Embankments

H

hornbeam

Registered
Well after much planning I?m about to start building my new layout. This will be a gauge 3 and 45mm line. On my last layout it was either ground level or in cuttings/ tunnels. So I need to build a long embankment some of which will be on a 3 metre radius curve. So any tips on how to build one? It will be permanent so strong construction is key I guess? Also what soil can I use for building up the banks?

also has anyone built a viaduct using the GRS concrete products? any tips etc?

Thanks,

Simon
 
My railway runs along some walling about 18/20 inches high. I dug out a foundation about 6 inches deep for this and filled it with concrete , it may be somewhat over engineered, but it has been very stable.
 
I'd be very interested to see how your going to keep the soil in place alongside an embankment? I was reading a book the other day about the recommended angles on real embankments and comparing this with what width a scale embankment should be in oo. In G it would be massive.

Simon - re the viaduct, have you investigated the Cain Howley one? Best on the market IMO.
 
I've a slight embankment on my line, formed from a base core of 'ballast' (the stuff they use in concrete mix) well tamped down, then made up to level with sharp sand. This 'core' is then protected by the loose ballast top layer, and top soil piled up each side. As Mel says though the angles involved would make anything much taller than 6" very very wide.
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Depending on the height of your embankment and if you were to use some form of walling as the core of your embankment, would it be it be possible to plant some tight nit, small leaved shrub next to it then trim it to the appropriate shape as it grows? That would remove the problem of keeping the soil in situ :thinking:
 
Thanks for all the advise guys. It will be about 8 inches high and about 8 meters long. So thinking about it I may do it with a half hight retaining wall along the bottom. I also like the idea about growing something along the edges cut to shape maybe box or something. If I go for the first option I would plant a ground growing plant to help bind it together not sure what mind. The Cain Howley structures look fantastic and is the way is go thanks for the link.
 
Another option may be to use rolls of standard timber garden edging (See attached) and grow low shrubs to surround them. (Dwarf conifers with a prostrate habit - you can use box but you will have to be wealthy....). The question for you is whether the embankments will be stable or simply slip away over time and that depends on the soil you have. Our sandy soil here in Surrey makes poor embankments and they would simply disappear within a year as a result of frost and worm action, hence the use of edging. It sounds as if you want quite a height for your "civils" . You can put it on top of a wall but the issue there is keeping the ballast in place and any slope to the embankment is then just a question of the look of the thing.

Graham Hewett
 
Post No. 2 (Stainzmeister) more or less described how I built my embankment at the lower, by around 18", from the upper part, of my garden. A slope of approx. 45 degrees is ideal, in my view, and in my case turf was laid upon the bank together with a few wild strawberry and one or two 'binding' type low plants. A small conifer complemented one end. I have never had any issues since it was built.
A small bridge (fixed) crosses a pathway in the centre of the embankment. The bridge is fixed and made of metal so it is not easily damaged :bigsmile: As people have to step over it there are no railings or parapet purely for safety reasons. This is not so unusual in the States especially in earlier times.
One point needs to be mentioned - not knowing the lie of your land.
The reason the bridge exists is to allow rainwater, especially after a very heavy downpours, to drain away. A continuous embankment, sited in the wrong place, creates a very effective dam! :thumbdown:
 
Ruritanian Railways Mk 1 had an embankment leading from ground level toward the garden shed which involved a curve too. Made from "quarter-inch to dust" granite chippings, it worked absolutely fine with steep slope angles. No issues with rain or stability.
 
I used a crib made from pressure treated poles nailed together. By the time they rot away the soil will be knitted together with root growth. They are still intact 7 years later. If the line has to be removed it will be a simple task.
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