# A G scale retaining wall



## crackerpete (Jan 3, 2008)

Greetings, 
I would like to build a 6 inch x 4 foot G scale retaining wall out of wood. I plan to cut the "timbers" to scale, I've got a saw, I've got the wood... Does anyone have some plans, suggestions, pictures? 
Thanks, 
Pete Smith 
P & S Central RR 
Florida


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## Dougald (Jan 2, 2008)

In the real world, cribbing was the most common solution to retaining walls of the sort you speak of. A 6 inch high wall is 10 scale feet in F scale and would have been built readily as a crib. 

The cribbing timbers were most often roughly squared 8x8s treated with a preservative ... most often the lengths of the timbers were roughly 10-12 feet. Timbers that were placed at right angles to teh crib were laid regularly back into the backfill to hold the cribbing firmly in place. A batter equal to a 1 inch setback per timber was normally employed but is not necessary in the model - it is almost invisible due to the rough cut nature of the squared timbers. 

Regards ... Doug


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## pdk (Jan 2, 2008)

Here's a shot of mine. For it, I ripped a cedar deck board lengthwise into squares and brad nailed on the support pieces. To avoid frost heave I did not sink it below grade more than a half inch, and made sure it was sitting on gravel, not soil. 

To prevent it from tipping forward it is securely braced at the near end, which you cannot see. Even so, it has tilted at the far end. Were I to do it again I would consider adding "dead men" to see it that prevents it from tipping. 

Another thought I've had is to use a concrete retaining wall to do the real work, and then simply disguise it with something like you see here. Bottom line -- holding back earth is hard work. Holding back real world earth with scale structures is harder still.


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## pdk (Jan 2, 2008)

I just found a shot that shows how I braced it at the one end.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Great looking wall Pete!


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## toddalin (Jan 4, 2008)

How about just taking the piece of wood and covering it with plastic stone sheeting and painting it to go with the local rock? Very easy and attractive. One sheet does about 4 feet of wall, four courses high with a cap stone (and some left over).


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## Steamnutt (Apr 12, 2008)

Pete, 
Nice job on the wall, and great use of groundcover to make it look like it's been there for many years! I really like how the wall and portal opening are tied together creating a rustic look. 

Looks great!


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## pdk (Jan 2, 2008)

Nice stone wall todd. Looks like England. You could add that stonework facing to concrete too, I imagine. 

Jim & Steam nut...thanks. Not to hijack this thread, but I have to remember to include figures in my photos so one can get a sense of scale. That portal (or adit) would only be about 7 feet high, so the plants are not quite out of this world. 

Getting back to retaining walls, I have collected some cool shots over the years, and will check my archives. 

Meantime. Here's a good diagram of how to build one properly a la Doug.


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## crackerpete (Jan 3, 2008)

WOW!! Thanks Guys, Great pictures, great information. 
Thank you 
Pete Smith 
P & S Central RR 
Florida


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

Hello Crackerpete 
Last year I used a half inch piece of plywood roughly 4' long and 12" tall and scored lines into it using my table saw everyhalf inch. I nailed scaled down 8x8 to the front every 6-7 inches and left these long so I could push them into the ground. I stained the whole thing. I also put some bracing along the back to prevent the whole thing from curving. It was out all summer and winter and still looks great. I made a smaller one about 4" high by 2' long that warped and fell apart. I thought this was an easy way to put a retaining wall together and it looks great. 
If you are interested I could email you some pictures. Todd


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## bobgrosh (Jan 2, 2008)

Iit just happens that I started this one yesterday.


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## tbug (Feb 16, 2008)

Man, you guys are killin' me w/ the good work!!! My real work begins after this thing called 'work' comes to an end. Looking forward to tackling many of these same type projects somewhere on the 140-acres out east.


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

I've built mine out of PTL 1x6's ripped to 5/8's or 3/4" and cut to scale lengths of 18 to 30 feet (12" to 20" long) drilled at both ends to accept a piece of 6-32 or 8-32 all thread. Typically only 12" to 18" high I have some that are over 30" and look pretty good. I can alternate for cribbing or build a solid retaining wall using the same method. /DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/satisfied.gif

I generally make the sections up in 3' to 5' lengths and the join the lengths in the garden. I drive a 2x2 cedar or PTL stake of at least the height of the wall into the ground behind the wall and stitch it to the wall with 2 1/2 finish nails. I finish them with a good mopping of Jasco Termin-Brown to discourage insects and rot.

http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u249/imrnjr/train%20construction/cribbing5.jpg 
_(reduced to a link, mod)_










http://i170.photobucket.com/albums/u249/imrnjr/train%20construction/cribbing4-1.jpg 
_(reduced to a link, mod)_



















Good luck with what ever you decide to go forward with.

Mark

_(From Peter Bunce - moderator. Photos 1 & 3 have been reduced to links as they are past the size limit of 640 pixels wide. That's a magnificent railroad you are building there!)_


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## erkoriley23 (Apr 26, 2008)

In the August 2001 Garden Railways magazine is a really neat railroad with some different types of wood retaining walls. 

Kyle


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## VillageRail (Apr 25, 2008)

Good luck with you're wall Pete. These seem like some good ideas. 

Mark, I was so impressed with the last picture I had to go to you album and look at some more photos of building your layout. I wish I had a fraction of the time you have obviously put in on construction. This has to be the first time I have seen heavy equipment used to bring in a building for a layout! Great job! 

Paul


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## imrnjr (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for the kind words and compliments on the railway./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif.. I really have had a wonderful time putting it together!! 

Mark


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## blackburn49 (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By imrnjr on 04/26/2008 4:10 PM

Thanks for the kind words and compliments on the railway./DesktopModules/NTForums/themes/mls/emoticons/blush.gif" />.. I really have had a wonderful time putting it together!! Mark" />


I'll bet you did! Very impressive, indeed.


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## Richard Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I guess they still do things big in Texas! [] Very fine job too. That's the kind of railroad a guy wants to railfan.


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## falak (Oct 13, 2020)

bobgrosh said:


> Iit just happens that I started this one yesterday.


Great Discussion. I am an engineer. Thanks for this forum discussion, I have found answer of my query at last. I also write about engineering stuff for a education website www.cleariitmedical.com Discussions like these help lot of seekers like me. Thanks Again!


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