Ballast G-scale track on plywood base

[Anonymous]

I have read articles and seen pictures of outdoor layouts, a part of which are on wooden benchwork. My first phase, a 17' X3' section will be on benchwork with a plywood base. I would like to lay the track on ballast as I have seen it. What is the technique for this?

[tangerine-jack]

There isn't a really good answer for that. For my rebuilding project on the Dixie D I'm using 1/2 pressure treated ply for a base, cut the width of the track, with a 3" stiffener strip on each side, 1" above the track level and the other 2" below. I am cutting a series of 3/4" holes for drainage, covered with aluminum mosquito screen so I don't loose the ballast. The whole rig is supported by PVC pipe pylons with stainless steel bolts concreted into the pipe for mounting the ply. I'm doing that in order to keep the wood from direct ground contact, thus preventing premature rot. As for the actual track mounting, I'm using a floating method where only one stainless steel screw will be used for about every 8ft, the rest just sits on the ballast and is allowed to expand as required. The ballast holds it just fine.

I have experimented with a short section of this for feasibility and it seems to work well. Sooner or later it will become necesary to replace the wood, so I designed it to be easily unbolted from the pylons.

DISCLAIMER!!!!! CAVEAT!!!!!!! In the final version of the Dixie D come spring I may not use this method at all, or only on a part of the railroad!!!!!! It works in experimental form only right now, but it is working!

[Capt Bob Johnson]

TJ
I think you could well reduce the size of the stiffeners if you wanted to. Your original thought was to have the 2" below the bed; but the 3/4 or inch above the bed will give a good percentage of the stiffening you want, but somewhat less than if it were below the bed.

Say a 2 1/4 inch piece, with 3/4 above the bed, the 1/2 joining the bed, and an inch below the bed.

Might save you some material without compromising strength, yet provide a smaller profile that you would have to camoflage in finishing!

[Anonymous]

Thanks, I think your ideas have merrit. I was thinking of laying 1/2 inch high strips of molding about 1" wider than the tie ends to hold the ballast, and cover the "channel" with a weed blanket material, after drilling drainage holes. I'm going to use all treated lumber for this initial benchwork, and may use treated 1X4's rather than plywood and use your system. My "tabletop" will be on 24' centers so I don't think sagging will be a problem.

[tangerine-jack]

Good ideas. The difference is that from a 4x8 sheet of ply I can get 16 even side panels at 3", but a full 21 at 2 1/4" with .3" left over, sounds like a better deal at 2 1/4", I'll do that. 1/2" sounds like a better above board height to me, but I'm no cabinet maker so I'm sure there will be some variance in the finished product. What I am making here is basicaly a wood H beam, so it should be plenty stiff even with a 2 1/4" side beam. I don't think I'm very interested in camoflaging the roadbed, the idea I have is to make it noticable, but nice looking. Maybe trim it with something like a sofit edging? I've got some left over from my house expansion, I think I'll try some on my experimental test track.

I like the idea of the pylons more every time I think about it or check on my test track. They raise the roadbed to any height I want, I can add or remove sections easily without interfering with the garden (also going through a major renovation and rethink) and I don't have to worry about terra-forming to make a grade. I won't have to weed whack the track anymore, and cleaning will be that much easier.

Now all I need is some time to get to work on it!

[dmikee]

Abandon the plywood idea. Instead use redwood fence boards. Cut off the dogears and nail redwood lath along each board edge to give it stiffness and prevent sagging. You can leave a little of the lath raised above the roadbed to contain the ballast. The redwood should be sealed with a water sealer before ballasting and laying track. It is self draining if you build in just the tiniest bit of up or down grade.

[tangerine-jack]

That's a good idea, but do you know how much redwood cost here, if I can get it?? I'll look around, but I think I would have better luck with cedar, that grows everywhere.