elevated rack rail using decking planks

You're right Chris, but I think that it deteriorates far too quickly these days!

CDX (for formwork or shuttering) or Millcert ply seems to last far longer. Having seen ply used a 100 years ago in coachbuilding, the WBP stuff is cheap and nasty compared - incomplete laminations, etc. As for the external veneer, even a photograph would be thicker!
 
Looks lovely, but I'd be so worried about expensive items plunging to their death if there's any sort of derailment! I see no guard railings on any of the elevated sections?
 
Thanks again Tramayo . The so called patio "tiles" are from B&Q and were labelled composite paving tile edge, 40x20x4.5 cm, covers 0.08 sqm. Their B&Q stock number is 5052931491230. The sun mysteriously comes out between the showers and goes away when it gets dark. If I'm very lucky I wake up and see it again the next morning :D.

Here's another picture of some early morning sun to cheer you up.

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Sorry there's no plywood to bemoan and I hate to think what the Health and Safety Fanatics made of the position of the station. In defence I can point out that it has survived for about 25 years and none of the passengers or rail staff have fallen to their deaths :). There is, however, a good opportunity to point out the limited lifespan of the log-roll path edging at the border with the scree slope.

Thanks to Chris Vernell for pointing out that WBP plywood is not waterproof, I hope that Tramayo & PhilP take that on board when making any additional comments on the quality of ply ;).

Can I add an additional proviso, before the naysayers get there first, that the inexpensive softwood decking planks are also not waterproof, don't last forever and are definitely not as good as they used to be ;D.

That's a good point ntpntpntp. I did worry about running trains on elevated sections but I rather enjoy the frisson it brings to garden railways. For real excitement have a look at this: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=uK16WKGdCjc , posted by Phil on the "Show us your racks !!" thread.

Any suggestions for guard rails?
 
Shiver me timbers! ;)

Thanks for your reply - we'll be off to Galway this coming week (chore) but I'll pop in B&Q while we are there!
 
Here's something to cheer up trammayo ;). Another recently completed raised track section with some rare sunshine.

This time it's a reverse loop section crossing the mainline section in a dark corner of the garden. Staying on topic, part of the elevated rack rail can be seen in the background.

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Sorry but there's some plywood sections on the curve, (I'll take it as read that it's rubbish, won't last forever, not what it was etc etc ;) ), but their are some raised decking planks as we come out into the sunshine. The gradients on the raised sections are not as steep as they look since the lines being crossed are on a downhill gradient.

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The lower sections of the ramps are formed from cement mortar which can be seen to the left of image. The grey strip attached to the log roll edge at the back is trunking to carry the reverse loop wiring.

Note how late our summer bedding is this far North and how fine the HSB carriages look in the bright sunshine! In reality the new HSB paint scheme (ala LGB) is a deeper reddish brown than it appears on photographs.

I think we (ie the real N) are in for some torrential rain again tommorrow :'(.
 
One of the advantages of a model rack railway is they run quite well in the rain. Slipping is drastically reduced by the rack drive and train it just continues to climb ridiculous gradients.

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I still gets lots of pleasure from the bright colours. Both from the LGB rolling stock and the late summer blooms especially between rain showers.

I fitted an Emotion S sound card to the RhB TM 2/2 tractor and it's lots of fun timing the clashing gearbox changes with the remote throttle.

The berries on the Rowans in our garden are getting quite red. Autumn, at least this far North, is on it's way!
 
That's a great pic - well composed!

Berries - ours are still brown but it looks like it's going to be hard winter judging by the profusion of them!
 
Don't know what happened to the previous images but they all vanished
 
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Don't know what happened to these images but they all vanished
 
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Nice to see your photos again!
 
I'm thinking (and wishing!). Her indoors keeps asking if I'm going to tidy up the garden and I say "It's too cold".
 
trammayo said:
You're right Chris, but I think that it deteriorates far too quickly these days!

CDX (for formwork or shuttering) or Millcert ply seems to last far longer. Having seen ply used a 100 years ago in coachbuilding, the WBP stuff is cheap and nasty compared - incomplete laminations, etc. As for the external veneer, even a photograph would be thicker!
Click to expand...

Decking and indeed all Wooden Boarding lasts much longer if covered with Good Quality Roofing Felt. Using Black Mastic for joins and where Track Screws go in is also worthwhile. My Track on Tanalised Timber was in place for some 10 Years at Hemel. Before that it had been in place on a friends layout for a good Ten Years and is still doing sterling service on my Current Line.
image.jpeg
Undeneath is the old stuff some 30 Years old probably, with some new and older Decking above. Older Deck recovered from the Ruschbahn so is over 10 years old now.
JonD
 
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dunnyrail said:
covered with Good Quality Roofing Felt. Using Black Mastic for joins and where Track Screws go in
Click to expand...

They even wrote a song about it... That old Black Mastic has me in it's spell... that old Black Mastic that you weave so well...

David
 
Groan!
 
dunnyrail said:
Decking and indeed all Wooden Boarding lasts much longer if covered with Good Quality Roofing Felt. Using Black Mastic for joins and where Track Screws go in is also worthwhile. My Track on Tanalised Timber was in place for some 10 Years at Hemel. Before that it had been in place on a friends layout for a good Ten Years and is still doing sterling service on my Current Line.
View attachment 207710
Undeneath is the old stuff some 30 Years old probably, with some new and older Decking above. Older Deck recovered from the Ruschbahn so is over 10 years old now.
JonD
Click to expand...

You are spot on there Jon! I have one little tiny add-on that I didn't cover in felt and, guess what, I have to replace it at 2 years old!
 
Don't know what happened to these images but the've all vanished
 
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