# How wide a roadbed?



## Huh? What? (Jun 20, 2017)

How wide should the ballasted roadbed be for straight standard gauge track? This has probably been answered before, but I searched and couldn't find it.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

It's up to you... are you free floating your roadbed?

What is your subbase?

Frost heave?

Drainage?

All of this needs to be considered?

Greg 1,113


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## Semper Vaporo (Jan 2, 2008)

I usually go by what I see the real RR's do. I don't hare a particular dimension, I try to make it "look right" in MY eye.

The particular substance you are using for ballast will have a "slump" factor (I think that is what it is called). This is the natural angle the sides of a pile of the stuff will take when dumped into a pile. The wider a pile will make the wider you will have to make your roadbed.

The ballast should spread at least to the ends of the ties, but beyond that it depends on the height of the track above the land and the slump of the ballast material. The higher the track, the wider the bed of ballast.


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