Just now breaking ground. this is the time! wow!!

[Anonymous]

Thank you James that was a lot of info but i think I'll put it to good use.

thanks

[skeenapac]

Troy, congratulations!
I use track power, control blocks, powered switches and lots of wire everywhere! The mainline is over 300 feet with several passing sidings and yards. At one time, under construction, I had well over 200 feet operating from one power input. I believe that brass rail is as good a conductor as is necessary, as long as you make good track joints and use the longest sections of track that meets your needs. I solder my joins along the line and use rail clamps at the switches, or where I think I may need to lift out sections for maintenance, such as my tunnels. My track is laid using a base of 1/4 inch crushed granite and then is levelled for grade and from side to side using gravel fines. In this case I have been using #2 chicken grit, available from the local feed store. I started using #1 grit, which is smaller and looks better, but it kept getting washed awayin our wet coast weather! In someplaces, where the track is hidden from view, track is laid on cedar 1x4 by 8 foot long sections. The cedar doesn't warp, resists rot and doesn't let weeds grow between the ties.
The wiring is mostly 16 gauge lamp chord for power and telephone wire for the switches. It is laid alongside the track to wherever it is needed for the control block. The exception is where I have wires going directly across the lawn from the control stand to a railyard on the far side. The wires are run inside a standard electical conduit to protect them. The conduit is easy enough to put in the ground. Just plant your square shovel into the ground right down as far as it will go and rock it front to back to create a 'cut' in the ground. Repeat this process along the line of where you want the conduit to go. Then, having filled the conduit with more wire than you think you will ever need, force it into the cut. when it's all down, trample the grass back over the cut. In two weeks you'll never know it was there.

Hope this isn't too much info all at once.

[Anonymous]

Any recommended books to help me get started in Gardening Railroading? I am researching the idea of an outside MRR instead of building an inside layout.

Thanks for any help.

[vsmith]

Troy, San Val is the best place to go for B'mann, AC USA and HLW

send me an e-mail I'll give you a list of a couple good places to check out for LGB

Vic

[Anonymous]

PS where in Lost Angeles are you? Know lots of good large scale LHS to check out and save some $$$.

[vsmith]

Troy same advice as above, I used "general purpose gravel" from Home Despot and OSH, the 1/8 to 3/8"average stuff that comes in the 50lbs plastic bags, in a bed about 1 1/2 to 2 inches deep. Pea gravel being rounded will roll easily and will not "lock" the track into place allowing it to moved all over the place. Very bad. Dog walks on the crushed gravel so no problems with sharp edge issues there.

As for blocks and wiring, its a pain! At 200feet I would think a conduit would be prudent

I kept my layout simple. Since my layout is one the small side, only 18 'x 9', only one point of power connection is needed and when I can I will seperate the layout sidings from the mainline into blocks. Power will be routed thru an exterior rated light-switch next to the RR switch with an over-the-joiner railclamp on each side to connect the bridge wire . I plan to use an insulated railclamp on one rail to isolate the siding.

PS where in Lost Angeles are you? Know lots of good large scale LHS to check out and save some $$$.

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by garrenT

What do you Think of floating track on peagravel???

Please let me know I live in Los Angeles

Thank you

Troy

Troy: I would not recommend pea gravel as it will "roll" constantly and especially during periods of heavy rain (I know - it doesn't rain in Southern Cal).You will be much better off with crusher fines. Contact a local gravel pit. Local to you will be out towards SBO or Riverside I suppose. Bruce

[Anonymous]

QUOTE: Originally posted by garrenT

What do you Think of floating track on peagravel???

Please let me know I live in Los Angeles

Thank you

Troy

[Anonymous]

Thanks for the help, hope to hear more.


Troy

[Ray Dunakin]

Make sure your pea gravel is the crushed, sharp-edged kind used for construction; and not the rounded kind used for decorative purposes.

[kimbrit]

Pea gravel is fine as the sub bed, I float my track on it then I ballast it in. When the birds pinch it I ballast it in again, welcome to the world of garden trains, you will never be the same again.
Kim

[John Busby]

Hi garren T
I have a post on this some where in this lot that says run your cables in pipes beside the line with cable pits.
So you can add or subtract wire easy fault find easy ect
2" plumbing pipe is ideal for the pipe run the cable pits are made of 6" pipe with an end cap for the lid.
The pit should go well below the conduits. no matter what you do the pits will fill with water and its got to go somewhere.
You can soften the pits with vegitation.
Forget pea gravel as ballast you need crusher dust or similar it has sharp rough edges that will hold it together and hold the track.
Besides you would have to do a lot of sieving to get it down to the right size you could only use it o the logging line and would iether have to cease running if the ground was wet or mix cement in with it to hold it together.
regards John

[Anonymous]

What do you Think of floating track on peagravel???

Please let me know I live in Los Angeles

Thank you

Troy

[Anonymous]

Thanks to GR I'm now on my way.
I will be making one main line and one short line
main line will be a pass&frate line the short line will be loging line.
main line will be about 200' of trak short line will be about 60'.
Lots of questions abuot everthing so for my frist Q: Should I run conduit or lay in the wire in the ground? Is wiring in blocks a lot harder to wire?

Thank you in advance.

Troy

Building The TM&KT RR. IN souther Cal.