Connecting 3 stacked railway sleepers

[ambercelery]

Hi

I am wanting to stack 3 railway sleepers on top of each other. I doubt they would fall due to the weight - but to be safe I want to connect them together.
What is the best way of doing this?

I'm sure I saw this on a gardening programme some time ago, where some metal dowels were sledgehammered through them all (into pre-drilled holes of course)

Or would i be best to countersink two holes (top and bottom) and fix with long steel threaded rods - and then nuts, countersunk on top and bottom

 

[Thermo]

what are they being used for?

 

[ambercelery]

well, they dont really have a use but they will act as a kind of separating wall between my table and chairs on my decking and the grassed area.

they are 2.4 metres long, and will be used to kind of prevent anyone from moving chairs backwards and falling off the decking onto the lawn.

i guess as there will be 3 stacked ontop of each other they will no doubt get used as seating too, and my children will probably climb/walk on them

 

[SteNova]

i'd want them bolted, falling backwards off them then having them follow me down to the ground and hitting me wouldn't be idea

threaded bar, bolted down to the strongest part of the decking, with some plates underneath to spread the load

 

[ambercelery]

they wont actually be sat on the decking but butted up close against it. At present the idea was to put the bottom one directly on the topsoil (very compacted hard horrible mud) once it has been levelled a bit.
or should i bed the bottom one in cement or something too?

 

[Thermo]

they can be bedded direct onto the soil. if they are only 3 high then the easiest option is to use timberlock fastenings on each course as you put them up. they will want a post or two behind screwed to the sleepers though to stop any sideways movement.