What Shawn said. They look more natural that way too.
Depending on the rock I bury 1/3-2/3s of the rock. A section of my “dry wash” had no rocks and most of it washed away and we live on the desert! I spent most of yesterday installing rocks, re-leveling track and re-ballasting. It’s not done yet but the majority of it is.
We are having perfect weather for working on the layout and battling Mother Nature!
I have to make a rock run Saturday or Sunday so I can get my track fixed.
I spent the better part of this week so far digging in the garden.
I’m good there for now so I can do some MOW work.
I have all the outhouses cleaned so the boss said I can help out the track crew.
Strange they never help me clean the out houses on the old Limestone Ridge Line.
Maybe I get a raise? I can use it moneys tight ain’t had a payday in 3 wks.
I think you guys are off the mark on the weed barrier. I would agree with your theory if the barrier was on a slope. From the picture it looks relatively flat to me. If you look to the right of the track in the 2nd picture, there is an indentation or small trench running parallel with the track. I assume that small indentation was originally flat and even with the roadbed. That is your culprit. So you have to figure out why the ground sunk there. Which opened up room for the ground next to it (which was where the track was resting) to move and then the small mound with it. Think of it like a “domino effect.” From the pictures I can’t see what is under the deck. There has to be a void here. I’m assuming this is the trench you speak of David? As I am a Mining Engineer and Slope stability is on our minds all the time, here are a few suggestions. Filling the trench is definately one, but I think you said it is not possible. To avoid filling the trench you can build a small rock wall in the side of the trench. A very simple way is pile some rocks up and then backfill. It is probably the most cheap way but the least stable. You can use concrete block and build a small stacked wall and then backfill. This costs a little more but is more stable. Depending on the height of the block wall you may need to anchor it. This is done by attaching cable or something like it to the back of the wall and then backfill over it. This prevents the wall from getting pushed over by the hydrostatic pressure of the dirt behind the wall. I tried to make a crude example of what I am talking about.
(http://i1128.photobucket.com/albums/m489/jake3404/Rockwalloptions.jpg)
In this picture I put where the movement is. Then the rock wall option and then the block wall option. I may be off on the actual topography, but this is how I understand it to be.
Here is an excellent primer on retaining walls for garden railroads written by Paul Race, one of the early and current Gurus of Garden Railroading.
It even has 8 X 10 glossy photos with arrows and a paragraph written on the back of each one. Oh, wait, that was something else… 
Anyway, I think you will find some good ideas here.
Well the weather was so nice I went out and worked on the ROW. Sees how the head outhouse cleaner has to do everything. I have some pics so you can see what I have done so far. I still need to get some cracker dust to finish leveling the track and I need to fill in here and there and do some leveling all around the track.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/PICT0406.JPG)
And here.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/PICT0405.JPG)
Well the pressure treated lumber I used to hold the stones in place was under my deck, leftovers from a previous job, forgot I had them. Also had some pond pebles I hadn’t used I used 3 bags to fill in along the track. What do you think?
Looks good Dave. That should keep things in place now. When do the trains start running?
I think you solved your problem Dave. An excellent way to keep the ground from moving.
Looks good. Where’s the picture of the outhouse?
Nice work David, let’s see those trains rollin
I still have some more work to do along the pond, and a little weed work should be running soon. You can’t make out the outhouse too good but the first pic of the last two pics, way off in the distance to the right of the track the dark blob is a brown outhouse. It is this outhouse
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/outhouse.jpg)
David, great progress in the last week!
I was working on thje ROW this afternoon, wen my dog give me a scare.
She chased a rabbit n it went right between my feet.
I almost had to go wipe after that one. I didn’t get any pics today.
Someone should have been here to get a vid of that you would have LYAO.
Hey David you could have sent the video into Americas Funniest Video’s and maybe won $10,000.00. LoL
You know David, you were lucky. At least the dog didn’t follow the rabbit!
Doug, oh yes she did, but I moved before she got there. Well I did some chacker dust haulling today. Check out these pics. Took 1 load off before I come to my sences and got a picture.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/1down.JPG)
This is where I put 4 cart load of stone.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/prestone.JPG)
This is what I used to transport the stone and the manual stone loader and unloader.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/transporter.JPG)
This is the pile with 4 load of stone, and I placed 2 load around the track the far end is too difficult to get the trailer around, too tight to turn around.
(http://freightsheds.largescalecentral.com/users/paps101line/_forumfiles/load6.JPG)
The traiter when I finished I was too tired to get a picture of that but you can use you imagination on that.
You were probably also too tired for “words!” Great progress!
I paid $19.00 for the stone and $5.00 for transporting cost so I got enough stone to finish the job for a total of $24.00.
I am getting ready shortly to go for a load of rocks. That’s a bit further so it will cost about $8.00 to transport the rocks here.
So that will total about $32.00 for the track repair and the up grade.
Not too bad.
I will keep you posted on the progress.
Maybe a picture of the rocks when I get home if I don’t forget.
Between that and your labor that’s a good deal!
Doug, I am jealous of his garden tractor and trailer.