Laying Track Outdoors - Leveling and Ballasting

Leveling

After an unsatisfactory job with laying the track the first time, I took up the track (a loop around a gazebo) and started leveling the base out. I found that by mounding more gravel where the track had laid, in an area just a little taller than 3/4" and about the size of what fell off my shovel, I could tamp this down and get it level. Testing for level was done by using a piece of straight track in the straights and curves for curves. If I put the level on it, and it read level side-to-side, I went on. If not, I adjusted the gravel until it was level side-to-side. The track does not need to be level up and down (in the direction of movement), but MUST be level side-to-side.

Here's a tip: Use a piece of track and a quality combination square with level. Take the ruler section part off (and save the parts ;-)) and use just the head. This will sit nicely on sections of track you use to test for level.

Ballasting

Once the base was level, and the track installed again, I ballasted. I placed shovelfuls of the rock on top of the ties and tried to get it to sit down into the ties. I tried running a locomotive over the track to encourage the rock to settle, and that didn't work. The locomotive derailed before it got anywhere.

I then tried bringing out the snow plow. It's 80 degrees out, and the plow is working... Only on a model railroad, eh? Well, the plow succeded in pushing the bulk of the gravel out of the way that would interfere with the locomotive, but derailed several times itself. The track still didn't LOOK good, though.

After these failures, I decided to try the spray nozzle on the garden hose. This worked really well. By aiming the spray of water towards the rails (to push the rock away from it), I was able to convince the gravel to settle down into the area between the ties and blow most of the extra off. The track now looks decent, and is firmly held in place with the ballast.