Concrete Roadbed , Not as Hard as One Thinks.

by Marty Cozads

This is the fourth garden railroad I've done in 10 years using concrete roadbed.  It's not for everyone, but being in home construction for almost 20 years know I personally would not use any other method.

In the first photo I had one area that was not yet concreted.

Photo 1

After packing fill dirt very well with a gas powered packer I grade the roadbed 1 1/2" lower than my desired track height.  If your not on fill dirt you will just need to shave the grass off.

In the photos you will note the basic tools used for the job like a shovel, levels, a hammer, and some 5 gallon buckets for mixing . Here I dug out 1.5 to 2 " deep. After removing the track which was already in place.

Photo 2

Photo 2 shows the forms I made with scrap 3/8" plywood that I had ripped on a table saw.  Also visible are the 1X2 stakes used to hold the forms in place. I always set the inside of a curve first so the outside form can be slightly elevated by one half bubble in the level.  This will allow a little elevated curve.

I have used drywall screws to attach the forms to the stakes but here I used a brad nailer for speed. This 22ft section will take about 4 hours to do.

Note the 3/8" re bar wired together in the roadbed. 3/8" is easier to bend.  Rebar does help keep the concrete from cracking, and I encourage it's use.

Note the levels used. The forms do not have to be perfectly lined with the track, but should be close.

Photo 3

Photo3 is more of a close-up because the roadbed under the shovel is the start to the grade going to the highline bridge.

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