# going back to ground level, best way to support track that is cheap



## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Should be taking down my raised temporary line in the next few days if our hot tub finds a new home. Once I have the fence down I will have an area roughly 15' by 16' to build my railway. I have 2 bridges I want to incorperate over a dry wash, one is a 40" Arisocraft wood truss bridge, other is a 24" covered bridge that was scratchbuilt from wood. Right now most of the track runs on treated deck wood planks on shelf brackets mounted to fence/deck railing/house for a raised line. Short of just laying the deck planks on the ground and mulching up to them, what other ways can I someone fasten the track down. Floating in ballest in a trench ect isnt in the budget now. Kind of going for the temporary style construction on a shoe string budget. Should I drill a hole and fasten the boards down with landscape spikes to help keep them down? For information purposes, all track is LGB, R1 curves and trains are all LGB with a mogul being the motive power. Mike


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## chuck n (Jan 2, 2008)

My suggestion would be to tamp the ground along the path where you are putting the track. Smooth it to remove dips and bumps. Lay the track and run your trains. At places you see problems use a trowel and modify the road bed. In the long run ballest and a trench is better, but this will work. Chuck


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## Del Tapparo (Jan 4, 2008)

Ground level .... Ties support the track .... Ground supports the ties. Free floating track in ballast is the only thing that makes sense to me. Sure you have to touch it up every year in spots, just like the big boys!


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

Unless in Tornado Alley you don't need to fasten the track down, it's heavy enough to stay put, even more so when the sections are connected. 
I use gravel/broken rock-like sand found on property, makes it easier to level the track. 

John


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

we are still debating how that area will get redeveloped once the hot tub is gone(tomrrow evening). With a siberian husky on a lead line, there is a danger of him catching trains or other structures and destroying them if I go back to ground level. My other idea is the lower the height of the privacy fence to the top of the roadbed. I need to figure out a better entry way, currently there is a swining gate/bridge but there are constant alignment issues since one end is in the middle of a curve. I would like to eliminate that and make an entry point elsewhere. Just gonna have to think on it. Mike


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## tomplatten (Sep 12, 2008)

I would suggest decomposed granite, if you can find an inexpensive source. I have it my horse stalls, so I keep it around. Lay your track on the ground, cover it with decomposed granite, use a "foxtail" to smooth it out, and level your tracks. Test run your train. I use batteries to run my trains. If your are satisfied that all is well, use a garden hose with a spray nozzle to wet your track. This will cause the DG to settle and hold you tracks down.


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## Greg Elmassian (Jan 3, 2008)

Since Mike says "Floating in ballest in a trench ect isnt in the budget now.", I guess this needs to be almost a zero cost move. 

The problem is that moving the existing wood planks the track is on will require some kind of levelling and fixing. I would think that doing this would be pretty darn close to free floating in ballast. 

I can't really come up with a solution that is cheaper, so get some 1/4" rebar and cut lengths of it and use it to secure your boards in place. That's the least expensive I can think of. 

Greg


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## Totalwrecker (Feb 26, 2009)

"With a siberian husky on a lead line," 
As Miss Emily Katella used to say; Never mind. 

In the raingutter department look for long nails, I got some 8-10" long, might be aluminum, don't rust. Re-use your boards and use the nails to secure them to the ground. Don't plan on buildings or bonzai trees! 
Good Luck 

John


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Well, I got took the exhisting railway down, removed the fence panels and the hot tub should be gone tonight or tomorrow. I cant move it alone so its still in the railway area. I would like to put the track at the height of the deck walking surface. That will make it a bit easier to work on. I should have enough treated planks and a friend has some scrap plywood we can make curved sections, 4 sections to make a circle, that I can water proof. I am planning on using metal brackets along the side of the deck, then using stacks of bricks/landscape stone to support the planks every couple feet. I can level it as I go. The Husky can only get to the front edge, so buildings/bridges will go on the sides and rear of the railway for now. I may shorten his lead line so he can only approach the railway area but not cross it or get tangled the plantings Found enough straps to drag the hot tub out in the yard and out of the way. Now the ground needs to dry a bit from draining the water out of it and I need to take up a brick walkway. I found a track plan in the winter 1998 issue of LGB Telegram( page15 thru 17), that I plan to modify to use 1100 curves instead of 1500 since that is what I have. I like its up and over with bridges and without the need for a water feature. I have most if not all the stones and bricks to build the line with just a few minor modifications. Cheers Mike


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## Mike Toney (Feb 25, 2009)

Here are some pics of my progress, ended up taking the track plan from the magazine and making 2 seperate level loops out of it. I didnt like the grades I had to work with to use my bridges I had on hand. The upper loop is all there, just need to finish up lining up the bridges with the track on the white stone. Then backfill the area inside the loop other than the trench in the middle where the lower line runs. I am hunting one of the LGB westernized staniz 0-4-0 engines, with or without the tender. Key term is cheap. I have my mogul to run on the lower loop. Let me know if you have one of those little engines, espicaly a Lake George & Boulder one from one of the starter sets. Thanks Mike
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## NTCGRR (Jan 2, 2008)

Posted By Del Tapparo on 18 Jun 2013 06:23 PM 
Ground level .... Ties support the track .... Ground supports the ties. Free floating track in ballast is the only thing that makes sense to me. Sure you have to touch it up every year in spots, just like the big boys! 
Del
I'm surprised at you. These are toy trains that can be used out doors. Toy or model trains need a good base. We are not dealing with scale rain and scale winds.
deer does not step on 150pd rail and bend up a track section. Moles don't lift 150 pd rail and mess up many feet of it. Let alone dogs and cats.


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