setting stainless steel track in existing patio (advise please)

[Anonymous]

HI I'm new to garden railroading and want to set my track in the existing concrete patio.I need to cut a groove 3.5 inches wide and 5/8 inches deep it is going to be about 80 feet long. my concerns are about expanding and contraction in temperatures from 110 degrees summer to 32 degrees winter. do I need gaps in the rails, expansion material where the rail meets the (new poured concrete) and clearances for the flanges of the wheels. If you have any advice for this project, i would be greetful .Thank you in advance , Scott

[Anonymous]

I assume what you are planning to do is lay the track and pour concrete over it. I thought about doing that, but any track mantaince would be an issue, and that thin of concrete will bust out here (IA) because of frost.
Well I plan to do something similar, and here is my idea. I plan to grove out, like you into the exsiting concrete, but I plan to put some sort of rubber or plastic over top the track area so that way the track could be accessed for repair issues, etc. for flange ways I plan on either putting in some very flexable tubing (that would crush under the trains or putting in a T bar. The problems I have identified so far with my plan are: 1) I may run into cracking issues by weakening the concrete where I lower it down for the track (you may have this same problem). 2)what material to use to make it look like a very large grade crossing -I am thinking a outdoors rubber mat filped upsidedown and cut to fit. 3) I am not sure if the tubing (the 1/4" drilled (not solid) sprinker line) will still be as flexable in winter or next year ( or be flexible enough to not cause derailment issues) 4) T bar/rail laid sideways next to the track -(which is simmilar to what the real RR use in street running) would fill up with garbage & need constant maintaince. If I am going to do this I'll be doing it soon and be posting how I did it, and repost in a year how it held up..... good luck

Also If anyone else has done this or anything similar I'd love to hear about it.

[Capt Bob Johnson]

Saw something at ECLSTS that would do wonderfully for that job! I would add a groove that would permit underneath drainage since you are retrofitting rather than pouring around the product. Check out the bridge track systems and road crossing systems made by split jaw! Made to order for what you want!

Remember, stainless has less expansion and contraction than brass! SJ also makes an expansion section of track to take care of that problem! I'd put one at each end of your 80 foot run that is in concrete, but just off the concrete so that it can float a bit!

[Neiler]

With that much temperature variation, I'd definately put in a flexible or adjustable track for expansion/ contraction. Hillman has one as well but one at each end should do it. I can do the math - are you using code 332 rail?

re: the concrete groove. I'd also be concerned about cracking if you fill in between the rails. Consider ripping some Trex or some other synthetic material to fit between the rails. There are lots of products to glue or grout the track to the existing concrete. Drainage is always good. I like the groove idea.