Large Scale Central

A Raised Road Bed: A build log for the RGS raised layout.

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#601

Since Devon’s build log is up tp page 31 already, I figured I better get out there and do sumthin on mine…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

Since we a crew out here the last couple of days working on our front walk and since they had a bunch of extra screenings, I thought I’d put it to some use.

Got a lot of this lower end done.

We’ll see how long this stuff takes to disappear…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

http://www.largescalecentral.com/articles/170/a-raised-roadbed-part-8-odds-n-ends

#602

that looks good.

(but i think, i said that before)

#603

Ken, that’s really gorgeous, and I mean it.

Do you have dirt bleeding thru your mesh. requiring occasional re-filling of dirt?

Do you want to plant trees? If so, and you’ve prob already thunk this, but you might install pots (with holes at the bottom and supports from beneath, e.g., concrete blocks) for deeper potting soil, and dedicated sprayers for them.

===>Cliffy

#604

Thanks Cliff. I haven’t noticed any dirt sifting through the screen. It would be noticeable on the higher sections and I haven’t seen any. It’s mostly just a lot of settling right now which will require some more fill.

Any trees I plant will be outside the layout. There’s 2 now and both are planted in the pots with the bottoms cut out and plenty of dirt around them. And what’s planted in the Mancos area are all the same way.

I bought another 50’ roll of the 1/2" tubing and a few more emitter heads and plan to start laying that out in Mancos.

#605

Ken, your 31 pages has a much more completed railroad than my 32. I can only imagine how many pages I will have when I reach your stages of completion.

But your layout really gives me inspiration to get it going. I am really excited to see what I can do with the bench work. Yours looks really great all landscaped and planted. Hard to believe its elevated. I am motivated.

Oh and I to am a bit curious on your plants. I was thinking, especially for trees, to cut holes and frame in areas of the bench work that will hold gallon pots. Maybe I missed it but are you planting directly into the dirt and if so how does stuff stay watered. Seems it would drain away to fast. I will have to go back and revist your thread and articles now that I have this specific question.

#606

Devon Sinsley said:

Ken, your 31 pages has a much more completed railroad than my 32. I can only imagine how many pages I will have when I reach your stages of completion.

Page 64. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-tongue-out.gif)

But your layout really gives me inspiration to get it going. I am really excited to see what I can do with the bench work. Yours looks really great all landscaped and planted. Hard to believe its elevated. I am motivated.

Uh huh.

Oh and I to am a bit curious on your plants. I was thinking, especially for trees, to cut holes and frame in areas of the bench work that will hold gallon pots. Maybe I missed it but are you planting directly into the dirt and if so how does stuff stay watered. Seems it would drain away to fast. I will have to go back and revist your thread and articles now that I have this specific question.

HE just posted that trees will be outside the layout, and he is putting in drip irrigation heads for the GLTs he has. (Green Leafy Things)

#607

Looks great Ken!

#608

Ken, that looks amazing! (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-cool.gif)

#609

Devon Sinsley said:

But your layout really gives me inspiration to get it going. I am really excited to see what I can do with the bench work. Yours looks really great all landscaped and planted. Hard to believe its elevated. I am motivated.

Oh and I to am a bit curious on your plants. I was thinking, especially for trees, to cut holes and frame in areas of the bench work that will hold gallon pots. Maybe I missed it but are you planting directly into the dirt and if so how does stuff stay watered. Seems it would drain away to fast. I will have to go back and revisit your thread and articles now that I have this specific question.

Thanks Devon.

That’s one of the reasons I kept a Build Log, so that others with similar plans on a raised layout could see the possibilities with this method. I also had hoped that anyone with previous experiences with raised layouts could offer suggestions, which has certainly helped.

Now, on to your question. There is one place I built a small planter box that’s attached to the underside of the layout in Delores. But it only holds a Sedum and it was done as an experiment to see if that plant did any better by having one. There are 3 others in the same area that were planted directly in the dirt without a planter box and they seem to be doing just fine that way. None of these plants are in pots. They are small groundcovers so the root system doesn’t go all that deep.

However, if I was to plant a small shrub or tree in that same area, I would definitely use a planter box for it since the root system will be deeper. I did build the planter box with some leftover PVC board and drilled a few holes in the bottom.

Now, in the Mancos area, where the module sits closer to the ground, everything in that area was planted in it’s pot, with plenty of dirt added around and under it. Also if I planted a larger shrub in that area I would build a planter box that would extend to ground level, fill it with plenty of dirt, and plant it directly in the soil.

Right now I’m installing a drip irrigation system to help keep things watered and have had suggestions on how to accomplish it by a few others.

At the bottom of page 29 this is discussed: http://www.largescalecentral.com/forums/topic/23559/a-raised-road-bed-a-build-log-for-the-rgs-raised-layout?page=29

#610

Ken, on the old Shasta Pacific I had very good luck with potting beds built into the table top even with the extreme temp changes.

In the first picture I built a hanging box from Cedar boards and lined it with ground cloth, then hid the edges with a wire and stucco rock/dirt burm.

The box was deep and wide enough to allow 4-5 inches of soil around the outside of the one gallon pots.

In the second picture you can get a feel for the results, with the trees planted in their pots and the ground cover and sprinklers in.

#611

Looks great! Great idea! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Easy now Devon … You should have track down first!

#612

That’s similar to what I had in mind, Rick. Thanks.

I built a few planter boxes to hang on the front of the Delores module. Just plain boxes built from the PVC board and painted gray. Hadn’t given much thought yet to hanging them or what I plan to put in them.

In the other areas, up near Mancos where the modules are close to ground level I had planned on similar planter boxes but built directly on the ground with no bottom, then filled with soil and plants added. What had me stymied was how to hide the boxes so they blend in to the layout. I like your arrangement, not to mention your choice of plants…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif) Maybe I’ll work on that shortly (once the weather cools down some).

Keep those ideas comin, Rick. I’m writin’em all down…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#613

What I’d also like to mention is that I am tickled to death with this irrigation system. Took about 2 hours to get it set up in the Mancos area.

Drilled a hole on either side and ran the main through, then added a Tee fitting.

Then clamped the main on both sides of the layout.

The stakes that hold the emitter heads wok great in this area.

With a 180 emitter head it’ll reach 2 or 3 plants.

I was surprised at just how wide an area one head will cover.

I had the water turned on while I was doing all this so I could adjust the heads while I was installing them. Got a couple of snoot fulls when adding the 1/4" tubing to the main. Felt good with the hot weather…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#614

Lots of fun, aren’t they? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

#615

Cliff Jennings said:

Lots of fun, aren’t they? (http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

And cheap, too…(http://www.largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

I do have one area I may have to keep an eye on. Where it comes through the bench work to the outside of the layout.

I may by an elbow fitting to replace this.

#616

Looking good, Ken. April, or May, for the PA Ops?

#617

Sean McGillicuddy said:

Looks great! Great idea! (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-laughing.gif)

Easy now Devon … You should have track down first!

Planting won’t happen until next year at the soonest. but I want to be able to build it into the bench work(http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#618

Bruce Chandler said:

Looking good, Ken. April, or May, for the PA Ops?

I’ll have to think about that over the winter Bruce. Late April, early May. The RR appears to be able to handle 4 trains at once. I found a glitch in the roster. It had a bunch of cars labeled as “Caboose”, so they weren’t moving. Took me awhile to find that.

#619

I had the water turned on while I was doing all this so I could adjust the heads while I was installing them. Got a couple of snoot fulls when adding the 1/4" tubing to the main.

Gee, the P&CS really discourages drinking on the job. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-surprised.gif)

And you know, you do need to keep them parking lots well irrigated. (http://largescalecentral.com/externals/tinymce/plugins/emoticons/img/smiley-wink.gif)

#620

great idea Ken, easy to access if repairs are needed too. Looks like you should have little problem of plants not getting water, unless a critter gnaws on a hose