# Rookie at work.



## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

I have been doing a ton of reading, and man the opinions are as vast as the stars in the sky. So I have been keeping a log of my status as I build my backyard Large Scale train system. I am not a rich man so I am not using DCC and have a mix of SS and Brass track. Since my track layouts are small power is not a mojor problem but I have a unit on order that should help me considerably. So if you want to look at my blog and give any constructive feed back I am all ears. I think that by jumping in and getting started will kind of show you just how much of a rookie I am. 

Pj 

http://pj-pjphotos.blogspot.com/


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Oh, in the future I will only post the link of the blog site that goes directly to the most current update. 

Pj


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

PJ; 

Things are looking very good. One concern for me was in the first photo on your blog. Aviod leaving household power supplies plugged in while in the grass. Dampness in the lawn could cause a power short with additional damage to your power supplies. Supporting the connection on a scrap of 2X4 or a brick will help get it out of harm's way Another precaution I take is to have a Ground Fault Interrupter (GFI) as the first part of my power supply line. These devices are relatively inexpensive and can prevent major damage to your home's wiring. 

Just my $0.02. 

Happy railroading, 
David Meashey


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

David,

Thanks for the info, I will protect the power sources as you specified. As for GFI, yes I have 4 20 AMP circuits in the back yard as now have two ponds and 4 fountains which all run on one 20AMP with GFI at the source and again at the division for the train yard. And again thanks for the advice as that is what I am looking for! 

Pj


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

In the near future you will need to support the track better then bricks and rocks. A good foundation will give you years of enjoyment and the believe me the less derailments the happier you will be. It looks like you have a good start on track and nice wide curves. Also I think you will find over time that track on the ground will lead to lots of problems. Dirt is the enemy of electrical contact. Why not move your rocks out and use them to make a raised bed then fill it with dirt and gravel for the roadbed. Be sure to leave a few spots in the wall open for bridges to span across. 
Setting up a garden railway is easy but setting it up to be trouble free does have its challenges. 
Happy RRing


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Todd,

Thanks I have been thinking about my track stabilization. So far believe it or not it has been fairly stable without derailments after a lot of tweaking but I also know my set up is not sustainable going forward. Your suggestion has fueled some great thought and I think that will be phase 3. Phase I to be completed by end of March is overall beginning track lay out. Phase II will be scenery and add hoc track stabilization (using rods (very long 8" nails) that will go from track into ground. Phase III will be track permance with plans for future growth. I think that will kill 2013. 2014 will be growth around large water fall and maybe tressel across creek between water fall and pond. Wife don't think much of that idea so alternatives are being thought out. 

Thanks for your feed back as like I said it has provoked some thoughts on Phase III. I am very early into this, maybe 3 or 4 months into it. I have a lot of work ahead and knowledge yet to gain by real life experience and suggestions from good folks such as yourself.  

Pj


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Hey Pj, 
Ever thought of using real rock for track support, just like the big boys? Works for me. 

John


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

John,

Not sure what you mean by real rock as that is what I am using I thnk. I have a mixture of west texas white, ARK Moss stone, and some general TX brown rock. So am I missing something? My thought is that you are saying un-real would be plastic or some other man made material. That is not what I am using. 

Pj


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Sorry, I meant rock ballast, I use gravel of broken rock, like the real railroads do, but scaled down. 
Look at what is under the real tracks in your area. A lot of us here think that if it's good enough for them it's good enough for us. 
I like it because it's easy to keep the track level and smooth. 

Just a thought. As long as you are happy, we are happy. 

John


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

John,

Ah, yes I have been thinking about that and I have found some creek pebbles that I will be experimenting with down the road. I noticed in a few of the different pictures folks have posted that they either spread the rocks out quite a bit or they use retaining walls of sorts. Thanks for the feedback. 

Pj


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## Dave Meashey (Jan 2, 2008)

Hi again PJ; 

Just a note about creek pebbles. They are great for the bottom of your ponds and streams, BUT because they are smooth, they will not help to hold your track in place. You want fine crushed rock like chicken grit (granit - sold by farm supply chains) or crusher fines as sold by quarries. These finely ground rocks have rough edges that "lock" against each other to help hold things in place. 

When I had track outdoors, I used a combination of three parts chicken grit to one part dry vinyl patching cement. I mixed these elements dry, then ballasted my track. After everything was looking good (and I had made sure there was no ballast under the points of my switches), I misted the track with the garden hose. There was enough vinyl patching cement in the ballase to allow it to "set up." There was not enough patching cement to prevent me from breaking the track loose when I needed to take it up. I could have had similar results with crusher fines. The dust in the fines would work like the cement. Unfortunately, there were no quarries close to where I lived. 

If I ever get to build another layout, I will probably use chicken grit again. 

Best wishes, 
David Meashey


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks David,

What you said makes sense and I think I have read that someplace before as well. I appreciate your time.

Pj


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

LIke Dave suggested don't use creek pebbles they will move around too much. 
On my RR I have track supported by many means which all depends on where it is. I have a yard built on a plywood and 2x4 base, other sections are on top of planter boxes, or ontop of concrete wall blocks, or connected to a ladder method, or floating on 3/8 gravel using the trench method, or on a elevated section due to the ground really dropping off with 2x4's screwed together in the shape of a "T". Mostly my track is supported by the 3/8 gravel ballast. I have formed pockets or islands by using real boulders or the landscape wall blocks that hold the gravel from spreading over time. My switches are supported by concrete patio blocks to give them a nice level surface. 
I'm always surprised how a slight twist that is barely perceptable to my eye can consistantly derail a slightly out of gauge wheel. 
There are some great books out there on getting started in the hobby not to mention this website and others like it. The last thing you want to do is redo your hard work. 
Good books by Garden Railways magazine are "Garden Railroading" and "How to design and Build you Garden Railroad" by Jack Verducci. 
Happy RRing


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Thanks Todd,

You gave me more food for thought and I appreciate it. Regarding switch offs, you are right about slight imperfections causing issues. It is kind of funny, places where I can see an issue I have none, in places I think I have somewhat nail down, I have the problems. I also find it really depends on the order of cars, and the engine as well. I have one of those cheaper steam beginner set Loco's from Bachmann that is real picky on track stability, while my Aristo RS-3 is very forgiving but a power hog, and while my Aristo SD-45 is track forgiving and I can run it on an HO controler (going to fix that soon - got two other controlers on order), it decouples the car if the track flexs up and down too much. 

Pj


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

To Todd - Dave - anyone,

Here are some shots of what Home Depot calls creek pebbles. Do you think these are too smooth? 

http://pj-pjphotos.blogspot.com/201...on-on.html

Pj


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Yes, don't get anything smooth or rounded. 

Greg


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## cape cod Todd (Jan 3, 2008)

I see alot of rounded stones in that photo PJ. The real RR's use gravel for ballast that is sharp and angular, the idea being that one edge will catch another so there will be less movement. Of course almsot anything you use in our hobby world will eventually be washed away, disappear into the ground or in my case the ballast fairies steal it ! Where does it go? I have used crusher fines and they disappear after a few rain storms. You will find that 1 to 1 raindrops are like 5 gallon buckets dropped on our tiny worlds and they do alot of damage. 
In a prior post I mentioned how on my RR I have used all manners to provide my track with a solid base. The easiest to maintain is the elevated back stretch on the T shaped 2x4's. The toughest spots are at ground level. 
I got my ballast at the local sand pit. They used to charge $1 per 5 gallon bucket now it is $2. It is easy to move around a 5 gallon bucket but I found buying by the weight and shovelling into my truck is a better way to go. I used alot of ballast. 
Here is a link to cut and paste of a fun video that shows my RR and do check out the different ways I have supported the track. It all depends on the topography. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DjMPpOPDiVo


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Todd thanks and that video is way too cool. I love it.. 

Pj


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## vsmith (Jan 2, 2008)

Yes Todd and Greg are correct about *not* not using rounded stones, you need coarse crushed gravel, I used bagged small course (3/8") crushed gravel (mixed with Granite Dust is better) from Home Despot on my layout (back when I had one outside) it did a good job of holding the track in place once it was settled in. I dont see any switches so you dont have to be concerned about getting little rocks in the works.


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## Pjhinde (Mar 11, 2013)

Looks good and thanks for the advice. 

Pj


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