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.
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.
You have pics of this?
Toad
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
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.
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.
Have fun with your trains
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.
Best regards, Matthew Foster.
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.
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.
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
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.
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
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
http://shastagrs.com/
try this link
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.
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