Goods yard ground levels

[Ray H]

My layout is circular and represents the 1960s during the changeover from steam to diesel.

 

I have been viewing the Right Track Modelling Landscape DVDs for guidance but have come unstuck as they don’t show one particular area that I have a problem with and work with a bare baseboard rather than with track already laid and tested.

 

 

The image shows the situation I’m endeavouring to address. The pink extruded polystyrene is on the outside edge of the layout and will be stuck to the baseboard and covered with plaster bandage and grass (etc.). The adjacent area of bare baseboard is the vehicular (road) access to the outermost (siding) track of a minimalistic goods facility. The next track is a transfer siding and the other two tracks are the two platforms roads of a single track passing station.

 

Barry Norman’s suggestion in the DVDs is that the ground adjacent to the siding tracks is built up with card to the top level of the sleepers. This and the baseboard/cork under where the siding tracks is initially covered with a generous coat of thick PVA, the track laid down and the whole area covered with potter’s grog so that the ground level reaches sleeper top height when dry.

 

I’ve filled the area between tracks with card and have reluctantly come to accept that I shall have to somehow fill the inter-sleeper spaces with the PVA individually. Within reason that’s so far, so good.

 

Where I’m struggling is the covering for the roadway. Do I apply the glue direct to the plywood and then add the grog – I shall be using chinchilla sand instead of grog (but grog is less letters to type), do I put a layer of cork down and then add glue and grog or do I add cork and card before adding the glue and grog?

 

The former keeps the roadway at the same level as the cess alongside the running lines elsewhere on the layout whilst adding cork creates a step between cess and roadway. Both leave a step up between the roadway ground level and the ground level around the tracks.

 

Adding cork and card equates the roadway ground level with that of the ground around the tracks but increases the step up (aka slope) between cess and yard area.

 

Advice on the way to proceed would be welcome.

 

 

[fursty]

Hi Ray

I have watched the DVD as well and enjoyed it. Seeing as you have your track on an underlay and not directly on the baseboard as in the DVD I guess the best course of action would be to build up the yard area with the same underlay. I say this for two reasons, one you will reduce the amount of material required to build up the surface of the yard and secondly if you lay a very thick layer of scenic material in one go it may crack as it dries.

If you don't fancy messing about infilling with the underlay material I think it would be wise to create the yard in a couple of applications. The added benefit of this would be the opportunity to create a more varied undulating surface, Maybe do one layer, stick down some clear sheet in a couple of strategic places and do the second application not obscuring the clear sheet and you can have some puddles into the bargain.

Please let us know what you decide to do and post a pic of the result.

All the best

Martin

[Ray H]

Martin

 

I've done a little experimenting.

 

The track is already laid and I don't want to disturb it so I tried ballasting an experimental piece of track in the traditional way: add ballast (or chinchilla sand in this case), spray with water mist and then use a PVA/water mix to fix the sand down. I probably didn't leave it long enough to dry (and the test bot of track wasn't fixed down so may have moved) but the ballast cracked. However, on the layout there isn't much ballast that isn't hemmed in by sleepers or cardboard so it may not crack.

 

For the yard roadway area I plan to lay a very shallow layer of sand and fix down as with the ballast. The sand laid in this manner on the experimental piece has held firm so I think I shall probably add a couple of thin strips of card along the edge of the sleepers and cover that and the rest of the yard area with cork as you suggest to bring the ground level up to sleeper level and lay the sand atop that. There's no weight on the cork other than the thin sand layer so the lack of total support and the slight slope probably won't be too noticeable especially if the second card strip isn't religiously hugging the first. That will add some variance to the level and look a little more realistic.

 

The first job is to protect the edge of the base board (out of view to the right of the picture) and stop the sand falling off the edge. I also need to plant some plaster bandage over the polystyrene block seen in the picture so that I can cover the edge with sand rather than the other way round.

 

I'll let you know how I get on.