# Ladder road bed question



## paintjockey (Jan 3, 2008)

For those of you that have installed ladder road bed, how far apart did you place your stakes when your roadbed was on the ground? Im planning on using trex or a substitute thereof for my sides and either P/T wood or PVC for the stakes.

Thanks,
Terry


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

My curved ladder 327' layout has PVC 1.875" OD (1.50 ID)pipes placed 24" apart, elevated 22" max....... & driven in 18" in the ground.

I'd consider using Elgin, IL BearBoard(Plastic + ground rock) 2x4 by 8' lengths....... Ripped 3/4" wide 8' long...... Need 24 tooth $38 10" blade to cut Bearboard.


Trex may have some porocity probs in the long term.....

I'm running my Power block wired thru the Bearboard 1.875" wide Spacer Block dual holes..... I used about 1000 1.50" SS deck screws.


I cordless pre-augered (12" auger from Steins Garden shop, WI) my PVC post holes to: Find Rocks, find roots, & cut dead blow hammer swings in half!!!!


See my POLARIS1 profile here for two Layout Pictures... Looks like a mini Chocolate brown roller coaster in my back yard.


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Short addon... The Paul Race Garden RR 'Primer' on the Internet... Tells what to consider in the Curved Ladder techniwue....


Fill the PVC support pipes with DOW foam (less expandable, BIG cans) to keep water & ice out.... I cut 10' PVC pvc Pipes into mostly 40" & some 30" lengths.....

Then paint pipes with Dark Green Camo Latex paint for MORE UV protection....


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Terry,

I used pvc pipe, down 24" in the ground, spaced 24". The ladder is pvc 1x2". Been out two years with no problems.

Don


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## tom h (Jan 2, 2008)

Terry, I used 1.5 in PVC 24 in in the ground also, corners I did about 20-24 in apart, some straight pieces I did 32 in apart, I used Trex deck board, it was about 1 in thick, 11.5 in wide, ripped it to about 1.5 in wide, then put blocks in between PVC pipes. I was at Lowes Sat and they had a piece same dimensions for about $45 for a 12 ft piece, that should be great around corners. I thought that was a great deal, was not Trex, but same composite stuff.

Tom H


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