Sleeper retaining wall

[Lyrik]

I have about 50 wooden sleepers for use.

My garden is uneven and not flat so I want to add more soil to lift the level by about 30cm in places.

My idea is to use wooden sleepers as a retaining wall. I should only need the height of one across the back of my garden but my question is how should these be fitted. The responses I have had from landscapers have been very varied.

One suggested there was no weight from an additional 30cm height of soil (the height of the sleeper) and provided it was either connected to tantalised wooden pegs, or even better connected to the 4 inch wooden fence posts the sleepers will sit in front of then this would be no problem.

Another suggested using concrete pegs only and a third suggested the weight would be too great, I should dig a trench and concrete haunch a third of the sleeper underground.

The only problem with the last one is I then lose 10cm of height so would need to add another sleeper on top which would then be too high. I want the top of the sleeper to be lawn height and used as a mowing strip.

Has anybody got any suggestions what would likely work here?

[seanandruby]

Maybe you could use metal joist hangers concreted in and long screws from Screwfix, Wickes, or one of the big sheds to hold them upright, or slightly angled back.

[Forestboy1978]

I have rested wooden sleeper at 20cm height using their own weight an nothing else to hold earth back that rose up above the height of the sleeper even in a mound and they haven't moved. I would imagine you'd be fine without supporting it as landscaper no.1 suggested. You're only getting side force from the soil nearest the sleeper and not a lot of it. If it was higher then the forces would distribute more from middle to edge or whatnot but hardly at all at 30cm height IMO.