# Trackbed in the Pacific Northwest



## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Well, it's been a few years since I've been able to run trains, but now that I've settled up here in Portland, Oregon, I'm starting on my layout. It's going to be a simple folded dog bone in the garden, at ground level. No fancy landscaping, structures, or anything. I just want to run trains. I'm planning on digging a 4" deep trench, lining it with weedblocker, and filling it with 1/4"- fines. The track will be floating. My question to anyone else up here in the NW is, does this sound right? Having never lived up here, I'm not sure if there isn't something I'm missing in my approach. 
Any advice or experiences will be helpful and appreciated. 
Thanks,
Chris


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## David Leech (Dec 9, 2008)

Chris,
Based on the amount, and force, of the rain that Portland had this last weekend while we were at the Staver Locomotive Steamup, I think that maybe floating your track, might even see it floating away!
Not having a railway built that way, I don't know, but it might need a lot of maintenance during the rainy season.
Good luck with the built.
All the best,
David Leech, Delta, Canada


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

My only comment is to plan your drainage so that it flows away from the track and ballast, not over it. If necessary, add some small drainage ditches with a low trestle.

I did not plan for surface water flow on my layout in Virginia, I wish that I had!


Chuck


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris,
Glad to see you back posting. If you want an outing come on up to Gig Harbor and we can run some trains. As for roadbed I'm a firm believer in concrete. Stable in rain,freezing or hot sun. For what you are doing it really would not be that much work.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

I second the motion for concrete. I let mine go for over a year and a half. All I had to do was clear off the weeds and the track was just as I left it. Level side to side and the grades intact. 

JJ


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## Joe Johnson (Jan 2, 2008)

Great to see you back Chris!

Will be great to see the teaming hordes ravaging Oregon.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Any time I see the word trench , its designed for water to run to it. HI Chris, Glad your back.


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## Dave Crocker (Jan 2, 2008)

It's about time you let the rabbit out.
Welcome back.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the welcome back, guys. I do appreciate it. My life is pretty darn busy these days, but I just can't stay away from trains any longer. It's going to be a challenge, but I'm going to get this done and run trains in the garden this summer!
Chris
Plus I have one or two locomotive projects to get done this year.


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

PPPPPPPSSSSSSSTTTTTT Charis, baby....You aint in Santa Barbra any more...Change your avitar. 

Hope you can post pictures of the cars you use to bring to the Queen Mary on your layout . 

JJ


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## Stan Cedarleaf (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris, who?????  Hmmmmmm 

Name sounds familiar but I saw that name and face on Facebook and it looks like a guy I once knew from waaaaaaaaaaaaaaay back.... Must not be the same guy, he looks much younger now. 

Welcome back, Chris... It's sooooo good to see you back on line and back into trains...


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## jlcop (Jan 2, 2008)

You might want to check with the local Garden railway Club in Portland, I can't remember their name. Hardly anyone up here in the Seattle area use trenchs! Most have some kind of hard support like a ladder system, concrete or T support of pressure treated wood. Actually I can't think of anyone up here that floats their track honestly. 
John

P.S.You really should make the drive up here sometime for ops at TOCs (Dave Goodson).


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

It's the Rose City Garden Railway Society, I think. I have sent them an email. I did see a few layouts with floating track on the line, and as only about half of my layout will be raised, I'm hoping to make the floating track work. As my daughter is getting married in June (yes, little Zena is getting married!) I want to try and have the layout operable for a post reception party. Wish me luck!
Chris


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## Gary Armitstead (Jan 2, 2008)

Hey Chris,

Welcome back! I just saw your post. Congratulations to you and your family on Zena's upcoming wedding.

I found this photo a while ago, when we were all a bit younger! Taken at the LALS Spring Meet in 2003 and "somebody" was taking a test drive on a new speeder.


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## Crisolite (Jan 9, 2008)

Welcome Back Chris,

I'm a couple hours north of you in Tacoma.

I've had mixed results with floating track. On the first layout I had to add more gravel every year as over the winter it settled into the ground. I have a lot of clay here.

On the new layout I floated an area of track last year. This time I used a larger stone, tamped it down well, and it held through the winter. This rock is 1/2 inch and smaller. I plan on adding chicken grit on top of the larger stone to lock the track in place and to look better, just haven't gotten around to it yet.

The idea for using larger stones came from some of the 1.5" railroaders. Make sure you use a strong weed blocker. On my first railroad I used the cheep stuff and it breaks down quickly. I think that was one of my problems.


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris,
What kind of soil do you have? Well drained or does it contain clay? I think I would dig a couple feet of trench and fill it with water. See if it drains ok.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the info, all. Paul, the soil has been worked over as we redid the whole yard, so drainage is quite good. Ed, I'll definitely go for the larger stone as that was a thought I had as well. Thanks again to all for the welcome back. It's been a challenging few years and I'm ready to get back to some fun stuff!
Chris


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris;

Welcome back! I don't know whether you were still around when I started building equipment for my imaginary Brandywine & Gondor Railroad - The Mainline of Middle Earth. (It runs from Minas Tirith to the western bank of the Brandywine River. The hobbits use mostly horses for pulling short trains going into the Shire.)

I have also started dabbling with #1 gauge miniature live steamers. The photo shows my Regner DeWinton (It will be named Thorin Oakenshield.) working a B&G RR freight. You may recognize the gun crew on the "train protection vehicle" (aka Balrog Catcher).









Best wishes for your new railroad,
David Meashey


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the welcome back, Dave. Nice to be back with so many good friends. Love the new equipment!
Chris


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Welcome back,
You don't know me and that's my loss as I read all your old threads when I first arrived here. I loved the Rogue Co. road and wonder what direction you'll take this time.
Congrats to your daughter.
John


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## Paul Burch (Jan 2, 2008)

Chris,
It's good you have good drainage. If you don't and there is water in the trench and then you get a freeze,well not good. If you'd like to take a day and come visit I can give you quite a few pointers on what works and what doesn't here in the Northwest. Even buy you and yours lunch at our favorite little Italian place right here in Gig Harbor.


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## cjwalas (Jan 2, 2008)

Paul, thanks so much for the invite! It'll have to wait, unfortunately, as urgent chaos rules our lives at the moment getting things together for my daughter's birthday. We're having a post reception party here and we still have a lot to prep. I'd love to come and visit some time, though. Maybe later in the summer?


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## tmejia (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi Chris and congrats to Zena the Great.
Although you plan on having a simple track, once you put your trains on it, it will look simply amazing.

Looking forward to some pics this summer.

Tommy
Rio Gracie


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## Bill_in_PDX (Jun 12, 2009)

Chris....I'm in the Portland area as well.. Gresham to be exact. I'm just getting ready..after years of planning and building other things..to lay track. I'm going to lay it on stained cedar attached to 3/4" pvc driven into the ground. It just rains way too much here, and the monsoons that we get at times along with the 60mph wind would lay havoc over time I believe.

I'll be starting a thread soon about the build.

Bill


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## jbwilcox (Jan 2, 2008)

I live in Shelton Washington. It rains like crazy all winter.

I put my track down on the dirt then I ballast it with a product I get from Manufacturers Minerals in Seattle called Bridge Topping. It is absolutely perfect size for scale ballast. I replace ballast in the spring. I just finished running for the first time this year and things ran well.

I have tried concrete roadbed but found it too difficult for the few benefits it might provide.

I have used 5/8th minus black rock which works pretty well for me. It packs down nicely forming a good foundation for track.

John


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Ok So what did you do? 

JJ


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Welcome back Chris, and congratulations to Zena on her wedding.


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## White Deer RR (May 15, 2009)

Portions of my layout (Portland metro area) were done using the trench method, but I paid strict attention to where drainage was needed, using culverts of electrical conduit. So far so good on that portion. BTW hard clay soil here.

Other portions are on PT wood (reclaimed from a play structure, so thus relatively straight after 8 years.) This part is supported by pavers laid on paver base, it held up well over the winter because we don't have the insane freezing like folks in Minnesota or wherever.

I think the key is to observe the micro-topography and try to imagine where the water will erode things. We do get some frog stranglers, as one of the Mariner's baseball announcers used to say.

And even then, nature will teach a thing or two. I looked out the window one day last winter and saw that while a culvert was draining things just fine, the flow of water was flooding my water feature, because I had not built a little berm high enough.

I do think you can use the trench and tamp method here, if you have a good drainage plan.


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## Dean Whipple (Jan 2, 2008)

The whole gang says welcome back Chris, and congrats to the June bride.....


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