Garden Railway Forum

Hi, looking at putting my small layout, literally an oval, couple of siding's and passing loop on my patio at waist height. Pillars in the ground or fixed to fence are not viable options. So what potential alternatives are there?

Initial thought is to raise the track with stacked hollow breeze blocks, placed on their sides, two on two as pillar's, with planks, or an alternative flat surface between them. With some sort of side walls attached to the planks to stop stock falling off.

Suggestions, recommendations, or links to YouTube clips greatly appreciated. Thanks

Breeze blocks sound like a good option. Relatively cheap if you get them from a builders merchant.
Are you wanting the structure to be temporary and removable rather than permanent?

Rik

How about a folding table? Available in a variety of sizes and materials, some suitable to be left outdoors for a while. Easier and cheaper than piles of blocks and less of an eyesore when not in use. Takes up little space for storage. Also available for alternative uses if required.

ge_rik wrote: Mon May 11, 2026 7:23 am Breeze blocks sound like a good option. Relatively cheap if you get them from a builders merchant.
Are you wanting the structure to be temporary and removable rather than permanent?

Rik

I want it permanent but there's a good chance it could expand and change over time, hence not looking at drilling through or removing stones.

Peter Butler wrote: Mon May 11, 2026 10:27 am How about a folding table? Available in a variety of sizes and materials, some suitable to be left outdoors for a while. Easier and cheaper than piles of blocks and less of an eyesore when not in use. Takes up little space for storage. Also available for alternative uses if required.

Thought about something similar to this, local builders shop does folding trestles, concern was ensuring can't be kicked shut, but thinking there maybe something I could use like sandbags, I could put on the cross legs.

This is a link to a heavy duty folding table similar to ones which I use to display my models at exhibitions. They are strong enough to support even fairly large live steam models and have secure diagonal bracing which can't be accidentally kicked down.
They don't sag in the middle and are easily folded flat for storage..... Highly recommended!

https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257352041889?_s

Peter Butler wrote: Mon May 11, 2026 1:45 pm This is a link to a heavy duty folding table similar to ones which I use to display my models at exhibitions. They are strong enough to support even fairly large live steam models and have secure diagonal bracing which can't be accidentally kicked down.
They don't sag in the middle and are easily folded flat for storage..... Highly recommended!
https://www.ebay.co.uk/itm/257352041889?_s

They look good at a decent price, how well do you think they would handle being left outside? Or potentially cover them with something.

The tops are made of hard plastic and are strengthened by honeycomb castings on the underside. Metal parts are sturdy and possibly powder coated?
As they fold in half they are slim in storage and would easily fit into a small shed, under stairs or in a passageway. Outdoors I would cover with plastic sheet when not in use and stand above the ground surface.
My link was for comparison only, other suppliers are available but look very similar.

I would be inclined to approach this from the surface downwards I think. If you were to make a wooden assembly of what you want to put the track on and then create legs to hold it at the desired height from the patio with struts between them to give stability. As my garden railway structure developed and finally completed the oval I was pleasantly surprised at how rigid the whole structure became. Everything can be screwed together which makes disassembly quite straightforward for when you want to modify it. You can have a custom designed amount of surface area where you want it and the whole thing is linked together. I can foresee problems with tying a wooden surface firmly to piles of breeze blocks and timber legs will occupy much less space,

Phil

I used racking to build part of my layout, it is sturdy but light weight.

GAP wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 10:24 pm I used racking to build part of my layout, it is sturdy but light weight.

I like that idea, and will look into it. Have you put any form of cover or protection on it?

Wet Woking Neil wrote: Thu May 14, 2026 12:31 am

GAP wrote: Tue May 12, 2026 10:24 pm I used racking to build part of my layout, it is sturdy but light weight.

I like that idea, and will look into it. Have you put any form of cover or protection on it?

The steel is powder coated straight out of the box, it is workshop racking.
The timber will get a coat of paint and as it is under cover it will be OK.
If I was doing this on a verandah/porch I would paint the timber with exterior paint.

Hi, I’ve just noticed your post about raising a garden railway to waist height, which is what I had to do when I downsized with a small garden and a large patio around the conservatory. My railway stands 32 inches high and is built from recycled timber posts, pallets and new decking boards for the baseboards. From the attached pictures you will see the posts sit on kitchen cabinet legs to help protect the posts from rotting and also for levelling the baseboards. I should add that I built this 5 years ago.
Ok, I was fortunate in having to replace some fence posts which had the rotten bottoms removed and the remainder was cut in half to provide 2 posts. Also, my daughter & son in law had a new bathroom suite delivered on a very large pallet that once broken down provided some decent length boards to space the legs lengthwise apart with smaller pallets providing timber for the width. I was therefore able to build 3 baseboards each approximately 8 foot long and 2 foot wide.
The layout is end to end with the boards on the patio being joined by a smaller width baseboard supported on 4 legs that are buried into a flower bed.
Just something else for you to consider but it may not be everyone’s cup of tea but having a garden railway at waist height, I find is a blessing.
Good luck with yours.
Ray

PS I’m busy laying some dual gauge track if you think the boards look a little sparse

Clever idea to use the kitchen cabinet legs - not only for adjustment, but also to discourage the dreaded rot ....

Rik

Selhurst wrote: Thu May 21, 2026 9:00 pm Hi, I’ve just noticed your post about raising a garden railway to waist height, which is what I had to do when I downsized with a small garden and a large patio around the conservatory. My railway stands 32 inches high and is built from recycled timber posts, pallets and new decking boards for the baseboards. From the attached pictures you will see the posts sit on kitchen cabinet legs to help protect the posts from rotting and also for levelling the baseboards. I should add that I built this 5 years ago.
Good luck with yours.
Ray

PS I’m busy laying some dual gauge track if you think the boards look a little sparse

Hi, my situation sounds similar to yours in a small garden and half of it is on my patio. If I use wooden legs I'll sit them on breeze blocks to keep them off the ground and probably ply (or similar) squares to keep at the right height. I assume that is roofing felt on the surface to keep things dry but how do you get rain to run off it? Thanks.

Hallo
look on occasion here: viewtopic.php?t=13535
i have the same problem, a Gardenrailway for sometime

The feets of my Layout are waterpipes from PVC.
I hope that i can this year continue to build.
Regards from
Germany

Hi, Yes you’re right I have covered the boards in roofing felt but it was originally as built (see attached picture). I found that some of the decking boards were twisted and I hoped that screwing them down with a bit weathering they might lay flat over time. No chance so out came the black & decker and I planned down the worst areas and covered it all in roofing felt.
The boards are fairly level and the majority of the rain literally runs off but it does pool in places but it’s amazing how soon the pooling soon dissipates much to my amazement. However, it might have been a different story if I had ballasted the track but I never intended to go down that road.

Selhurst wrote: Sun May 24, 2026 11:52 am Hi, Yes you’re right I have covered the boards in roofing felt but it was originally as built (see attached picture). I found that some of the decking boards. No chance so out came the black & decker and I planned down the worst areas and covered it all in roofing felt.

Generally thinking wood (or alternative) with some form of drainage holes/slotes, small sides to use gravel ballast. If i don't use gravel then roofing felt sounds a good idea. Not made my mind up as to how raise it, initally on patio but if expand may be onto soil. Seen some good ideas on here ranging from the racking to tables or wood legs think 4" x 4" should be strong enough and looking for old pallets for cross planks.

If you do use wood, do not put drainage holes through it, I absolutely guarantee that it will rot from those holes.

philipy wrote: Sun May 24, 2026 10:04 pm If you do use wood, do not put drainage holes through it, I absolutely guarantee that it will rot from those holes.

Trouble is not having water sat on it. Better options?