Thanks for fixing the link! It is .com not .org (www.shastagrs.com)
One of the advantages to using the redwood plank approach is that your layout is infinitely remodellable. Just unscrew the connecting boards, get out your sabre saw and skill saw, and relocate your main line, add a siding, change elevations and grades, etc. I don't use any ballast since it seems to just wash away anyway. The track itself is not fastened down but simply floats on the board roadbed. I only use fasteners at entrances to bridges and tunnels, just to keep the track aligned at those points. A quick annual treatment with a wood preservative keeps the track boards supple and prevents decay. Redwood ages to a natural grey color that is pleasing to the eye. The boards also keep it off the ground for the most part and falling debris such as leaves, twigs, acorns and even rain-washed dirt are easy to sweep or blow off.
Finally, I hate digging in the dirt. With the boards I can run all my wiring with landscape light cord hidden under the boards for easy access and any new connections.
http://shastagrs.com/
try this link
Have fun with your trains
Can't seem to get your link to work .... any ideas?
Thanks,
Walt
dmikee wrote:Here is a link to our club page. My RR is Mike & Fran Evans under member layouts. Pictures of both raised and ground level roadbed laid on redwood fence boards with lath edging. www.shastagrs.org
Here is a link to our club page. My RR is Mike & Fran Evans under member layouts. Pictures of both raised and ground level roadbed laid on redwood fence boards with lath edging.
www.shastagrs.org
oh yea,if you did not want to fill the whole thing in,you could apply cross 2x4`s inside and lay some treaded plywood down.
also a good idea would be to put some cross 2x4`s inside,also screwed in with deck screw`s for saport.
hello,this is my very first post here,i,mm new to this
there`s something that you can do thats kinda like "cheating" but i,mm not sure if you`d like the idea,but you could build basic planter boxes out of presure treated lumber and plywood,and attach them with deck screw`s and angle brackets.on the out side of the plywood you can glue/mortor either fake stones or even mortor on those cut stones that people mortor on to walls for the real stone look.they make the same with bricks ect..
the idea might sound tacky looking,but if done creatively it can look great,and the benifit of building the frame with treated material and deck screws and angle brackets is that if you do sell your house,you can easyily disasemble the entire thing and take it with you,plus you can rearange the setup easyily whenever you want.
as for fill,i would collect as much styrofoam i could,from like when people get stuff in boxes and throw away the packing,and you can pack the inside with this styrofoam fill,which will not harm and living plant`s and it`s a great way to get ride of it by puting it to use without filling up are landfills.and with this fill you do not need to fill the intire inside with soil or rocks,making it easy to disasemble and move.
well,just an idea you may want to think about
Hi Vic,
Yes some people have gardens. I live in a suburb of a small city and can see plenty of rice and vegetable fields on the way to work. It was an overriding consideration when looking for land, though I just wanted a garden then, the railway came later.
Thanks for visiting my website, I must confess to having done little to it recently due to work. Too many tests at school! I'm looking forward to spring as it is the best season to be in the garden (summer is too hot, lots of mozzys, winter too cccccold, and autumn pretty good). After a long freezing winter I my fingers are itching to plant some miniatures and amble round a garden centre.
Best regards, Matthew Foster.
Takasaki Matt wrote: This year I took the plunge and raised my railway by about a 40cm. I laid four courses of bricks around the perimiter and ordered two small truck loads of normal earth.The brickwork ties in with my house bricks and entrance wall/gateposts, which give it some continuity. The earth had to be barrowed in by myself with the aid of some willing (to make some yen) nephews. That took less than a day using two wheelbarrows.The brick work I did in about five stints with cement blocks for the rear part that isn't seen unless you go around the back. This saved money and time.The planting is continuing. There are bare bits that will have structures, after I make them, and more miniature trees and shrubs will be added in time.One bonus of not raising too high is that the surrounding shrubs are at a height thay they are visible and add to the background in photos. Whatever you decide, it will be worth the effort. If you need to knock down the raised areas when you move it will be easier to recycle the bricks/blocks for your next railway and also easier to spread the earth around leaving a plain flat yard space for the future owner.Best regards, Matthew Foster.PS This is one of the reasons I haven't been posting much this year, sorry guys.
This year I took the plunge and raised my railway by about a 40cm. I laid four courses of bricks around the perimiter and ordered two small truck loads of normal earth.
The brickwork ties in with my house bricks and entrance wall/gateposts, which give it some continuity. The earth had to be barrowed in by myself with the aid of some willing (to make some yen) nephews. That took less than a day using two wheelbarrows.
The brick work I did in about five stints with cement blocks for the rear part that isn't seen unless you go around the back. This saved money and time.
The planting is continuing. There are bare bits that will have structures, after I make them, and more miniature trees and shrubs will be added in time.
One bonus of not raising too high is that the surrounding shrubs are at a height thay they are visible and add to the background in photos.
Whatever you decide, it will be worth the effort. If you need to knock down the raised areas when you move it will be easier to recycle the bricks/blocks for your next railway and also easier to spread the earth around leaving a plain flat yard space for the future owner.
PS This is one of the reasons I haven't been posting much this year, sorry guys.
Matt, checked out your website, terrific layout, a house with a sizable garden can be a rare thing in Japan.
bigboy wrote: The is someone who has a very large article posted on Large Scale On Line about making a raised bed using 2x4 frames on 4x4 legs. I think it is called the Coos Bay railroad. His system is to make eight foot long by three foot wide frames with 2x4 with cross braces every foot. Then he nails one half inch hardware cloth on top of the frame and covers it with weed block fabric. He uses the ladder system for laying out the road way support on top of this platform. He then installs a 2x4 apron around the outside edges and fills in the area around the track with gravel. What you end up with is a very economical raised bed platform that looks much better than the typical wooden platforms most live steam people use. Rain drains through the gravel and weed fabric. This system would be great for someone in a wheel chair as you could have access to the track since there is not a wall around the perimeter. Sort of like a table top so you could roll right up to the edge and reach in. Check it out. Big John
The is someone who has a very large article posted on Large Scale On Line about making a raised bed using 2x4 frames on 4x4 legs. I think it is called the Coos Bay railroad. His system is to make eight foot long by three foot wide frames with 2x4 with cross braces every foot. Then he nails one half inch hardware cloth on top of the frame and covers it with weed block fabric. He uses the ladder system for laying out the road way support on top of this platform. He then installs a 2x4 apron around the outside edges and fills in the area around the track with gravel. What you end up with is a very economical raised bed platform that looks much better than the typical wooden platforms most live steam people use. Rain drains through the gravel and weed fabric. This system would be great for someone in a wheel chair as you could have access to the track since there is not a wall around the perimeter. Sort of like a table top so you could roll right up to the edge and reach in. Check it out.
Big John
I've seen Richard Coos Bay layout on mylargescale.com and on largescalecentral.com but given that LSOL requires payed membership to view the forum I cannot say if its there also.
It is a great way to approach the raised layout concept, especialy if you want to be outdoors but dont want to bother with them pesky plants.
So any picture's??
Dave
The head is gray, hands don't work , back is weak, legs give out, eyes are gone, money go's and my wife still love's Me.
dmikee,
Like Toad I am interested in some pictures of your design. Preparing for spring construction and currently leaning toward the Bill Logan ladder method utilizing trex.
Thanks, Alan
dmikee wrote: Another way to do this: Build your rr on redwood fence boads supported by concrete blocks every 6 ft or so. (nail redwood lath to the edge of each fence board for stability) Then staple wire mesh to the edge and trowel on stucco. It'll take two coats to make it look neat and make sure it is very irregular. Crumple up aluminum foil to create rock hill sides. Then just paint with exterior latex and sprinkle on some dirt, ground foam, real rocks, etc. Way cheaper than stone, landscape blocks and tons of fill. It raises the entire RR at least 10" off the ground but it can go anywhere you want it to go. And you can reach it from both sides. Then cover all the intervening ground with walk-on bark (over landscape cloth) and plant ornamental and scale plants, even a few small real trees for shade.
Another way to do this: Build your rr on redwood fence boads supported by concrete blocks every 6 ft or so. (nail redwood lath to the edge of each fence board for stability) Then staple wire mesh to the edge and trowel on stucco. It'll take two coats to make it look neat and make sure it is very irregular. Crumple up aluminum foil to create rock hill sides. Then just paint with exterior latex and sprinkle on some dirt, ground foam, real rocks, etc.
Way cheaper than stone, landscape blocks and tons of fill. It raises the entire RR at least 10" off the ground but it can go anywhere you want it to go. And you can reach it from both sides. Then cover all the intervening ground with walk-on bark (over landscape cloth) and plant ornamental and scale plants, even a few small real trees for shade.
You have pics of this?
Toad
That smaller bobcat like walk behind is called a "Dingo", and marketed by Toro. Many rental places have them!
I know several landscapers who swear by them as they have several attachments that make them very versitile!
I've just finished an analysis of fill vs. platforms and have concluded that the platforms are a better choice. The cost and effort are about the same (the platforms being just a bit less expensive) but the platforms are a lot easier to remove than moving 100 tons of dirt and rock. You can safely bet that the new homeowner will not want that elevated flowerbed in the backyard.
I think a viable option is to make a couple "islands" linked to the platforms by liftout bridges where you would concentrate your serious gardening efforts.
Unless you intend to always "operate" your RR, I think a height of 30" is about right to allow you to easily observe the trains while you are sitting and relaxing, anything higher puts the roadbed too close to eye level.
Not many hills out in the Ft. Meade area. The land gets flatter as you get closer to the Bay. You'll be close enough to visit though!
-Brian
A couple of comments.
<>A raised layout would be ideal for someone with a very steep hill in their property that goes for some distance. One would only need to dig into the hill for the walking area and then dig a second time however high you want it (perhaps chest high) and as far back as you want the trains to run. Presumably that would be within reach for where the track would be but a little bit beyond for the backdrop consisting of plants, buildings, etc. One could even create a mountain but installing a large sewer culvert and then backfilling earth on top.
<>The ends of the layout could have reversing loops either built into the hill or via a very tall trestle or viaduct.
The earthen areas would likely need to be reinforced with blocks and drainage and that is where the cost would come into play in addition to renting a Cat.
<>This would be an ideal permanent layout for someone wishing to run trains into old age or for someone disabled. Especially good for hill treatment, which I always see so many questions about on this forum.
Since my job is going to get BRAC'd in about 3 years (base closing). We are considering moving up toward the Ft Meade, MD area in the future and finding a permanent place. If there's a hill, this would definitely be the route I'd take.
I've been reading the responses to your query with great interest. My layout started against the back of a stone retaining wail about 2' high within a planter around the perimeter of the yard. To keep it looking too much like a layout in the yard rather than a railroad IN the garden, I stopped the planter areas periodically and spanned the gaps with trestle. Now there are lots of trestle left to build, but you get the idea.
The height is still too low. I wish that I'd thought it through as you are doing. In hindsight, I would go another foot or two higher. In one area where the yard naturally sloped away from the house, it is about 3' off the ground and looks great! Had that been 5' - wow!
Consider getting a Bobcat in the yard and depressing the center (former lawn) to create a feature for resale and simultaniously making the raised beds with the cut material (also known as embankment). Space the planter areas and bridge them with the railroad to create some drama and, for heaven's sake, don't make a complete loop (I can hear the wails now). Make the train GO somewhere and come back. When you get nearing completion, you will have something to do on the line other than watch it go in circles. Still want continuous operation? - use electronics for the times you just want to "watch 'em run".
Neil
Richard Smith's amazing Port Orford Coast RR is chronicled with many great pix (by Richard himself) in MyLargeScale.com. Use the Search tool (it's link is at the upper left of the main frame along with several other links) and set the following criteria (without the quotes):
Search For: "POC" - click the button next to "Match exact phrase "Search Forum: "Track, Trestles, Bridges and Roadbed"Search by Member: "Richard Smith" (you will have to select his name from a l-o-n-g drop-down list of member names but they are in alphabetical order by first letter of first name.
From the resulting list (it will take a minute to come up) choose any of the topics started by Richard - they start in July of 2004. You will be spending several hours reading the posts and looking at his pictures. I know I sure did.
AL
There is a small 'bobcat like' stand on loader (1/4yd bucket?) that you might be able to find at an equipment rental shop to help move the soil and rock if you make the decision to go forward. One of the landscaping companies in town uses one and it'll lift 300-500 pound trees which might make the build easier.
Here's a couple of more recent overhead pictures of my raised bed.
It seems you've gotten several good references. I really like the way the raised beds showcase the gardens and the railways.
Good luck
Mark
Richard's is the Port Orford Coast RR. It is beautiful but is basically an indoor layout out in the backyard. More of a railroad out in the garden than a garden railway. I'm not sure who's the Coos Bay belongs to and I can't locate the mentioned article.
added - Coos Bay is a town on Richard's RR. As far as I searched he never authored anything on LSOL. Now I have to find if there is something similar there.
Perhaps Christmas will provide me with the opportunity to invest in some points / turnouts. As yet, I still have just the circuit and unconnected length of siding. When I do put in turnouts I plan a short link to the brewery (also yet to be built) and a passing loop and siding / engine shed / steam-up area.
As to the article idea...I seem to remember a similar raised-walll article a few GR issues ago, though with the right spin it might be worth a try. I've enough photos to make an article so I will put something together and send it to Marc. I still owe him a piece on the whole railway. However, that has been delayed until next year due to the rebuild. Nevertheless, I will give it a go!
Regards
Matt,
Looks great. I bet if you took photos of all the steps that would definitely be a GRR magazine how-to. I think they'd for sure consider the idea. Are you doing any turnouts or simple loop?
Age is only a state of mind, keep the mind active and enjoy life
Get the Garden Railways newsletter delivered to your inbox twice a month