# How to build an elevated track in less than two months...



## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Required: 


1. One gullible friend, willing to help even though it's not his hobby, and a couple more for when one extra set of hands isn't enough...


2. Know what you're trying to accomplish ahead of time 
 

After surveying to determine where the posts will go:
 



Then install the posts, being careful to avoid underground utilities (don't ask me how I know):
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

Start adding the crossties to the posts, being careful to level each to one another and across the posts:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

Stringers added between posts, to create a framework 16" wide, to support a 24" wide deck:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

When all of the stringers were complete, we cut off the posts:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

Then started laying out the deck:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=
The deck is 5/4 treated pine decking, cut to 24" in length, then split lengthwise to reduce the gap between the boards at the outside of theeck on the curved sections.

All of the decking is laid and fastened, including the yard area, which is 40" wide and 24' feet long:









The decking was pretty straightforward to lay, with the exception of the "wye" area, where the decking splits off of the main track to go into the yard area. Lots of extra bracing underneath, to make sure that everything is held down to the framework underneath:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

The first tracks start to go down on the decking. The track is code 250 Aluminum rail on Micro Engineering tie strips. I've had the rail since 1992! It was purchased weathered (painted rusty brown) from Stretch Manley at California & Oregon Coast Railway. It's not nearly as wiggly as the foreshortening caused by the zoom lens makes it appear:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

The two loops of track, completed yesterday afternoon:
http://www.mylargescale.com/Communi...on/te/aff/9/aft/113738/postid/113738/<a href=

My stated deadline when I began planning construction in September, was to have a steam up New Years weekend, but very few people believed I would be able to make that deadline. I have to admit, as the Fall weather started to degrade into an early Winter here in the Houston area, I thought I might have to slip that a few weeks. There was even a day that I could not work outside because of the 3" of snow that fell one Friday in early December. I'm sure I don't have to tell you how unusual that is here!

As you look at the last picture, you may notice that it appears that there is room on the deck for one more loop of track. You're correct. The last loop will be 3.5" gauge for 3/4" scale trains. This scale was very popular in the 40's and 50's and is enjoying a resurgence in interest. I'm going to be starting the construction of a Shay in this scale shortly, and there are several locos either under construction or complete in the Houston area. Thsi will be the only track for hundreds of miles in all directions in that gauge, so I'm hoping it will get a workout, and maybe entice someone with more land to build a bigger one. The 11 1/2' radius of the outer loop will only support small locos in this scale, like Shays, Climaxes and 0-4-0's. This track will be hand-laid with western red cedar ties and aluminum code 332 rail, which is very close to scale size for this scale.

Anyway, I have to say thanks to my gullible friend Ted, who easily did as much work on this project as I did, and fellow live steamers John Frank and Dennis Cranston of HALS, for helping me meet my deadline.


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## jimtyp (Jan 2, 2008)

Tom, can't see any pics.


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## scubaroo (Mar 19, 2009)

Cilck on the plan and the photobucket album comes up with all the photos.
Craig


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Sorry, I've edited it three times now, and there's still one photo that won't come up, but the rest are there...


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## Dwight Ennis (Jan 2, 2008)

Sorry, I've edited it three times now, and there's still one photo that won't come up, but the rest are there...I fixed the stubborn one so it should be displaying now. Nice work Tom!!!


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## blueregal (Jan 3, 2008)

Tom viewed yer pictures and about the 7th from the end it shows you used some concrete bases to put yer poles in!! Then in the other pictures the main poles are I think buried in the ground completely! The concrete bases didn't work for you or what? I've thought about doing that myself??????? Regal


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## kormsen (Oct 27, 2009)

impressing. 

how do you get into the middle? is there a drawbridge?


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Posted By blueregal on 28 Dec 2009 11:28 AM 
Tom viewed yer pictures and about the 7th from the end it shows you used some concrete bases to put yer poles in!! Then in the other pictures the main poles are I think buried in the ground completely! The concrete bases didn't work for you or what? I've thought about doing that myself??????? Regal 


Regal, the concrete footings are in places where I couldn't put the poles in the ground -- under the trees where I couldn't get through the root mass, and the single one is where I found the buried electrical feed to the house with the power auger! Those footings are made to hold a 4x4 in a socket cast into the top, and I used garden timbers for the uprights. The reason for that is that garden timbers don't seem to warp or twist nearly as much as 4x4's, and in this area they're also a lot cheaper. So the pre-cast footings aren't the perfect solution, but they'll do.


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## Nicholas Savatgy (Dec 17, 2008)

Jerry i think he couldnt get the posts in the ground around the trees because it may be thick with roots? concrete pads a good ideal for that spot.


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Posted By kormsen on 28 Dec 2009 11:28 AM 
impressing. 

how do you get into the middle? is there a drawbridge? 

Actually, one of the many sub-projects attached to the track is a cross-over bridge. We decided that was a lot more convenient than a lift-out bridge, and you can stand above the track and watch the trains run, as well. If I can find the pre-cut staircase stringers, we'll build that in two weeks.

Also to be built is a deck area against the back wall of the garage, with a roof that will extend out over the track at that point. It will have a workbench up against the garage wall for working on locos and steaming them, as well as a weatherproof cabinet for storage of rolling stock. There will be 110v electrical available there, as well as a compressed air hookup.


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Some more pertinent facts that I forgot to include:

The track takes of an area of approximately 26 x 38 feet, and each loop is about 125 feet in length.

The minimum radius is about 11 feet, wider where there was room. Minimum switch frog size is #6.

There is no track power, which you may have inferred by the use of aluminum rail. Although built with the intent of running live steamers, I'm no snob. Battery powered locos are welcome (I have a few myself).

There will be outdoor lighting, so that trains may be run at night.


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## aceinspp (Jan 2, 2008)

Is there an access besides duck under to get to the inside of the track? Nice looking tho. I did find that using the deck blocks worked very well for my new addition. Just had to level some. later RJD


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## therbert (Sep 18, 2008)

Posted By aceinspp on 28 Dec 2009 12:22 PM 
Is there an access besides duck under to get to the inside of the track? Nice looking tho. I did find that using the deck blocks worked very well for my new addition. Just had to level some. later RJD Actually, one of the many sub-projects attached to the track is a cross-over bridge. We decided that was a lot more convenient than a lift-out bridge, and you can stand above the track and watch the trains run, as well. If I can find the pre-cut staircase stringers, we'll build that in two weeks.


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