# Goundsinking Roadbed?



## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

I have trouble my layout of inside loop is kept derail alot i use 2x6 Green plate or Red plate to hold my track ! it rebar on the gound hold 2x6 green plate. outside loop i use trax decking and rebar hold the track also. my landshaping is sinking from weather rain and snow! also is sinking down my roadbed too. Do i need replacement into Concrete road bed? I did remove all the rocks clear it out. Also i doing changing my layout.



















It sinking about 2"





































I remove inside red plate roadbed on west side.













































Anybody have problem with Green plate wood roadbed of track is not level? maybe into concrete roadbed? I need help


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## bob7094 (Jan 3, 2008)

I have had this same problem with my ladder roadbed. 

Basicly, you dug up and loosend the soil and added semi rigid roadbed. The soil sags in time but the roadbed doesn't. What you need to do is over the next several years add soil and compost until the garden comes back up to the level of your roadbed.


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## Rod Fearnley (Jan 2, 2008)

As Bob said Bryan, you have to let the soil settle for a while before laying track or bed. I have made the same mistakes myself. I have just laid my 1st ladder bed, I usually use concrete. So it is very much an experiment, so I do expect some "Slump". But like you, I expect we will get there in the end.
Rod


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

First , how old is your layout? 
Having a good subroadbed helps pertect the track work. which yours did . Drainage seems to be your problem. More bridges and colverts maybe .
wish we lived closer.


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## JackM (Jul 29, 2008)

It sounds like you need to tamp the ground before you put down your track/roadbed. Otherwise, it'll naturally settle over time. 

JackM


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

OH,,oh oh, when you redo your retaining wall (cliffs) that hold your upper line. use the steel lath, (wire mesh) like I did and cement them . it will hold the soil better. (see my thread on track roadbed from last year or so .


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

I think I'll pull out what is left of my ladder roadbed, heaves up every winter, despite poles going down 30" in the ground. Tired of messing with it. I think if ALL of your roadbed was ladder, it would be okay and all would rise/fall at the same rate.


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## jfrank (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Bryan Smith on 26 Mar 2011 09:26 PM 
I have trouble my layout of inside loop is kept derail alot i use 2x6 Green plate or Red plate to hold my track ! it rebar on the gound hold 2x6 green plate. outside loop i use trax decking and rebar hold the track also. my landshaping is sinking from weather rain and snow! also is sinking down my roadbed too. Do i need replacement into Concrete road bed? I did remove all the rocks clear it out. Anybody have problem with Green plate wood roadbed of track is not level? maybe into concrete roadbed? I need help



If you used the split jaw pvc roadbed system you would not have that problem. Here is the linik.

http://www.gardenrailwayproducts.com/


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## John J (Dec 29, 2007)

Here is something to try. Mix in a wheelbarrow dirt and water. In large quantities. Make it real souppy. Much like too wet concrete. Pour that in your depression. My Idea is being that wet the souppy mud will settele into all the nooks and cranies. The dirt will settle to the bottom and the water will evaorpate and you sould have a solid smooth base. I don't think it well settle any more. 

Also you can spread out a layer of dirt about 1 inch thick then water it lot. Then another inch of dirt and water it till you build up the area. 
My Idea comes from a Retaining wall they built for the World Trade Center when they built the first two towers. 

JJ


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## Spule 4 (Jan 2, 2008)

Compaction. You still will get movement, but compaction helps a lot of major changes. Especially any embankments, build it up with a few courses of dirt, compacting each.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Thanks for all your ideas, input and help. I appreciate it.


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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Bryan 
Your welcome, we'll all send you a bill for it later.


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## Madstang (Jan 4, 2008)

Posted By Jerry Barnes on 27 Mar 2011 08:24 AM 
I think I'll pull out what is left of my ladder roadbed, heaves up every winter, despite poles going down 30" in the ground. Tired of messing with it. I think if ALL of your roadbed was ladder, it would be okay and all would rise/fall at the same rate. 

So Jerry if going down 30" didn't help....I am only going down 14-18".......I think, and i never thought of this but if it is all ladder it will rise and fall all together...correct? 
So I see not problem with doing what I am doing...as it will all rise and fall at the same time.

What size PVC pipe did you use? I am using the 2" stuff for better support...some say the 1 and what ever the smaller PVC pipe is better so the rails are on the edge of the strips of PVC, but if you look close they are not exactly over the strips, by much so I feel the bigger support poles will be better for sturdiness..we will see....I like to experiment.

Bubba


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## jake3404 (Dec 3, 2010)

It looks to me like a drainage problem. I couldnt really find any place where water is allowed to drain under the roadbed. It looks like washout.


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## Ron Senek (Jan 2, 2008)

Bryan 
When you rebuild are you going to keep same footprint or are you going to build bigger?


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## Ron Hill (Sep 25, 2008)

Bryan, 1) is your track fixed to some kind of structure? or 2) is it floating on a limestone roadbed? If your track is floating on a limestone roadbed like mine, you need to dig a trench at least 6" deep and at least 2" to 4"wider than your track depending on how much elevation the track is above the ground. Place some kind of barrier cloth that allows drainage down in the trench and over the sides and fill up with limestone to the desired elevation. This will help a lot with sub-grade stability. Some of your fines will still be lost by rain, but you roadbed will still be intact. I think Marty has a concrete sub-grade foundation which his track lays on so he does not have a lot of movement even with the cold winters he has out there. Is that correct Marty? 
Ron


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## Scottychaos (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Jerry Barnes on 27 Mar 2011 08:24 AM 
I think I'll pull out what is left of my ladder roadbed, heaves up every winter, despite poles going down 30" in the ground. Tired of messing with it. 




Jerry,
what are you going to replace the ladder roadbed with?
thanks,
Scot


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## bob7094 (Jan 3, 2008)

I don't see this as a mistake at all, or a non-correctable problem. Just add good gardening soil - not compacted clay - and over time it will be fixed.


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## Bryan Smith (Jan 2, 2008)

Ron Senek, I going put a same footrprint like i have before. This will be new make it look better on same place. plus little rail yard.


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## Jerry Barnes (Jan 2, 2008)

Scot, 
I'll just float it on gravel, my whole inner loop is on that, most of the outer loop runs on top of landscape blocks or bridges/trestles. You can see it on my web site, or one of my movies on youTube. gunjeep444 is my name there.


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## Trains (Jan 2, 2008)

Bryan,

My ladder has been in for three year with no problems at all. I used 1 1/2" pipe down 28-30 inches.
I drilled a hole 3 inches and put the pipe in then tamped in dirt around the outside of the pipe, no
dirt in the middle.

Don


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