Large Scale Central

I need help to settle on a roadbed solution

Track and Trestles
#1

We’ve had our garden railway the past 2 years but the track work has basically been constantly redone. The only promising solution ended up in some disaster, I dug a trench a few inches deep, covered it with landscaping cloth, and filled it with pea gravel, which either caused or contributed to a (minor-ish) flooding issue in our basement after about 10 months (the railway is right next to our house).

The trench has since been filled but I need something to hold up the track. I’m thinking the most realistic option is to place landscaping cloth on the ground and some gravel right on top. Main thing I’m trying to figure out is, what gravel do I use?
The gravel must be pond-safe, previously we used pea gravel, but it’s not very good as it’s not crushed and won’t stay settled. Also, using landscaping cloth on the ground might not be a good idea as I’ve heard?

#2

Don’t know your location but I prefer limestone crusher fines with some 1/4 minus mixed in.

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#3

Is limestone pond safe?

#4

I dig a trench and line it with either landscape fabric or plastic. Then I use concrete aggregate (by the bag from Lowe’s or Home Despot, or by the ton from the local place).

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#5

I’m curious, why would using Landscape cloth on the ground be a bad idea? I thought that was what it was made for.

#6

Hi Max,

In addition to the discussion on fabric and fill materials, I’d really focus on drainage points and routes.

If you have a low point between your roadbed and house, you can do several things, such as:

  • A French drain going from the pond-prone area out to a lower point
  • Same thing, but with a drain box and 4" corrugated drain pipe (I had to do about 4 of those)
  • An exposed “riverbed” for the water to flow out, and a bridge over it
  • Ditto, but using a culvert through your embankment

Cliff

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#7

YES …they use it to clean up streams in Pennsylvania from mining runoff all the time. Might want to monitor the PH level but I’m sure you will be fine. Besides there is a reason some of the best trout steams in PA and the United States are LIMESTONE spring fed waters.

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#8

That’s good to hear, thank you. For clarification I’m not actually putting this stuff into the pond but since our railroad runs around it there is risk of some stuff falling into the pond.

#9

Honestly no clue, I thought people didn’t like that option or something idk

#10

I would think a rock or 2 that small falling into a pond will not be doing much damage to the pond ecosystem, yo I could just stop the gravel a foot or 2 away from the pond on each side and use some blocks or stone that is pond safe as a ramp to the pond crossing

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#11

I am using edging and road base crushed 6mm rock on a plastic weed mat

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#12

I waited for mother nature to show me were I need drainage … if there was a small amount of water I made a drain to help it run off (Cliff’s idea)

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#13

Well, I’m not the one in charge, so I still have to use pond-safe gravel for the whole railway regardless

#14

Well you can tell the government or whoever is in charge that you have an official statement from :rooster: that “true limestone” is certainly “Around Pond” safe and also very nice looking !

If you want to check and see if it is “pure limestone” add a couple drops of white vinegar on top of the stone and if it starts foaming up you got the real McCoy.

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#15

Caveat to this…limestone is used to raise pH in waterways that got acidified from decades of acid rain. It can and will raise pH and total hardness in your pond. Chemically, it acts like the buffers salt water and African Rift Lake aquarium keepers use. If you are keeping koi goldfish, or native fish that like high pH and hard water, you are good to go. That list expands if you are in the tropics. Anyway, even at that, you will need to monitor the water to make sure that pH and hardness remain safe for the species in question. Ponds are closed systems, so leaching from the limestone, evaporation, and refills will work against you.

I picked fill and landscaping material around Lake Inferior’s future inhabitants and selected chemically inert ballast material, which I think is granite.

Eric

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#16

Then you could use fish tank gravel if you’re that worried

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#17

More economical might be to find a pond supply store. They would be the most likely to stock chemically inert material. If you have a good idea of how water moves, you might be able to use aquarium gravel near your pond and another material elsewhere. That’s how we got away with concrete cores for our “mountains.” The water runs off them into the garden but not the pond.

Eric

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#18

About “landscaping cloth”: It has a lifespan. The stuff that’s “guaranteed” for a year, will be self-destructing by next spring (which means it’s only kept weed growth down for one summer). So if you use it at all, get something that’s guaranteed for several years.

Here in Ohio, dust settles in the ballast, weed seeds settle in the dust, and weeds that get half a chance to grow will root right through the “landscaping cloth,” so when you try to pull up the weeds, you pull up the cloth with them. Which can mean pulling up desirable ground-covers, etc. So even if I’m using the highest quality product, it’s not a permanent solution.

Folks in other areas claim better experiences.

The only problem with limestone for me is that our groundwater is already very hard, and every time I have to top off the pond because of lack of rain, I make the pond’s PH higher. That said, my pond is surrounded by limestone “flagstones,” and it doesn’t seem to make the problem any worse. A woman in the area claims that adding a gallon of vinegar once in a while helps.

Just my observations, which may not apply to you. Best of luck!

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#19

Well if some of the limestone ballast falls into the pond not to worry as the herons will pick them out as it’s good for their craw and digestive system.

#20

Thank you for your thorough reply, I also read something along the lines of what you said about the landscaping cloth on an article on family garden trains.