Jim Schneider said:
As we listen to the rain coming down and hope that it helps the dirt get settled in the dug out area of our new layout the talk has turned to roadbed. After searching the forum and reading the posts on using concrete for the roadbed I noticed most of them are 2 to 3 (or more) years old. So I am looking to those of you who have lived with concrete as a roadbed for awhile to give the lowdown on it!
So my questions are;
- how thick did you pour the concrete
- did you use rebar or anything like it
- did you use ballast on top of the concrete
- how well has it worked out for you
- would you do it again or what would you do differently
I need to build this layout as maintenance free as possible and for weed control, leveling and other issues this sounds like it may be the way to go. Any and all tips are greatly appreciated.
Jim
I’ve done some of most every type. Concrete works well, so long as you plan no changes in the future. I’ve seen a couple of different methods used. My method is based on the article published by Marty Cozad over at MLS. I use it under all of my switches and have one straight run against my house that is all concrete.
Answers to your questions…
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About 3.5 inches. I am in the Northeast where we get may freeze-thaw cycles each year.
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Yes. Primarily I use metal wire fencing, cut to fit inside the forms. I have also used pre-cut pieces of Rebar from Home Depot or Lowes. Make sure your reinforcement is supported above the bottom of the pour. When using cut wire fence, I pour an inch or so, drop in a section, pour another inch, then drop in another section.
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Yes and no. I like the look of ballast, but it tends to migrate off the concrete quite quickly. In areas where I have switches, I keep the ballast away from the points. On grades, the rain will wash ballast into my switches which is a constant source of maintenance work.
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I’m very happy with my switch pads and the one section. My current tunnel project will add another section of concrete roadbed between an existing switch pad and the tunnel. I’ve had some slight cracking, but it’s not an operational issue. The roadbed section has been in place about 5 years now and has held up well.
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Yes, where appropriate. For me, appropriate means level runs where the track will never change. My method has evolved a bit, but I’m not planning any major changes.
For me the jury is still out on ladder roadbed. I have a short section in place now, just coming out from the first winter. Frost pushed all of my stakes up, but I was able to easily push them (with the track and roadbed in place) back into the ground in late winter.
Once my tunnel is done, the next project continues an expansion loop. The loop will be built on ladder roadbed which is easier on curves and grades.
