The Roadbed
The railroad’s construction is unique through the use of 100% cellular PVC exterior trim board for roadbed, creating wide sweeping curves and best of all is rust, rot and decay resistant. Found at Home Depot under the brand name “Veranda” and at Lowes as “Royal Mouldings”, this paintable interior/exterior trim board bends easily and once laminated together with deck screws is incredibly sturdy. In fact, I’ve even been able to stand on the finished roadbed without issue.
After the track plan was laid out using a garden hose, the various radii (10′ and 12′ minimums) were set with a stake and string and then orange marking paint was sprayed onto the grass outlining the entire mainline. A total of 34 post holes were dug and over 2000 LBS of concrete was mixed and poured to create footings for the 2-3/8″ galvanized fence posts. A valuable lesson quickly learned was the fact that sandy Florida “soil” is not a good holder of posts! The photo above shows the original amount of concrete poured for one of the galvanized posts. Once set, it was found that the concrete and post still moved a considerable amount in the soft sandy soil. The holes for the footings were then expanded and additional concrete was added around most of the posts. The final strength of these footings was critical to handle the tension of the bent roadbed spine which was attached shortly thereafter.
Post spacing was approximately 5-6 feet. I could’ve spaced them further apart but wanted to err on the side of “better too close than too far apart”, especially since they were being set in concrete. Once all the post footings were fully cured a spinning laser level was placed in the center of the yard in the dark of night and each post was marked where the laser beam hit it. This assured a nearly perfect degree of “levelness” around the entire run. Each post was then trimmed down and actual roadbed construction could begin.
The “spine” of the roadbed was attached to each post with a u-bolt allowing slight up and down adjustments, great for fine-tuning track level. Bending the 1×6 spine from post to post was surprisingly easy. Using ratchet clamps to hold the sections as they were being screwed together was a real headache saver.
Attaching subsequent sections of spine was accomplished by securing a connector block with 5 deck screws to the end of one section and temporarily attaching it to the next spine section with a single deck screw which allowed easy leveling. Once the new spine section was attached to the next post and leveled, 4 more deck screws were added to the connector plate thus permanently securing it.
The edges of the roadbed were radiused with a handheld angle grinder to simulate a gravel base, then black rubberized truck bed liner was applied using a roller. This material has a chunky texture which helped achieve the simulated gravel. After the truck bed liner dried, a light coating of gray/white spatter paint was applied. Available in most auto parts stores, spatter paint comes in spray cans and is originally intended for restoration of auto trunks. Both the rolled-on truck bed liner and spatter paint have held up well in the hot and wet Florida weather.
The Track
AMS narrow gauge code 250 brass flex track is used throughout and most of the turnouts are AMS as well. Two switches are from Sunset Valley and work flawlessly. Brown panel nails through the ties are used to hold the majority of the track in place. Because the expansion rates for the rail and ties are slightly different than the PVC roadbed I decided that large portions of the curves needed to “float” to avoid kinks from summer heat exposure. Split Jaw rail clamps keep the rail together in the curves and slip rail joiners allow for slight expansion and contraction in the straight sections. With some fine tuning the system has so far proven to work well through our hot and cold seasons.
The Trestle
The high-quality 36″ long redwood trestle came from BridgeMasters (www.bridge-masters.com) and was cut in very easily by sawing through the roadbed with a handsaw. Additional 2-3/8″ galvanized posts were set in concrete at the ends of the new opening for added strength to the roadbed.
The Steam-up Bay
A useful feature of the railroad is the “sunken” steam-up bay where two yard tracks are positioned at a comfortable height offering easy access to engines especially during the steam-up process. The tracks are elevated above the table surface which allows ample room for tools, fuel, oil, water, etc. A small red painter’s bucket fits nicely below the track and serves as a movable blown-down catch container.
As some of my neighbors can attest to, I often worked well into the night with bright halogen shop lights blazing. When the power tools went silent at 9:00pm I’d grab hand tools and keep going. The steam-up table is built on four 4×4 treated posts set in concrete with pressure-treated framework and decking to top it off. Once the table was stained I installed two steam-up tracks using the same PVC trim board construction method as for the mainline. Wherever I needed a switch the roadbed was mitered together to accept #6 turnouts.
Two 9-foot adjustable umbrellas complete the table. Now I can comfortably steam-up my engines in the cool shade.
The Observation Deck
Not only did I want this railroad to be an easily accessible and functional line, I also wanted open viewing locations that would double as entertainment areas when not running trains. The biggest challenge was that I still wanted to be able to see the wilderness area behind the property so it was imperative that the structure not be too tall. The aesthetic solution I landed upon required additional excavation of the sloping yard to build a unique sunken wooden deck in the middle of the railroad. The deck would be surrounded by a retaining wall and low bench seating along with a 36″x36″ slate base in the middle for a freestanding fire pit.
I determined that a floor level of 28″ below the top of the track was sufficient for the viewing area and proceeded to dig out an area for the first of 9 retaining wall panels. All excavated dirt was relocated elsewhere on the railroad. In hopes of prolonging the life of the treated 2×12’s boards making up the retaining wall, heavy-duty tar paper intended for roofing was tacked onto the back side were the wall would come into contact with soil.
The deck itself is symmetrical and has step-off areas on each side of the bench. Framing consists of 2×6 treated lumber and the surface is 1×6 treated pine decking. Low-voltage landscape wire, 120v power, and stereo speaker wires run below the decking to the bench area. Sections of 2×10 treated and stained lumber serve as the cap for the wall, wide enough to create additional seating space. Using the center cap board as the upper step, stairs were added to get in and out of the main deck area.
Jasmine Crossing
Another challenge was to create a pedestrian crossing to get from the patio to the deck. The steps were constructed in the center of the deck where two turnout throws were also located. To avoid tripping over/destroying the delicate brass switch stands, I placed a water tank next to them and split the walking path. Sunken railroad ties are used for stepping “stones” and provide nice contrast against the lighter pea gravel surrounding them. Real stones are used as entry steps and are mortared into place in the dry river bed.
Cow Catcher Crossing
With the railroad being built on a sloping lot, the highest part of the yard is closest to the house and patio and where the tracks are at their lowest point above ground. I needed to construct a simple yet safe path to cross over the tracks and enter the steam-up area.
It just so happens that the elevation of the roadbed there is about the same height of a railroad tie. Placing a tie on both sides of the mainline provided an adequate step-over. Good visual contrast between the track and the railroad tie was necessary to avoid mis-steps which could potentially injure someone or worse, damage the trackwork! To solve that issue a thin border of light colored pea gravel sits on a PVC board “shelf” attached to underneath the roadbed and extends a short distance to the mitered sections of railroad ties. Painted black, the PVC gravel shelf is not noticeable once the rocks are in place.
The outside portion of the railroad required a step-up structure to match the height of the crossing so a small deck with a bench was built. The same construction method and look for the main observation deck was used for continuity. The two center posts on the outside are set in concrete and support the bench which is wide enough to comfortably seat 3 adults. Turns out that it’s a neat place to watch trains go by.
“Cow Catcher Crossing” is named after the special feature built into the back of the bench which resembles a pilot beam on a shay locomotive, complete with a link and pin coupler. The entire coupler, including the link and the pin, is made out of PVC! Textured outdoor paint is used to make the coupler look old and heavy while the pilot beam and step are painted to look like the classic weathered red front ends found on some Westside Lumber Company engines. The step below the coupler is a fine place for a few potted plants.