I've been thinking about building a little narrow-gauge railroad, which would actually be easier than building roads across my property. the problem with using traditional wooden ties and stakes/spikes is the soil here is very sandy and liquefies when it rains, so the rails would sink and slide around. the sinking you can fix by having a big enough flange that contacts the ground. for the sliding I was thinking rather than using spikes and ties, of using ground anchors positioned outboard of the rails and knitting the rails together and to the ground anchors with steel cable. the knitting between the rails pulls them toward each other and the knitting of the rails to the ground anchors pulls them apart. terrible drawing attached