Oh Woe!

KeithT

KeithT

Hillwalking, chickens and - err - garden railways.
Country flag
In the v near future i shall have to rip up and relay the track. A few weeks ago I found some rotted area of decking board and replaced it hoping that I might get 2-3 more years out of it but clearly that is not to be.
It was laid 10yrs ago approx at ground level on decking board. Surprisingly the worst affected parts seem to be those with clear space beneath whilst the sections laid direct onto MOT are less affected.
The decisions now are whether or not to keep it at ground level and whether or not to abandon decking board. The alternatives in both instances would be more costly and in the case of a raised track obscure views of the garden. Mine is v definitely a railway within a garden.

Can anyone suggest reasonable cost alternatives to decking board?
I am aware of the recycled plastic options but the costs the last time I looked were horrendous.
 
I used straight forward pressure treated rough cut planks in a variation of the "ladder construction" style to make the foundations for my line back in 2009. Took the track up again earlier this year, the framework is still perfectly fine.
 

Attachments

  • DSCN1085a.jpg
    DSCN1085a.jpg
    110.6 KB · Views: 0
Last edited:
Decking planks are probably as good a plank as you will find. The wood chosen to make decking is harder and closer grained than most softwood planking - known as redwood (nothing to do with Redwood trees). That is of course if you are using good quality decking in the first place. It should be prepared from 150 x 38mm, anything less is cost cutting. Cheap decking is always available, especially from the DIY sheds, but you get what you pay for.
 
Real railways use a compacted earth base, on which they place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place.

:emo: My railway uses a compacted earth base, on which I place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place. :think:
 
Gavin Sowry said:
Real railways use a compacted earth base, on which they place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place.

:emo: My railway uses a compacted earth base, on which I place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place. :think:
Click to expand...


Same here, except I am too cheap for the ballast part.

I think a lot of people over engineer track foundations. Dirt works just fine unless you have some very unstable local ground conditions. Pack it down first, if it sinks later it's easy to do a simple lift and tamp.

IMG_4635small_zpskqrkxtf5.jpg
 
Filcris Decking planks whilst not cheep will last indefinately. A ground level option is just perfect for them. If you take the cost of replacing deck every 2-3 Years then the cost is cheeper. Problem for you is I guess that Filcris Deck Planks with delivery will be a bit eye watering.

Another option might be to use Bricks of even Celcons Cut Plank Width and loosely cemented into the Ground. Not too much excavation required. Or even Concrete Gravel Boards from Wicks or your local friendly Building Supplier.
JonD
 
I have Staffordshire clay as a sub-soil.. This moves, A LOT, from wet to dry.
In an extended dry spell, I see a three-inch 'tide-mark' on the brick walls below the fences. It also goes rock-hard and cracks. these cracks can be a few feet deep. - Can usually push three feet of cane down them.

This makes it difficult to work, as it has to be the right moisture level. Too dry and it is rock-hard. Too wet, and it all sticks to your boots, and the whole garden seems to come up on one fork!!
 
When I laid my track many years ago I put a pea shingle base down, laid the track and ballasted it in with shingle and finer stone in stations etc. Very few problems.
 
Gavin Sowry said:
Real railways use a compacted earth base, on which they place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place.

:emo: My railway uses a compacted earth base, on which I place crushed stone ballast, then the track (with a bit more ballast to hold it in place. :think:
Click to expand...

When I first laid out the track here in 2012 it went straight down on the concrete garden path and has worked pretty well ever since, however several extensions were added off the path using the method Gavin describes. This worked very well too, but the added drainage was a real bonus!

In have since concluded that given the sort of winters and summers we now have, I will re-route the entire line on a purpose built base just like Gavin describes.

Countdown to closure T- i month and counting!

James
 
Gavin Sowry said:
Amen to that. :angel:
Click to expand...
PhilP said:
I have Staffordshire clay as a sub-soil.. This moves, A LOT, from wet to dry.
In an extended dry spell, I see a three-inch 'tide-mark' on the brick walls below the fences. It also goes rock-hard and cracks. these cracks can be a few feet deep. - Can usually push three feet of cane down them.

This makes it difficult to work, as it has to be the right moisture level. Too dry and it is rock-hard. Too wet, and it all sticks to your boots, and the whole garden seems to come up on one fork!!
Click to expand...

Well, firstly you could make a lot of money selling bricks :p:p

But seriously, this is the sort of soil that is the garden railway nightmare. It is on soils like this that Building Regs require you to go down 2m for a house foundation - now nobody's going to that for a railway :shake::shake::shake:

So, you're probably best with settling for a light track bed, and setting the scene in either the US logging railways or the Chinese coal mines :tmi::tmi::tmi: 'cos whatever you do, it's going to move.

Alternatively, spend more time at the Heaths :giggle::giggle:
 
Thanks for all the ideas. Sorry for the delay in responding. I haven't had a chance to get back earlier.
Filcris would be an ideal but I would have to sell HWMBO to use that -(thinks. . . . )

The laid on ballast or similar solution is very tempting and easier on an aging body. As I commented above the track laid on coarse MOT has, in general, fared better than that with free air space beneath it but, it may be that poorer quality board is the culpri there.
We store the NWGscale exhibition layout (we will be at Llanfairin Sept BTW put it in your diary!) at a timber yard which tanalises board. I may just have a word with them.before deciding.
 
I recently looked at decking prices as I need to redo my garden decking. Can I suggest you check out Travis Perkins as their stuff is Tanalith treated which should come with a 15 year guarantee for treated timber in contact with the ground. It was a comparable price to the decking on offer at Wickes/B&Q and is the right stuff to use.it also comes in better length sizes than the shed's 1.8M & 2.4M.

I hope this helps.
 
Hello Keith:

I don't know whether the following will be of the slightest use, but I'm offering it just in case...

If you are willing to lay the track at ground level, you could use Coarse Horticultural Grit on top of weed-suppressing membrane. Dig a trench about 2-3 inches deep by 6 inches wide (you can use a piece of guttering as a template if you have one handy), line with membrane and fill with enough grit to lift the track slightly above ground level - quick and easy provided you don't mind muddy knees. A paving slab under pointwork is also something to consider. I occasionally get grit in the point blades, so inspection and testing is routine before a running session.

Good quality Coarse Horticultural Grit ("CHG") has sharp edges and therefore binds together and holds the track in place. It's not as readily available as pea gravel, which is not really suitable, but 900kg of CHG ordered on-line, and delivered in a dumpy bag, cost me about £95, delivered to north Northumberland. (It also cost me a lot of trips with the wheelbarrow...) It's exactly what expert gardeners recommend for conditioning heavy clay soil, so if you do get cracks in the clay, the grit will fall into them and hey presto, improved soil! You can use roofing slates for rail-height platforms and/or baseplates for buildings. I use a Dremel drill with cutting disc to trim the slates to size.

Weed-Suppressing membrane is readily available at garden centres. I forget the exact price, but about £20 rings a faint bell.

Hope this helps.

Richard
 
Longpockets said:
I recently looked at decking prices as I need to redo my garden decking. Can I suggest you check out Travis Perkins as their stuff is Tanalith treated which should come with a 15 year guarantee for treated timber in contact with the ground. It was a comparable price to the decking on offer at Wickes/B&Q and is the right stuff to use.it also comes in better length sizes than the shed's 1.8M & 2.4M.

I hope this helps.
Click to expand...

That's the stuff. But at £26.50 its damn expensive. If your an account holder the discount will help but a good timber merchant should be asking about 15 quid including the tax. That's for 150 x 38mm x 4.8m and G4 (timber in contact with the ground) treated.
 
stockers said:
That's the stuff. But at £26.50 its damn expensive. If your an account holder the discount will help but a good timber merchant should be asking about 15 quid including the tax. That's for 150 x 38mm x 4.8m and G4 (timber in contact with the ground) treated.
Click to expand...

I appreciate you are in the trade.

I was quoted "TREATED DECKING TIMBER 35X148X3.6M (FIN32X144MM)" @ £ 1.95/M + VAT £ 2.35/M incl. on 29.06.2016.That is without an account, just asking for a quote.

By my reckoning that is £ 11.43/ea/4.8M delivered incl VAT.

With an account it is £ 10.87/4.8M incl. VAT delivered quoted on 08.06.2016.

If you would like back up please give me an e mail address and I will send copy quotes on.

If the current TP prices are so awful -

Who can you suggest as a good timber merchant near to Keith T or to ME6 5RG who can do Tanalith treated 150 x 38mm decking delivered at £ 15.00/each @ 4.8M please?
 
Last edited:
You must log in or register to reply here.
Back
Top Bottom