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HDPE Flexible Roadbed Method Part 3 Garden Railroading Primer Articles: All about getting a Garden Railroad up and running wellBest Choices for Beginning Garden Railroaders: a short list of things you're most likely to need when starting out
Large Scale Starter Sets: Begin with a train you'll be proud to runBachmann Garden Trains: Narrow Gauge models designed to run well in your Garden Railroad
Large Scale Track order FormFamily Garden Trains Archive Articles: Other miscellaneous articles about garden railroading
Large Scale Christmas Trains: Trains with a holiday theme for garden or professional display railroads.Free Large Scale Signs and Graphics: Bring your railroad to life with street signs, business signs, and railroad signs
Garden Railroading Books, Magazines, and Videos: Where to go to learn even more
Collectible Trains and Villages: On30 Trains and accessories designed by Thomas Kinkade and others

Written by Paul D. Race for Family Garden Trains(tm)
Photos by Peter Wine for Media Moments

The following photographs were taken by Peter Wine as the Columbus Garden Railway Society installed a public display railroad at the Franklin Park Conservatory, in Columbus Ohio. For more photos, please go to the CGRS's web site, click on "events" then click on the "Franklin Park Rail Raising.


Figure out where the roadbed is supposed to go and fasten it together. This photo shows two railroaders using a 2" block to attach two stringers before the roadbed is curved and clamped.
Once the roadbed is where you want it, in the shape you want it, raise it to the level you need. Spray primer gives a more finished appearance. In this photo, Chuck Coghlan is getting ready to install some track on a stretch that is almost finished. We understand he did find his way back out through the maze.
David Wythe is preparing to saw the top of the post flush with the roadbed.



Cecil (left) and Jack (right) Easterday are installing trestle bents that were prepared inside ahead of time and sawn to length onsite. If you use bents that are supporting the roadbed completely, you may remove the posts. However if the bents are actually supporting the track, you need to provide some means of keeping frost heave from turning your trestle into a roller coaster later. (Of course that's true with any tracklaying method.)
David is installing track (I didn't include any photos of folks using the rail-bender, but they used it plenty).
Backfill the roadbed that is supposed to be at "grade level."
I know it looks good but it's a good idea to slide a car around the railroad once to check for major problems before you start trying to run trains.
Eventually the line blurs between "testing" and "running trains."

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