track base

[willo]

Hi all ive been trying to decide what im going to lay my track on,ive looked at concreate with wood then coverd with felt,also wood and felt,plastic boarding just concreate ect. what i need help with is deciding the pros and cons, people have been thier done that and come to some sort of conclusion, i would like to keep the track as low as possible i.e. on the ground water proof snow proof dust proof and absolutly immaculate joking apart some good advice on laying the track,thiers a lot of good ideas out thier waiting to be shared the track will eventuly be about 60/70ft long to meet back up,and at some time affordability allowing doubled up,look forward to ideas thanks for looking Dave

[mick]

Well I'll add my tuppenceworth for starters but remember, these are only my thoughts...

I would suggest firstly that you raise the track base slightly above ground level. Even just a few inches will prevent a lot of dirt and debris from being blown onto your tracks from the surrounding areas and also being deposited upon it during/after a shower of rain. That bit of elevation will also deter slugs, snails and other wildlife which can all cause a bit of a mess if you don't happen to notice them in time.

Your base should be firm and stable of course but also allow a means of holding your track securely in place. Small pins are normally used to fix track in position and everyone has their own preference as to how and where they are inserted. A wooden track base covered in felt provides a good base into which you can insert pins through pre-drilled holes in the track sleepers. The wooden track base itself could be laid upon a low brick built wall or mounted on wooden posts that are inserted into the ground or into post sockets.

Another possibility is that used by Ian on his http://www.selbygardenrailway.co.uk/sgrforum/viewtopic.php?f=22&t=97#p868' rel="external nofollow">Hampton Field Railway where he constructs his layout at ground level using a 'rubbercrete' mixture laid directly into narrow trenches which would allow track fixing pins to be inserted.

Perhaps a point to bear in mind is whether you might need the track base to be of a semi-permanent construction so that it can easily be removed at a later date, say if you were ever to move home.

I imagine there are many different ways by which you could construct the track base using a variety of materials but do ensure that whichever you decide to use is fully protected from the weather. Exterior plywood is fine so long as it is well coated with a wood preservative before being covered with felt. And to save any later frustration, it should be laid flat and level along both its width and length with the aid of a good spirit level.

[willo]

Hi mick thanks for your input, its given me something to think about, i may drive short posts into ground say 4 or 5 inches ground level gap , treated timber on top then maybe painted with a grey waterproofer/sealer i have laying about,the reason for so low is that i want scenery to blend in with garden if i can,thiers a bit to think about and the more input i have the better result i shall get.(by the way some nice pics coming through in the gallery) thanks again mike.

[mick]

I found this video on YouTube the other evening which might be of interest as it uses a plain timber base. It's stated to have been built in 1971 so it's approx 40 years old but although it's more than a few inches off the ground it blends in nicely with the owners garden.

I'll embed the vdeo below and hope that the owner keeps it online long enough for you to see

 

[willo]

very inspiring nice set up,thanks for sharing. dave