Easiest way to lay tracks on grass

Mobi

Mobi

Registered
Country flag
My current layout is a small loop in patio. If I want to expand I have to lay tracks on grass :-\

All the articles I find about laying tracks on grass involves digging trenches and then filling with ballast and then lay tracks. This is bit too much work for me :(

Can I simply lay loose bricks on grass and place tracks on top of them?

Is there any alternative to digging/trench etc.?
 
Grass is the environmentally friendly and very definately green approach.

dig 090906011.JPG

David
 
As a temporary / short term solution yes you can just lay your track on the grass. It's not always the best choice, bits get squashed into the track allowing dirt and grass to be picked up by the mechanism. Your gardener won't be pleased when they want to mow the lawn!
 
My chums and I have made a lot of temporary layouts on lawns. It is good fun.

The key factors are that the grass needs to short and recently cut and well drained.

The surface itself needs to be fairly smooth and reasonably flat. Sadly not all lawns are bowling greens!

Your layout is going to be decidedly temporary You will have a week to ten days max of use before you will be driven to lift the rails by grass growth. Regular running will help keep the grass down, but messy on track and wheels. Stop running for a day or two and all will be lost!

James
 
Cheeky Monkey said:
Bowling greens are not flat (at least not the proper ones up 'eer in t'north)
Click to expand...

Is that due to mining subsidence..... ;)

Grass should be as level as possible. I was advised some years ago when building my railway that locos could cope with a 'roller coaster' but hated a side to side motion. The guy was quite correct, I guess his 25+ years experience counted.
I have never laid track on grass but it would be a temporary arrangement. Much of what has already been written is good counsel.
 
It's useful to have something which can be slotted under the edge of the track where the surface is uneven and the track dips to one side or the other.
 
Good point about shims.

A chum's lawn where we often set up a temporary layout was very uneven and there was a lot of the nasty side to side movement, so we took a couple of boxes of packing pieces with us, and these were fitted in the light of experience gained when running.

The thing that mazed me most about the layout, was that it never went down the same way twice, no matter how hard we tried. The plan was always to make best use of the topography, but it seemed to change year on year!

James
 
Cut grass.. Lay track.. Run loco`s.. - In my case battery, as the track was all s/h and the joiners were past their best!

DSC00688-1.jpg

DSC00664-1.jpg
 
It is important to ensure that the grass is always laid green side up.

David
 
David1226 said:
It is important to ensure that the grass is always laid green side up.

David
Click to expand...
You obviously have not been involved in the same sort of projects I have! ??? :o ;) ;)
 
Grass grows everywhere (well almost). Are you intending for the line to be permanent? Unless you have a very good lawn, even bricks will cockle over unless they have some foundation. Anything that doesn't let light pass through will kill off the grass eventually. Some people use old carpet (even cardboard) to kill off grass and weeds
 
Do you intend to leave the bricks and track in place? You do realise, don't you, that your 10 min mowing job will turn into a half hour mow and trim? Alternatively, you can spray along all the edges, but how do you mow/trim in between sidings? If you are renting the place, are you even allowed to change the lawn?

Lifting tracks and bricks will be a killjoy..
 
Hmm, I didn't think of all these ::) It is my own house so can do whatever I want.

I am thinking of running the track along periphery of the lawn so grass will be only on one side of the track (mostly).
 
[quote author=Mobi link=topic=301288.msg351934#msg351934 date=1432752590]
What about laying bricks and tracks on top of them?
[/quote]
That would work. Still might be best to create some sort of trench to place them in and pack them on to sand or perhaps soil. I used the larger building blocks extensively - mostly laid on sharp sand, similar to laying paving slabs.
3.jpg
 
Mobi, perhaps best option would be to consider Filcris Plastic Decking (will not rot) laid on Bricks by the side of your Flower Bed. Do not forget the Spirit Level Both Ways, you may need a bit of Sharpe Sand to help Level the Bricks. Should allow you to make a decent Edging to the Lawn and extend your line as well. A solid Row of Bricks if you have enough would work quite well and you could then if you have one use a Strimer to cut the Grass up to the Bricks. This way the Line would be above most of the detritis from Lawn Maintenance. If you need to remove it for any reason in the future, you will have just widened the Flower Bed a little. Hope you and your family are keeping well.

Good luck with the project and lots of Pictures Please.

Couple of pics of how my l line in Leagrave ran up the Well Cut Grass as I moved the Permanent Way up the Garden.
image.jpg image.jpg

JonD
 
My own personal feeling which applies to much in life, including track laying.
Invest time and effort at the start getting it right taking a bit longer before you sit back enjoy over time or take short cuts to enjoy early then be for ever trying to get things right and regretting you didn't invest time and effort at the start.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom