Re-cycled plastics

[Jon Nazareth]

Dear Simon

I looked at your link and all is clear now.  I wished that I had seen it before I had conjured up my own scheme but never mind, I'll stay with my brackets now.  I like the way that you have planted a hedge, (is it Box?) hard up against the track, I think it works very well.  Did you use the felt to cover just the top surfaces of the base boards or did you extend it down and over the edges/sides?  I'm going to have some fun trying to bend 18mm ply around my curves to act as a stretcher but, I'll give it a go.  I'm going to try and load a photo but they don't always work for me. 

You can just see where I've started fixing the brackets to the wall on the left.  The wall is straight for about 9m and then the curve starts for another say, 8m.  I'm going to cut the curved bases with a jig saw after first marking out with patterns cut from pieces of 4' wide cardboard that I just happen to have.

Regards
Jon

P.S.  The photo download didn't work

[Jon Nazareth]

It says that the picture is 1.52mb but I don't know how to make it smaller 

Jon

[Andy B]

Jon,

If you're using Windows, you should be able to right click on your picture file (in the directory), then pick 'Resize Pictures'. You should then get a selection of sizes to choose from. Try the smallest first.
Hopefully that should get it small enough.
Andy

[Steve Cook]

Hi Jon

90% of the hedge is Lonicera Nitida, albeit a mix of three different varieties, you can pick out the different colours in the photo on the previous page. I used box in a couple of places so I could compare how the two plants fare in my garden. The box is much slower growing, it takes at least twice as long, probably three times as long to as the Lonicera to reach the trackbed (nominally 22" off the ground) and fill out properly. Once it has done that though, it doesn't require trimming every three weeks like the Lonicera.

That said, I would just use Lonicera next time, I enjoy being able to sculpt and shape the hedge next to the track and I have had everything from embankments leading up to the track to the state now where I have small cuttings instead. The Lonicera also allows you to grow and shape trees which amuses me no end, its like indoor modelling but seeing what nature gives you to work with instead.

As for the felt, it was cut flush with the edge of the trackbed for the first year. At the start of the second year I added the strips of ply to the side and ran silicon sealant along the joint between the new ply side and the felt to create a small well for the ballasting. If you want to fold it over the sides then you should really radius the edge of the trackbed and be prepared to heat the felt as you fold it over. I have a friend who did exactly that and the felt has survived eight years and counting...

Steve

[Geoff Nicholls]

here's Jon's picture

[Jon Nazareth]

I think that most of this thread should be in Track Laying/Making but nearly there now.

One final question.  What sort of gap should be allowed between ends of track to allow for expansion?  Or, is it not something we worry about?

Jon