has been in for little over a year and still looks good. The copper-based wood preservative will triple the life expectancy of the wood, stops bugs from even starting, fights rot from being in contact with the ground. I have NO experience for what wood will do in colder climes, but I would think it should still hold true to what I have done.

[JITO]

   I am from southwestern Ontario but the garden railway hobby is more active in our cottage or northern areas. Trestles are left outside over the winter and damage is minimal. Many use a 50/50 mixture of liseed oil and Varsol or paint thinner. Adding a stain is a good idea for color but the stain does not add to the protection. For strength, the trick is to glue and screw the structure together. Your trestle will suffer damage over time but as long as it suffers no major accident, damage thru wear and tear should be minimal. Regards, Dennis.

 

Oh, I hadn't thought of screwing the structure together. I've already glued the pieces together and the next step was to solidify the trestle. I was planning on using some brad nails. Which would work better and would you have to predrill for the screws? What size screws would be suitable/available? The vertical posts are 1/4" square. 

[Rex in Pinetop]

I used 4-40 bolts and blind nuts to put my helix together.  No glue as I wanted to be able to "adjust/repair" the structure over time.  I used a water based wood preservative power sprayed into the wood before laying down the track.  I did use some brads on the superstructure however I don't expect them to last very long (rust will get them).  The high country in AZ gets about 5 ft of yearly snow in the winter and into the 90's F in the summer.  Here is are a couple pics:

Rex

[sfcgadget]

I live in Rhode Island so my wood structures have to live up to all kinds of weather. I have used stains with a Linseed oil base up till now with good results. Every couple of years I give them a spray of Thompsons waterproofer to help. That is easy enough after they have been in place. Just put some painters tape on the rails. I am now experimenting with Tufboard (a plastic composite) for building a turntable. This could also be used for trestles, buildings and sub roadbed. Time will tell how good it is.

[JITO]

<><><>Update:  Trestles are in and looking good!  Michael still needs to do some horizontal supports to tie them all together, but i think he's done really well with them.  We've had a lot of compliments on them already from those who've seen them.
Tried to post a pic but ... yeah well....  one day we'll get it to work.  They're on our photobucket site if anyone's interested.  http:s76.photobucket.com/albums/j23/msmann and click on the Cariboo Railroad link
We're working hard to get ready for the garden tour on the 21st.  Waterfall not cooperating. :(  And it's been raining a lot in the past few days and is forecast all week (we have a tornado watch as i type, actually...) so that's not good for progress, either. But we'll get it ready. Someway, somehow, we'll be ready.  :)

 

shannon

 

[altterrain]

Link to pix - http://s76.photobucket.com/albums/j23/msmann/Cariboo%20RailRoad/

-Brian 

[JITO]

thanks for the link!

We're going to try a new browser very soon now. Hopefully that will allow us to post photos and link directly to our photobucket site.

 

michael

 

[smcgill]

Do you mean like this!!!

 

Looks Great!!

[JITO]

Great! 

Yes, exactly!

 Thanks for the feedback. We've spent a lot of time and energy working on it this spring.