# Anchoring track



## SolterraPete (Dec 8, 2011)

With spring coming to the Rockies, and the CFO releasing funds, it's time for me to start construction. I am planning a dog bone like track plan about 65 ft long, with 10ft diameter curves at each end. The center portion will be comprised of 5' sectional straights with 6' flex track to get around the immovable objects. The curved ends will be built using a ladder type roadbed over the sloping ground, while the flat center sections will be laid over trenches with ballast (crusher fines). Since we have extremes in temperature swings of approx 140 deg F (-20 F to 120 F in the sun), a 5' section of track may expand 0.1" over this temperature difference. Therefore, I have some questions which I hope can be answered.

1.) For the ladder type roadbed, what is the best way to attach the track to the roadbed? Two screws on the inside of each rail between the ties?. A better solution?


2.) For the flex track on the ballast, which will be bent using a rail bender, what is the best way to anchor the track? Other than climate changes, we have animals (some large) and kids who tend to trip over things. Will the flex track tend to straighten? I was thinking of the "U" shaped garden stakes used for holding down irrigation pipes. Any other solutions?



Thanks for any help.


Pete


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## spincaster (Mar 10, 2012)

By large animals do you mean equine and bovine types? or just dog/cat? Kids, if well behaved and interested in the track shouldn't be a problem.


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## Rich Muth (Jan 2, 2008)

Heck: Being in the Rockies he may have any one of a number of Ungulates wandering on his property! One thing I've heard of folks using in ballast are the wire clamps that are used to secure water system drip lines!


Rich Muth


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

Pete:............. 
IF you are building an elevated curved ladder type layout...... 

I suggest using Black UV protected cable ties.... where the ties are located about every 5 feet.... & cable ties loop over 2 ties and 1 ladder spacer block. 

Click on my photo to the Left for a view 4 shots of my elevated Curved ladder layout.... before I laid the Track.... 

Dennis M from GBay, WI


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## avlisk (Apr 27, 2012)

I like your idea to use cable ties. What sort of paint do you recommend for the roadbed? I'm using PVC Rot Free and sched. 4 pipe to make my ladder. Thanks. Ken Silva, Phoenix, [email protected] url(http://www.mylargescale.com/Providers/HtmlEditorProviders/CEHtmlEditorProvider/Load.ashx?type=style&file=SyntaxHighlighter.css);@import url(/providers/htmleditorproviders/cehtmleditorprovider/dnngeneral.css);


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## Polaris1 (Jan 22, 2010)

I used an Olive drab mixed color (brown & green) with a GOOD UV content in the paint for my PVC Vertical posts.... Got paint from Home Depot... 

My ladder sides & spacer blocks were a Elgin, IL BearBoard Chocolate Brown with UV stuff already included.... Had no white PVC to cover there. 

For painting PVC Pipe...... I made a Pipe spinner with two bigger pipes to rest the 40" posts to be painted posts in.... 3 or 4" brush works good on clean pipe. 

Dennis M.


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