JUST STARTING and have a ground cover question.

[red_dog_six]

Good day!

Going to use Landscaping Fabric over my whole area for the Garden Rwy. (20'W x 70'L). Saves trying to rent a sod cutter and then need more dirt.

I will then bring in topsoil and level the whole area with the various grades etc.

Should the topsoil be rolled and packed of just let settle in place?

Question that I have is should I just lay the track on top of the topsoil and then add ballast between the ties and pack down or should I dig out a small area that the track is following and fill it with ballast, lay the rail on top and then ballast the rails?

Thanks

Andrew

Southwestern, Ontario, Canada

[Don H]

Andrew,

 I did about the same thing. I think I would spray the grass with roundup first. I rented a roller you fill with water and rolled the dirt as I put it in, a little at a time. I rolled about 2" at a time. I came up 12" on one side of the layout.

[ttrigg]

Going to use Landscaping Fabric over my whole area for the Garden Rwy. (20'W x 70'L). Saves trying to rent a sod cutter and then need more dirt.

Question that I have is should I just lay the track on top of the topsoil and then add ballast between the ties and pack down or should I dig out a small area that the track is following and fill it with ballast, lay the rail on top and then ballast the rails?

Andrew;

Landscape fabric is OK.  What I prefer is to spray round up very heavy, then two days later cover the area with 15 pound roofing felt (tar paper.)  Let that "cook" the remaining vegetation for about a week, then start back filling, compacting as you go.

For the track, dig out a trench 3~4 inches deep and fill with crushed stone, NOT pea gravel.  You want all the sharp edges you can get for better stability interlocking of the stones.  Then I use the garden fabric over the sub-roadbed and add ballast between the ties.

[two tone]

Can I put my 2 cents worth in? it`s all right putting the track bed on the ground put have you thought about the winter weather over there. We in England tend to lay track on thermo light blocks about 50 cents each I find once they are bedded in they do not move. them lay track on them and ballast. My ballast I mix with a water profeselant to keep it in place bird tend to scatter it if you dont fix it down. also about every 6ft I put a little of this between the ties to keep track in place then finily I use 4ml grit a top ballast and can top this up as required as bird move it. just twice a year

[kstrong]

The weed fabric will be fine. That's all I used on mine, though I mowed the edges to within an inch of their lives. I've dug holes for plants down through the weed fabric, and the grass underneath it is deader than a doornail.

Having said that, I'd suggest running the fabric out further than you think you're going to need it, then cutting it back. I didn't, and had grass growing up along the edges. I just finished digging out along the rocks and installing a rock-filled mowing strip to keep that from happening again. Aesthetically, it's a vast improvement, and I no longer need to go through feet upon feet of trimmer line just to edge the railroad. Those rocks eat that stuff for breakfast.

As for the dirt, it depends on how much you're going to be filling. I didn't tamp mine, but it's no more than 18" at the deepest part, most places, it's around 6". I walked on it during the course of construction, so I suppose that's about as tamped as it got.

For a subroadbed, in your northern climate, I'd seriously consider just floating the track. To get below frostline with supports, you'd have to probably go down 2' to 3' or so. When I built my railroad in Rochester, NY (the other side of the pond from you) I dug a 6" deep trench, dropped some 4" corrugated, perforated drain pipe (the black stuff with the slits cut in it) into the trench, and filled around that with 1/2" crushed stone. This allowed plenty of opportunity for the water to drain away from under the track. Then I just laid my track on top of that and added ballast. I had some minor adjustments to make every spring, but that was about it.

There's a few strong garden railway societies in Ontario, so pick the one that's closest to you and see what others are doing with their track. (Their contact info is listed in the Club directory in GR.)

Later,

K

[Anonymous]

The big question is is the track going to be permanent? You say your going to add topsoil to level? Look for some serious settling in the future....    I work in construction, and I hate to shoot your fast approach, but, do it right, and it will last a very... long ... time!    Strip the sod, and the roots to about two inches depth, then put down your base, about three inches thick (seven and one half cm)  then lay your track on that, and fill the space between the ties...   If you want to change the landscaping drastically, like getting rid of a hill, consider making a cut, or if you want to raise the track, strip the sod, then fill to your desire, but really compact the soil. Better yet, use ag lime (limestone fines) it packs like iron. Then put your base on top of that. Ag lime in my neck of the woods in southern Wisconsin, runs cheaper than dirt- literally. I can get a cubic yard for about five bucks US. Black dirt runs about ten dollars per yard, $150 per truckload, and doesen't pack good enough for trains. Heck, use the aglime for base and use the expensive material that you are going to use for ballast for cover. Wet (not to mud) and pack the lime, and you can trowel it to shape. Lay the track on it wet or dry. If its dry and hard, and you need to take it down, shave it with the trowel edge. Putting the weed barrier under the track is a good idea. Build your railroad first, then do your landscaping, so you can correct unforseen problems. Oh, and look for the lime to run about $100 per ten yard truckload, and believe me, you'll need more than you think. Get the whole load. You can use the extra lime to fill your kid's sandbox, or sprinkle a little over your new lawn to cut down on the acid in the soil, it'll help with your new lawn and plants (but not around evergreens). It makes good model roads for your scale people, too! Scale roadstone! Good luck!

If your going to pull up the track for the winter, at least form up your land in the fall so its ready in the spring. It'll settle some during the spring rains for about two years, so pack that lime good!

Also, do like the other guy says and  put the drain tile under the track, too. Just like he says.

[Anonymous]

Personally i go for the bombproof approach - 3 inches of rubble - 2 inches of concrete binder then bricks laid in an inch of mortar and haunched - track screwewd to top and ballast added. - survives small children , large dogs , frost , rain and probably most other things . Settlement is not a concern..................................