(Chris) wrote:

Hello Chris

C I have a fairly shallow grassy slope in the garden that I
C would like to turn into steps using railway sleepers.

C Can I just dig out a flat platform and plonk the sleepers on
C to the earth or do they need to be pegged or bedded in
C somehow?

Sometimes, yes. But if used a lot they might drop - and you might need
rammed hardcore or even concrete bases - but that's in extreme cases
(commercial traffic).

If you can bury the ends it helps a lot too.

That said, are you sure sleepers are the best thing?

They get slippery when wet, and if in shady areas can get positively
lethal. Also, many sleepers weep oil when warm (softwoods especially),
and if it's near the house you'll soon be tramping black footprints on
your carpets.

--
Simon Avery, Dartmoor, UK Ý http://www.digdilem.org/