benchwork

[Anonymous]

i am switching from n scale to o scale. will pink insulation board on bed slates be strong enough or should i build on plywood?

[cnw1995]

Welcome, Mark. I switched too about a year ago - and boy, am I enjoying it - this is a good place to visit and get advice.. I'm using foam board, but on a much harder base - about 12 feet of gravel on a raised crawlspace. I think it would be a better idea to put the foam on top of plywood. The trains, track and other items you'll add are too heavy for just the foam - assuming you get 1 or 2 inches of foam.

[Anonymous]

Mark

I wish I had started in N or HO because the scenic uses of foam board in O gauge was non-existant . A while ago, all that was used was plywood and plaster. These terrible techniques were due primarily to several old Lionel paperbacks that told us 0gaugers that this was the way to go with LIONEL trains;

I have since employed foam board whenever I can; I have built cities and mountains with the stuff.

I think you will find that the detailing on the newer trains and the animation of the accessories is far nicer in O.

Alan

[Big_Boy_4005]

You could probably get away with 1" foam on a wood frame. 2" foam would just allow you to use less wood. The foam is nice because it's light and easy to work with.

For my layout I'm going with all wood support. 1x4 framing with plywood sub roadbed. Then I'm cutting and shaping 1/2" foam into the finished roadbed.

This photo shows a transition from plywood (which will be hidden) to the carved foam roadbed.

[Buckeye Riveter]

I just love this question [:D][:D][:D][:D] because it is about the only one I can ever answer for anybody.

First, [#welcome] to the CTT forum Mark. Glad to have you aboard.


2" High Density Foam supported by joists spaced at 16".
The joists span the L - Girders which are supported by 2x2
columns and the cross bracing.



O Gauge layout sitting on the foam for the 4th year with no
problems what so ever. There is no plywood under the foam.

Designed and built by the Buckeye Riveter, Professional Engineer, Ohio, Indiana, West Virginia, Kentucky and Michigan. Which means that it will fall down in any other state.[:D][:D][:D] (I really wanted to do this in post tensioned precast concrete but it was a little too messy for Mrs. Buckeye)

I would also like to experiment with 2" diameter Schedule 40 PVC pipe for the legs of the layout instead of 2x2s. This layout has wheels at the bottom of the legs so that I can move it out from the wall and work on the backside. The X-braced legs make this possible.

For more information about L-Girder construction see the easily found book, Model Railroad Benchwork where in the last chapters it discusses foam. Remember it is a model train layout, not a dance floor. [:D]

[Roger Bielen]

Buckeye, any "be carefuls" needed about leaning on the foam bed areas when working on the layout?

P.S. Also make sure any glues and paints are compatible with the foam, a little drop of solvent based glue can leave a crater.

[Buckeye Riveter]

Roger, you don't need to be very careful with the foam because if you break it is very easily repaired. We never broke any constructiing the layout.

If hidden hatches are needed for a layout, one just cuts the foam at an angle much like the top of a Halloween Jack-O-Lantern.

When I added several powered accessories one just uses a 1/4 drill bit that is about 12" long (readily available at Home Deport) and punches the small hole for the wire. No power drill necessary.

Common latex paint is completely compatable and cheap.

[Boonter]

Newby questions.....using foambord over plywood, how is the track attached to the layout? Longer screws into the plywood? And the real question....just exactly what is "foam board" ? Is it the stiff insulation used in place of fiberglass, or is it like the foam packing used in appliance packing? Where and how is it purchased? I'm obviously REALLY inexperienced at this, so much help needed !!!

[Anonymous]

IMHO, 2X4s in benchwork construction are almost always overkill. In the 1950’s Lynn Westcott who worked nearly 50 years in model railroad publishing before his retirement.
had benchwork construction down to a science. His book, “How to build Model Railroad Benchwork”, was 1st published twenty-five years ago and is still available through Kalmback Books for about $15. In it, he describes in great detail how to build benchwork that is rock-steady and easily changed to meet the modeler’s needs. It’s loaded with photographs, diagrams and material reference charts that I found invaluable in building benchwork for my layout. So well thought out were his ideas that many found their way to commercial application. My materials, as suggested by Westcott include 2X2s for legs with L girders made from inexpensive furring strips. Using his basic step-by-step assembly instructions resulted in bencwork that will support more than a ton per leg! I used the same system when I built the large computer station I’m posting from. Had Ken Serenska used Westcott’s system, (He has a link to the book on his beautiful site); He would have found it quick and easy to assemble and disassemble when the layout had to come down. Furthermore, it would have been a breeze to reassemble, or change it if need be. Put you hammer away because there are no nails in Westcott’s benchwork either. Even if you’re not planning to build a layout, this small book makes for great reading if you enjoy building things. My copy was well worn by the time I got around to applying his method of construction.

[Buckeye Riveter]

My track is attached to the foam using deck screws. They are not screwed in, but we just pushed them in through the holes in the RealTrax. The Chief when he visited my layout was able to wiggle the track and move the whole layout. I used a magic marker to color the shinny head of the screw.

[Roger Bielen]

I also used the book dano refers to. Using the L-girt system was light weight and strong. I had/have no problems kneeling on my layout should the need occur. Everything is screwed together and, should I ever decide to relocate the layout, I can disconnect the benchwork sections and take a sawsall to the scenery, only problem is relocated layouts rarely fit a new space.

[lionelsoni]

Roger, I relocated my around-the-walls layout successfully. I designed it with all the complexity in the corners, connected by sections with straight parallel tracks along the 4 walls. Only these had to be adjusted to fit the new room.

Also, I use PVC pipe for legs. A large transverse bolt secures a screw-eye in the top of the leg. The threaded end of the screw-eye goes through the plywood table top and is held with a washer and nut on top. When tightened up, the connection to the table is completely rigid. The legs are easily removed, shortened, or lengthened.

[ChiefEagles]

Just got to look at this post. When I was at Buckeyes last Sunday, I was amazed. He had the legs of 1X1's and "L" girder sitting on 1X4's. Then the 2" of foam insulation and then the secenery and track with two levels. Everything was foam but one small side section of hydrocal. He had his electrical equipment [transformers, TMCC and etc] all under his curtain skirt. Ran everything from a garage remote to turn on power and the TMCC remote to run trains, accessories and switches. Very sturdy and noting moved but the trains and the moving parts of accessories. Convinced me. Grant it, this guy is a civil engineer and does bridges and etc. But if he can do it, so can I.