best bed?

[steven large]

hi mate....i use pea gravels all the times ...some bits of cotswold stones...but best way is lay yr tracks flat and firms then use pea gravels on it....yr choices.

to be honest tht i use my tracks on the decking planks with screw on it to hold it down coz my all my tracks are high up same level as my stomach for easy to pick or tidy up the tracks...i dont use on the flat surface....it up to peoples choices....wud u like a photos??

 

[Martino]

Hi Glen

I guess it all depends on what you're trying to achieve, what your soil is like (if you're laying track at ground level) or if you're laying on concrete or on elevated decking etc. There are probably as many different ways as you can image.

My track is laid on the ground, and I have sandy soil - actually more sand than soil! I'm subject to heavy rain, but no frost heave.

I dig a small trench, about an inch wider than the track, and about three inches deep. I fill this with 'drainage rock' - angular pieces so they lock together - and tamp that down. Then the track sits on a layer of a mixture of patio base and concrete mix. I then tamp more of the mixture in and around the sleepers.

This all locks together (not to hard or permanently, as the track needs to float) and looks to my mind like a narrow gauge trackbed. Some folks can get moss to grow, others (like me) can't.

This does require some P/W maintenance, like the real thing, and it suits me.

Have a look at http://www.gscalecentral.net/m52677... You'll get loads of suggestions here though.

 

[coyote97]

Hi Glen,

as usual, i think there is no "best" way for a trackbed.
It depends on what u want to have.

With track power, i would always choose a concrete, stoneplate or glued balast track for keeping it free from weed and things.

Me, i us RC control and accu power, so dirty tracks are not my problem, or cleaning them (for what the glued balast ist best).

I have layed my track on a bed with 2-3 layers:
first i digged out the line about 8-10 inches wide and 1-2 inches deep.
In this i layed a foil (old plastic bag is enough) to hold back weed and grass growing.
That i ballasted with about one inch stones (the "edgy" ones, not round). Do this untill u have it even to the ground besides.
With the same stones i made a kind of fence, a little wall to the sides.
That was all stampped dowm by walking on it, giving the middel a level and give the sidewalls densitiy and form (soft house shoes are great for that, but wifes have normally something to say against that...).

now u fill a little layer of gravel in and make a "planum", giving it density as told.

Then comes the track. Level it. I filled a fairly big wall of gravel over the track. make it even with the track with a small shovel or a little board.

I now have "stomped" the gravel with a 10x10mm wooden bar beneath the ties. U feel, when it gets hard. Then its really under the ties.

With a very hard scrubber i give the whole thing a form and clean it a bit to get the driveway free of gravel (be carefull to get the little gravels that are pinned to the tie-screws).

"scrubbering" the gravel in the surface condenses one more time and u can give the outside a form.


Advantages:
easy for layout-changes
no concrete-blocks that makes our garden a desert (if u overdo it with the concrete...saw such layouts).
track can move with temperature
easy to build.
easy to repair.

Disadvantages:
no hard fitting: dogs or kids running over the track will tear it out.
no 100% weed controll. Worms and little floatings will carry soil to the gravel. That is bed-stabilizing, but dirty and tends to be setteled with weed (therefore the foil: u can pull out small plants very easily).


Greetings

Frank

 

[stockers]

I use horticultural grit from the garden centre. Bits are less than 10mm probably more like 6mm maximum. It is over scale but looks good and works well to hold the track in place.

 

[matthew]

6mm alpine green from B&Q for us, as Alan says, a little bit large but looks good

 

[Gizzy]

Glen, I would keep the larger stone as a good foundation, and add some 5mm sharp shingle (Not pea shingle) over the top, between and around the sleepers....

 

[jacobsgrandad]

I use similar in my case 4mm grit

 

[KeithT]

I use 3-5mm horticultural grit - from Wyevale when they have their special offers.
The puzzle is, where does it go?
I have used 10 bags and just bought another 3 to replace where it has gone missing! Most of the track is on decking and not laid direct onto the ground.:-

 

[minimans]

first off have a search on the forum for ballest that should get you a whole load of idea's of what to do!!

Here in the USA I use decomposed Granit, or some call it granit fines. Its just small bits of Granit and dust it does a great job and look the dogs wotsits! but it does vanish in the rain if you dont add a little glue.

And after the rain storm.............

 

[steve parberry]

I use Alpine grit myself layed on a weed control fabric if the track needs to be adjusted just lift and push the stones around again. Some garden centers seem amused when you buy 20bags as most only sell one a week shop around!!!! My local center currently has a deal buy four get one free they never expected anyone to buy twenty and get five free!!!!!!!

 

[Shawn]

I found the best way is to dig a 4-6 inch trench. Fill the trench with stone dust (every region calls it something different Crusher fines etc...) Its basicaly small pieces of crushed granite with dust. The dust acts like cement to hold the track in place but you can still get the track up with a tug. Plus it is more to scale. Its the same stuff minimans mentioned. It should not wash away too bad if you dig the trench. Laying it on top of concrete or a solid road bed will no doubt wash off with rain. Any high spots just build a small wall or cribbing. Of course every year it is good to add a fresh coat for re-leveling purposes and replace what might have been lost.

 

[robsmorgan]

hiya lads , i have done my first layout , but i think my track bed is too big a stone, its about 25-30mm green stone and my track sits on it and moves a bit, what is the best stone too get? and should it be part sunken?? am nearly ready for a pic, thanks glen

Hi Glen

I was in a similar position which I resolved by making a 'sieve' by drilling (lots of) 4mm holes in the bottom of a plastic ice-cream box.... it was a tad tedious but using a local free source of gravel made it worthwhile .... The gravel is sprinkled onto the trackbed and glued with around 25% diluted general purpose PVA adhesive (from a DIY store) drizzled onto everything but the rails!!!! Use a soft brush to clear any excess from sleepers, etc. and run a heavy truck along the track to displace any obstructions BEFORE the glue sets!

As I also have gone for the R/C option, track cleanliness isn't too critical, but I used this method on a DCC, 0-16.5 garden layout, years ago and it is still solid now!

Best of luck
Rob

 

[jimmielx]

Hi Rob
I'm hoping to do a bit of ballasting following your method. I'm just having a bit of slow moment with the diluted PVA. Is a 25% diluted PVA mix 1 part PVA to 3 parts water or the other way around! Sorry I'm sure this is obvious, but just wanted to check!
Thanks
James

 

[robsmorgan]

Hi Rob
I'm hoping to do a bit of ballasting following your method. I'm just having a bit of slow moment with the diluted PVA. Is a 25% diluted PVA mix 1 part PVA to 3 parts water or the other way around! Sorry I'm sure this is obvious, but just wanted to check!
Thanks
James

Hi James, as you say the mix is 1 part PVA to 3 parts water, it will work with a weaker (1 to 5) mix depending on how dry your climate is - I need to cope with a fairly high rainfall here

Thought I should add a close up of the track shortly after drizzling the PVA down the centre of the track, it will mostly disappear from view as it drys. Make sure the track bed material is well wetted - allowing it to drip from a small height doesn't push the aggregate about and will also soak under the rails into the side beds. You can also drizzle some at the edges - you can see from the pic how it disguises joints in the 'foundation' materials.

Please ask for further help if I haven't made something clear
Best of luck!
Rob

 

[duncan1_9_8_4]

quite simply, alpine grit. its cheap, realistic, and workable. i found pea gravel far too big, and it looked daft in my opinion. got to have good looking track when the loc's are so expensive, they go together hand in hand.