Water Issue

[Kev Green]

Hi. I had a hernia op a couple of weeks ago so not able to carry Out the groundwork’s on my very modest layout. Before the op I’d started digging out the centre of the bottom loop of my layout with a view to building a wooden platform to lay out my village and station. We are in a relative new build house (4 years old). They have been constructing further housing on fields at the back of the property and I feel this has altered the water table on our estate. Sorry for the waffle but I need some advice. During the last couple of weeks the extensive rain we’ve had has converted my digging out into a pond. The water level seems to have maximised at around 2 to 3 inches below my track.

I’m thinking now of raising that end of the track to make certain the water isn’t going to disrupt the line. There is a slight gradient to the top loop so this in theory would be a way of levelling it. I’ve not considered a raised track even though most people seem to as my wife wanted the track to have a low impact on the garden but it seems to be a sensible move. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions or if not what’s the best way to build the track Ed up?

sorry for the essay rather than a request for help but I hope this makes sense. I’m attaching some photos to give an idea of what’s going on.

 

[Firemangrumpy]

Hi. I see the problem. What is have done on part of mine is hammer stakes in of 2x2 size. Purely because I had some posts lying about. Before hand though I soaked them in oil.
This way I was able to set the levels using a long spirit level.
Then I attached wooden “planks” between each for the track to sit on.
I’d recommend the depth of stake to be twice the height above ground level.

 

[dunnyrail]

By the looks of things you will have a lot of water in that area after any rain, wood will rot very quickly if planted in a water table. Perhaps not the stuff in the water (think Mary Rose) but the bit just above and in contact earth that will be wet.

My suggestion would be to create a raised section using concrete blocks on a sub base of cement. Likely there will be builders rubbish below so not a lot of digging required, create a temporary shuttering for the cement and with the damp you could just dump a bag or two of Postcrete in, lay the blocks quickly and let it do its thing. Postcrete goes off in a few minutes even in water. You will then have a good solid base that should not have problems with the damp.

Looks like a modest pond or bog garden could be created in the area to satisfy the domestic authorities.

 

[Paul M]

The effects of rushing ahead with indiscriminate house building without proper thought!
As Jon says, the best way is to use concrete blocks or bricks, but to make the impact less solid try building a bridge or even a viaduct or 2 along the length of your line.

 

[PhilP]

Your first paragraph gives a clue..
We have had very heavy rain, in parts of the country. - Some, over a month's worth in a few days..

This, and climate-change going forward, should be in our minds when planning our railways.
Digging a hole, creates a sump, for any run-off to collect. How much impervious paving, is to the 'left' in your pictures?
Hard-standing adjacent to the house, is normally laid with a slight fall away from the property, so recent heavy rain will have run-off towards the garden.
With the prolonged wet weather, much of the surrounding land will have reached field capacity. - It can't then absorb any more water, so it sits on the surface.

In areas you will be planting, you can incorporate grit, sand, or organic matter, to improve the soil structure and open it up. - Don't do this where you are laying track, you want the ground to be firm and stable there.
In time, planting will also help.

I would use a solid base, or possibly plastic drain-pipe as uprights. - This will probably outlast you.
You can then use gravel-boards, decking (wood or composite) for laying the track on.
If using wood, you really need a few inches clear of the ground below it. This allows airflow, and it to dry out any condensation.

PhilP

 

[playmofire]

Waiting for a hernia op myself, I think as you recover is a good time to think of getting permission to raise the whole track level, pointing out that in return you are adding a delightful water aspect to the garden. Just bringing the track up 18 inches will future proof things to some degree both from the climate and the ageing process aspects and not impinge too much on the landscape.

 

[Kev Green]

Thanks everyone. Raising the level of the track on the bottom loop seems to be the best solution. There is already a bit of an incline between that and the top loop so it would be great if I can bring it up to the level of that top loop. Has anyone done similar? What’s the best way of finding the level, laser level maybe or string and sticks?

 

[dunnyrail]

Thanks everyone. Raising the level of the track on the bottom loop seems to be the best solution. There is already a bit of an incline between that and the top loop so it would be great if I can bring it up to the level of that top loop. Has anyone done similar? What’s the best way of finding the level, laser level maybe or string and sticks?

Clear tube with water held to a couple of bamboo poles or sticks work well. Water always finds a level.

 

[Rhinochugger]

Hi. I had a hernia op a couple of weeks ago so not able to carry Out the groundwork’s on my very modest layout. Before the op I’d started digging out the centre of the bottom loop of my layout with a view to building a wooden platform to lay out my village and station. We are in a relative new build house (4 years old). They have been constructing further housing on fields at the back of the property and I feel this has altered the water table on our estate. Sorry for the waffle but I need some advice. During the last couple of weeks the extensive rain we’ve had has converted my digging out into a pond. The water level seems to have maximised at around 2 to 3 inches below my track.

I’m thinking now of raising that end of the track to make certain the water isn’t going to disrupt the line. There is a slight gradient to the top loop so this in theory would be a way of levelling it. I’ve not considered a raised track even though most people seem to as my wife wanted the track to have a low impact on the garden but it seems to be a sensible move. Does anyone have any alternative suggestions or if not what’s the best way to build the track Ed up?

sorry for the essay rather than a request for help but I hope this makes sense. I’m attaching some photos to give an idea of what’s going on.View attachment 320702View attachment 320703View attachment 320703View attachment 320705

I'm not a lover of raised garden railways - my personal view is that it changes a garden railway into an outdoors train set, although Dunnyrail's is quite heavily disguised.

It depends how prototypical you want to be. My daughter recently sent me pictures of Brunel's mighty GWR track under water at Swindon of all places - something that I had never heard of before.

The main reason why the local water table suffers a bit of upheaval with building development is the removal of vegetation which would have sucked up a lot of the water. It's eminently possible that it will settle down. In any case, it hasn't yet got to the point of flooding the line, and as Philp says, we've had a lot of rain. A pond in a village near us is now virtually at its 'normal' level, something not seen since the pandemic.

I'd leave it as it is and play trains

 

[Gerard]

Hello Kevin,
I had the same conversation with my wife when starting my track. We choosed to stay at groundlevel between the lawn and the boarders.
So no obstructions for gardening sweeping the leeves or moving grasscutters etc.
For the straight sections I used 1m long concrete slabs 2 inch thick 2 inch wide and layed them between two lays of small bricks in a sand filled cut of 4 inch deep and 10 inch wide.
In the bends i used short slabs with circular ends that fit into each other like a "train".
This solution worked well for already 6 years now and is flexible for maintenance, changes and repairs!
When there is any settlement i just put my shovel 100% into the ground richt next to the bricks and move the handhold so i push sand under the slab and raise the slab.
I fill the space that results behind the shovel with new sand and job is done.
Maintenance by cleaning the slabs from growing stuff once in 5 years is also easy: I lift a part of about 3m rail to about 1 foot height using some blocks and than I scrape clean the slab under the free hanging rail.
(sorry for my "Dutch"english). So I cleaned 150m in half a day.

As for your water drainage problem: dig a big deep hole next to your deepest rail location and fill it with course gravel. Hopefully you will touch/reach a sandy layer at a modest depth that can be used as an drainage.

Good luck,

Gerard