# My raised layout build



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

They are starting on my raised layout. More trenching then fill with crushed concrete and tamp it down. Block laying on Monday. 3 blocks high, with a cap, 4 on the low side. 600 blocks. 20 x 50'. Orange line shows where the 'canyon' will be, the gray area in the drawing.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Gonna need more block..


----------



## Chris Scott (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry,
WOW, 600 Cinder Blocks! That sounds like a lot of work and a lot of beer.
Have you maybe considered alternative material cinder blocks. Foam (of different types) is one alternative. With glue they appear to make a good ridge wall. They're used in construction which gives them credibility for a railroad. Lots of youtube videos on using them to construct various structures with many alternative material blocks. Don't let the videos of making your own from resins put you off you can buy them already made. You wouldn't have the same level of work putting them together but still have need the same amount of beer.









The picture is not meant to imply a soft railroad .


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Too late Chris, I got the blocks a month ago.


----------



## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Jerry, As I have about your age and am considering a big move, may I just say that your way is certainly what I would do at our age. concrete is very good base so cinder blocks would be too, do think about the foundations if you are on clayish soil or in heavy ground frost erea. Then it should last, trouble free. All the best, Simon


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Simon,
They did trench and put down a base of crushed concrete, then a layer of concrete over it. 27" high near the deck and 39" on the other side. Ran conduit and wire for track lighting and track power.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Making progress. This is the blocks on the low side of the yard, will be 4 high, higher side will be 2 blocks, with caps on top. Base is crushed concrete with a layer of concrete on top. Blocks are moartered to the base and each other. Rebar for strength also. Drains will be added. Holes are for them on the low side. 20' x 50'. .


----------



## Naptowneng (Jun 14, 2010)

Great project, Jerry, looking forward to seeing it develop.

Jerry


----------



## reeveha (Jan 2, 2008)

Jerry, the way you are progressing you could be on the WAGRS tour in September. Herb


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Not sure about that Herb.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Rain has held things up some. Here he is moving in the dirt from the digging to lay the blocks. I laid down wiring for track power(two hookups) and a line for lighting. I used blue conduit. Baling wire works well to drag the wire thru the conduit. This is the high side of the blocks on the low side of the yard. Cap stones will go on top. Gap for the covered bridge and will be one for the metal bridge on the high side of the yard. Been shopping for rocks to put on one end for mountains. Larger island will be flatter for the town and yards and passing siding. Eventually I may double track the layout. Next year maybe!IMG_0099.jpg


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)




----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

you da' man Joe!


----------



## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Some serious dirt work going on there. I'm glad you have some help.


----------



## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Jerry Barnes said:


> you da' man Joe!





Joe is on the other site, I've been helping you here.


After you add your attachments and have closed the little box, you can open each pic and insert it into the post, then send it in(post it).


Open each pic, I only know; One at a time, put your cursor on the open pic and right click and save it's location, (you will tell the other editor where it lives open) there are keys for Macs, close the pic and then use the icon of a mountain and moon to paste the address and ok.
That inserts the pic. Enter on the keyboard will move the cursor below the pic to locate the next one. Repeat the above. Wrong pic? Backspace removes it.


I'll be happy to help.
John


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks John


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

The islands are enclosed and you can see the bridge trial fit. They just dumped 14 tons of topsoil to put in them. Hope it's enough. Caps are still going on. 
























Hey, I got the pix to work John! Thanks.
Canyon between the island will have a gravel base and lots of Roundup probably. I may put a building it, have a wire for lights in there. Looking at some neat eroded Kansas rocks to use. Yard/town in the right island, mountains in the left. Been buying trees/plants since I first got here in April, knew not much would be available now.


----------



## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Jerry. If I remember correctly I had to move about 40 tons of dirt to build mine, mostly by wheel barrow. I was definitely in better shape then. I just looked back at a write-up of building my layout and found that I moved 300 tons of fill! Makes me tired just to think about it.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

14 tons of dirt were enough for one island, other one is larger, so two dump truck loads I guess. He did some nice steps to get into each island when I need to, us old guys need stuff like that. Once I get a load of rocks I should be laying track. 









He moartered all the blocks in and some are filled with mortar and have some rebar. Nice wide blocks to sit on. I will run the track on top of the blocks. Stays level and no dirt/rocks/ballast in the track. I know, but it is my railroad. 








Nice step to get inside each island. He dug a deep hole and filled it with mortar, then later moartered in the blocks and caps. Blocks are like 70 lbs and the caps are about 50. Too much for me!


----------



## denray (Jan 5, 2008)

Wow Jerry looking very nice, thanks for sharing
Dennis


----------



## du-bousquetaire (Feb 14, 2011)

Looking very good Jerry Its good you planned for double track on the track base, even if you don't use it. It took me about ten years before I doubled mine. But as the base was planned for it it was a breeze. Those are spectacular bridges you installed. Will you make a yard or terminal?


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks guys, getting more dirt tomorrow. Then some rocks for mountains. I will have a yard and a town, mostly stuff from my Nebraska layout that I brought down, the bridges also. My web page is still up to see those builds, if you want. thescrr.com


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

All the block work is done. Just one more 14 ton load of dirt. Comes to a total of 56 tons. Once that dirt is in and some rocks I will start laying track. You can see the bridges from my old layout were incorperated. I have been buying plants since we moved here in April, knowing that many would not be obtainable by the time the layout was ready. Most are doing okay.


----------



## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

You say you moved from Nebraska but your location still says NE. Where are you now? Just curious. Layout looking good, lots of dirt.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks, I changed it to Newton, KS. I spent my 8th grade in NM. Aztec, Bloomfield and Grants. My dad was in construction and followed the overtime god. I went to 18 or so schools before HS graduation in Cheyenne, Wy


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I got 14 more tons of dirt, hope that is the last. Got a guy coming with a skidloader to get it in and a couple of guys to spread it around. Then the battle with weeds will begin!


----------



## Michael789 (Sep 3, 2016)

Looking good. Wish I could get as much done as you have in such a short time!


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Got some rocks locally and he helped me load and put them in the layout. Those local Facebook for sale forums are pretty neat to find/sell stuff. 

This north end is mostly done, got pretty hot here in Kansas, so on the south end we just stacked them on the blocks and I'll get to them. Was tired I'll tell you! Raining like crazy today, so will stay inside. Mulch is next, as you can see, then the plants I've been babying since spring. Gravel path around the layout then and then grass this fall. 








The mud is worse today, after hours of rain. 








You can see the south end just has rocks tossed on.


----------



## placitassteam (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Jerry. I like stacking rocks, if you don't like the first batch you can always redo them. I have a lot of stacked rocks that have mostly stayed in place over many winters.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Winn. Rained again yesterday, 2.5" IF it ever dries out some I will get some gravel for a path around the layout so I can get some more work done. Need to get plants in the ground, got them in the spring and some are not looking too good. Then mulch, then track! Getting antsy I'll tell you! Probably be running with a parka one.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Rain continues to slow me down. I want to get the dirt/rocks/mulch and then the plants in before laying track so I don't have to be wary of stepping on it. There was one day that there was no rain and was cool so I got a pickup load of gravel to lay down a path around it. I used my trailer and lawnmower to move the gravel from the pickup to the layout-MANY times. Does not look like much but I was beat.


----------



## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Now you can get to it without sinking in the mud. Lots of work... It'll all pay off in the end. It's looking good! For me I'm at the point of either raised bed or on the ground. And yours is helping me decide I'm think raised bed layout for sure.

Jason


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Been getting some plants in and laying mulch. Got another load of gravel to cover the crushed concrete in the 'canyon' . South end still needs some leveling for the town area and yard. My son is coming this weekend to help


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

Looks very impressive. Looking forward to see the results of the weekend ;-)


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Paulus.
When picking Alberta Spruces I always look at the trunk, you may find you have two trees, or something different anyway. I also trim the foliage making a bonsai type tree.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

My son was a big help getting the dirt in the south end set up for the mulch and then getting that laid. Now starting to lay track, but of course it is raining. Was a drought here when I started this, been raining ever since. Track will be on top of the blocks. An inner loop layer will be done later.


----------



## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Jerry..... From watching your radar for the past few days, it's a good thing that you put the bridge over dry wash. I can imagine that it could be a rushing river with all the rain you've had. Just talked with Phil Jensen and he said he was expecting 3 more inches today... 

Not too good for cutting corn, either.. 

Get out the boat..


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Yeah, seemed the rain started when the railroad did. Got down a lot of track today, brought it with me. Just the S end left for tomorrow, if it does not rain! Cool and cloudy today and will be for a few more, so hope to have the main line in, then will stop and run trains for awhile before doing the sidings and inside loop. Should keep me busy, which is the idea.


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Track is all done on the main line on top of the blocks. Putting in some buildings and a few more trees. Keeping it pretty simple with the mulch. Not planning on covering it with plants as my old layout was. I like that look, but my body does not. 








Hardibacker board for the buildings to sit on. Need to run the wiring to the buildings, have a few more to upgrade the lights/window yet. 








MTH Big Boy makes a run. The LGB thing helps to get the centipede tender on easily.


----------



## reeveha (Jan 2, 2008)

Looking good Jerry. Hope to see it in person soon.


----------



## Paulus (May 31, 2008)

That is coming along very nicely! I like the look of those Alberta Spruces. You just split the two trunks than to make two trees?
A small forest of Gold Crest Wilma would look great to perhaps (and low maintenance I believe). 
Impressive bridges!


----------



## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks Paul. No splitting on the spruces, I just check the trunks before I buy and you do find ones with two trunks or more. I just prune to make them look different. I got some boxwoods for other trees that I trimmed. Had good luck with them.


----------



## ddrum31 (Aug 30, 2017)

Jerry I have a question. I PM’d you.

Jason


----------



## mewrongway (Jul 6, 2020)

I know my post is 4 years late but looking great Jerry! thats from the guy from out west in Pratt. 👍


----------

