Garden Railway Forum

Due to ground subsidence (possibly where a tree was removed 3 years ago) an area of my baseboard sagged by about 30mm or more, this led to a large dip in the track with wagons uncoupling as the passed over the high points at either end and rainwater ponding in the low points in the centre.

Initially I thought I was faced with the prospect of digging up the centre supporting posts and raising the base board to level it off.

Further inspection revealed that the lattice frame supporting the area had bowed in the middle due to the centre supports sinking so the whole section would require replacement. This looked like turning into a major bit of work.

After a bit of thinking I came up with the idea of leaving everything in place and building an embankment using concrete render across the area which would raise the track and make the it level.

To save the amount of render needed and to reduce the weight I am putting in a couple of low bridges, this will allow the water to run under the track and into drainage hole drilled through the baseboard. In these holes I'm putting in some wicks to break up the water surface tension at the side of the holes and allow the water to flow down them into the garden below.

I will update my blog to show how it happened when it is complete.

Hi Graeme
Sounds similar to the way I deal with subsidence in my concrete breeze blocks.

https://riksrailway.blogspot.com/2009/0 ... -loop.html

Rik

More progress on the embankment area.
I roughly painted areas where there will be a dry river bed a light brown, the embankment areas are in the red colour while the bright green is where artificial turf is in the plan.
Bridges are indicated by pieces of wood.
All the points will be on embankments.

I 3D print some bridge piers for the embankment area bridges to see how they would turn out.
I designed them using Tinkercad and its my 1st project using it and am a bit chuffed with how well I did.

I now have another 6 to print, I can custom build them to a height that fits under the track by manipulating 1 object in Tinkercad and saving them in another project for export to use with the printer.

After all my messing around with Tinkercad without a result; I discovered a few controls that I did not know about and I am gaining confidence with using and making simple things with it thoughI did manage to crash Tinkercad yesterday by trying to do to much to quick.

I have some Tinkercad tutorials to watch on YouTube on how to make brick walls to watch and experiment with, I will also experiment on how to make random stone shapes for use on walls and bridge abutments.

A big learning curve is approaching rapidly I feel.

I have made some real progress in the embankments area.
Bridge abutments and piers have been installed, rail supports fitted and embankments have been made out of acrylic render.
After the track is relaid, I will finish the scene with artificial turf and gravel to give the impression of the line crossing over a dried up swamp and creek bed.
To carry water down through the baseboard at the low point (LP) holes were drilled through the baseboard and wicks put into them. These allow the water drain away quickly to prevent ponding.

Today I re-laid all the track in the embankment area so next step is to run a train to test it out.
Then it will be complete the scenery (turf, gravel etc) and it should all be done.

GAP wrote: ↑Fri Feb 03, 2023 8:03 am next step is to run a train to test it out.

Any excuse!!

It'll look great when you've added the scenery, but for now I'm enjoying the "abstract expressionist" look you've achieved with your paintwork!

Overall, this looks like a neat solution to your problem that will enhance the railway, perfect!

I laid the turf today.
Now all is left is to paint the "swamp/river" area and add some gravel for the rocks.
After some train playin.....um testing tomorrow, to verify alignments etc, I will ballast the track and it should be finished. After this it will be back to finishing the backdrop along the fence scenery.

Testing revealed no issue with the track but highlighted some issues with the 3D printed knuckle couplers
Some will not spring closed when the force applied to them changes from compression to tension ie after coming downhill due to the pivot having burrs on it and there are height differences between wagons.
Wagons were uncoupling at the area which is how I noticed the sag so now its back into the workshop for some wagons for adjustments.

Laid the ballast and gravel on the embankments, all that is left to do is put gravel across the creek bed area.
As I have a gravel train I'm considering putting in a siding for a gravel pit probably on the garden side. Thinking about putting in a siding to a gravel pit which justify having a Gravel Train, probably on the garden side.
Blog being updated and will be published shortly.

That does all look extremely good and believable.

I have replied before, but the forum server didn't load it.


Anyway, what a brilliant job your'e doing with your superb line, it will be exceptional when it's finished I am sure. The way you are constructing the embankment shows us what attention to detail you have. Looking forward to seeing more of this brilliant construction.

I finished the embankments area by laying the last of the gravel in the creek bed.

My blog with descriptions and pictures has been updated
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... -2023.html

Looking good!

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of trains trundling over those bridges...

Glad you are happy with it and it does look fine, but to my mind it actually looked better yesterday with the 'dirty yellow water' showing between the gravel banks.

Andrew wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 8:43 am Looking good!

I'm looking forward to seeing pictures of trains trundling over those bridges...

Well OK just because you asked I'll force myself to run some trains to get a picture.
The line I'll use to SWMBO will be "they asked to see pictures of trains on the bridge so I can't let them down".

philipy wrote: ↑Wed Feb 08, 2023 9:19 am Glad you are happy with it and it does look fine, but to my mind it actually looked better yesterday with the 'dirty yellow water' showing between the gravel banks.

Thanks Philip; now you have started me thinking about taking up some of the gravel, shouldn't be hard to do just wet it with warm water and use a paint scraper.

I think it looks GREAT. Maybe a few plastic 'bushes' or some reeds?

gregh wrote: ↑Fri Feb 10, 2023 8:19 am I think it looks GREAT. Maybe a few plastic 'bushes' or some reeds?

Thinking of a few bits of turf offcuts as long grass growing in the dry creek bed.
Also thinking of putting in a line to a gravel pit, non operational points similar to what I did in the back corner to suggest a line into the bush, when the plants grow a bit more they will hide the fact the line is a dead end.
The 2 lines will provide justification for my log train and the gravel train.
https://ringbalin-light-railway.blogspo ... train.html