Security for my section track layout.

[Curmudgeon]

I scrapped a big pile of LGB and Aristo rail a while back. Used in a restaurant, worn down so far the flanges bounced on the ties.

Quite a bit of brass scrap value!

TREX. 2X4 is best, cut pointy stakes, sledgehammer them in, screw down with square drive (not tight enough to break ties). 18" usually works for me.

Mine started 26-27 years ago on 4X4 with plates, then as they rotted, went with TREX,

TOC

[nycmodel]

My concern is wonton vandalism.

I didn't catch this spelling at the time. Actually, I can't help but chuckle and visualize either wotons being subjected to violence or a herd of wotons decending on my garden railway to inflict untold damage. ;-}

 

 

nycmodel

My concern is wonton vandalism.

 

 

 

 

Oof-dah...I had the same worry, and I just decided to take the risk that passing miscreants would have no idea what was in my backyard.  So far, so good!

 

I would explore different ways to anchor your track to the ground semi-permanently.  I saw one RR where the guy set his tracks in concrete!  That might be extreme.  If you plan to make some sort of sub-roadbed or to elevate the RR, you can simply screw the tracks to the surface.  As my tracks "float" on the gravel that covers 80% of our little RR, I have no practical experience in that matter, though.

 

Eric

 

[/quote]

[Rex in Pinetop]

My layout is in my front yard on our corner lot.  I want people to see it.  I come out and run it for anyone who stops by to look at it.  On major holiday weekends we will have more than 200 visitors a day.

Security of the layout is all about where you live.  We live in a small tourist town.  The local police all know the layout and frequently stop by to chat.  Our other home is in a much larger metro area.  I wouldn't dare have a layout in our front yard there.  We made friends with all the kids and they keep an eye on it as well.

My track is full floating in quarter minus quarry fines.  I tried adding some Titebond III glue to the roadbed to keep it from washing away in the weather.  It worked for a couple of months but had to be removed (with a lot of effort) when trying to maintain it.  I do use cribbing to keep the fines from running.

Rex

[PVT Kanaka]

nycmodel

My concern is wonton vandalism.

 

 

Oof-dah...I had the same worry, and I just decided to take the risk that passing miscreants would have no idea what was in my backyard.  So far, so good!

 

I would explore different ways to anchor your track to the ground semi-permanently.  I saw one RR where the guy set his tracks in concrete!  That might be extreme.  If you plan to make some sort of sub-roadbed or to elevate the RR, you can simply screw the tracks to the surface.  As my tracks "float" on the gravel that covers 80% of our little RR, I have no practical experience in that matter, though.

 

Eric

[nycmodel]

My garden RR is hidden from the street by 6 foot PVC fencing along all 3 sides. Plus I have a motion detector and floodlight cam watching the backyard. My concern is not theft. As others have said, the track is not on the radar of most thieves. My concern is wonton vandalism. Bored kids looking for mischief can happen anywhere.

 

[emdmike]

If running ground level, once intergrated into the garden, one hardly notices the track.  Some of the easily bought and installed bluetooth/wireless CCTV camaras watching over the layout area is cheap insurance to watch for theives.  My own line is raised as my knees decided they didnt like the upkeep of a ground level line and it makes running live steam much easier.   That track is fastened down to the boards on the top of the layout.  I wish I would have done the raised line years ago, it makes running trains outdoors so much more enjoyable, especially the live steam locomotives.  Good luck with your new outdoor line, going to go run mine before work today, live steam in the cold is really fun.   Mike

[PVT Kanaka]

Paul, that was my thinking on the subject. Recycled metals, though, are weird in terms of value, and our local market is skewed due to our isolation, so I didn't want to weigh in too deeply.

[smokey1]

Swiss-Colorado-Lines

You always hear stories about people stealing copper pipes, or electrical gear. Copper has value. Brass-- not so much... if you're using rail clamps, it will be a real hassle for someone to take.

I always believe the best deterrent is to make the railroad where it's not visible from the street, or the casual passerby...

Behind a locked gate is best...

Paul

 

[Swiss-Colorado-Lines]

You always hear stories about people stealing copper pipes, or electrical gear. Copper has value. Brass-- not so much... if you're using rail clamps, it will be a real hassle for someone to take.

I always believe the best deterrent is to make the railroad where it's not visible from the street, or the casual passerby...

Behind a locked gate is best...

Paul

[smokey1]

I wouldn't worry about someone taking the track. They would have to be very hard up as they wouldn't really get a whole lot for it. I haven't decided if I'm going to have an outside layout yet but I would probably just do a floating on the top layout. If you use a track like from USAtrains( Charles Roe ) and screw them together, It would be very hard for someone to take it. 

If I do outside it would be like 20' then right for 15' then left for 15' then circle back and be about 8' wide. Right now I have a 16' x 21' space (garage that I can't use for my truck) I need to remove the garage door and build a wall and insulate the whole space.

 

[PVT Kanaka]

If it is a concern, I'd investigate different sub-roadbeds to which you could screw the tracks. There are a number of examples on this forum, if memory serves. Then you could place the gravel on top of / around the sub-roadbed. A bit more work, but it would prevent a grab-and-dash theft. My track "floats" on gravel, but I bet others with more and different experience would also commend some sort of fixed sub-roadbed as a means to improve operations on your railroad, too. Eric

[Huggy]

I'm finally taking my LGB track outside! I am starting to build a garden layout and I'm curious as to methods of securing my track from theft and allowing a gravel roadbed. I already have motion lights and camera system. I am considering SplitJaws. It is a small layout, 12ft x 22ft and <200'. I thought of reinforcing wire, gravel then dirt, wiring the track to the steel mesh. Then ballast with 1/4" minus or just fines. We own the property. I want a movable, if necessary, layout. Any thoughts?