Covering for train board

[mistyk11]

Ok, let me see if I can explain what I'm looking for in terms everyone might understand... My son's layout consists of an 8x4 particle board (not my choice, that's what the hubby picked up at Lowes) and a insulfoam board on top of that. We just removed the grass mat that covered it because I found out just what a pain it was to work with. We are now looking at changing the covering but not sure what to do from here. I'd like to know if you can paint directly over the insulfoam board and also, can it but cut into to make ponds, etc? I'll try to post a picture if needed. I plan on drilling through both the foam board and the particle board so I can run my lighting wire underneath the layout. Any suggestions would be helpful.

PS: We originally were doing the Area 51/Army type layout-I'll decide on the colors after we determine if the insulfoam board we have will work with painting and creating ponds. If not, please give us some ideas on just what type of base we can use to paint over.

[thor]

Well here's a lesson I learned the hard way. When I started out as a kid, I had a nice big layout of 8ft x 8ft two sheets of 3/4" plywood side by side. After a year or so I'd changed the layout that many times and re-installed ballast and scenic groundcover and so on ( so on meaning track pins, drilled holes for wires) that my layout surface was scarred and bumpy and even coarse sandpaper in a power sander didnt do much to reduce the lumps and bumps. After another year we turned it over and this time I put down card lightly glued down with rubber cement as a sort of underlay so that any further ballasting and sticking down of scenery wouldnt wreck the surface of the plywood.

I dont know much about insulfoam because I havent used it but I do know that particle board is a beast to drive pins into and worse to get them out of again because it always breaks up and leaves craters but you'll be okay since the foam is on top of that.

I'm sure you can gouge out the foam enough for ponds and stuff or you can buy more and break it up so you can build upwards to make mountains and such. If your son doesnt want to do ballasting thats good but laying down ground cover sawdust (or whatever it is) will - if glued down - not come off again when he decides to change his track plan and frankly changing track layouts is half the fun for some it was for me.

[otftch]

You can paint the foamboard with latex paint but make sure there is not a thin plastic film on it.The film will not hold the paint.Been there,done that.

                                                              Ed

[mistyk11]

We use Fastrack so we don't use the ballast. My hubby just told me he would go get the plywood to replace the particle board so it will be easier to drill through. I would like to keep the foam board because it helps a little to soften the Fastrack noise. And yes, this foam has the plastic layer over it but I can easily tear it off.

[traindaddy1]

Wonder if you have considered an alternative to the grass mat.  I've used indoor-outdoor carpeting for grass coverage.  Easy to vacuum, helps absorb sound and looks pretty good.

(Just make sure the pile is low)   Best of luck!

[fifedog]

Since your theme actually exists in the southwest, why not skip the grassy terrain all together and create a desert/canyon type scenery.  You can make lots of neat rock formations out of foam, and then an even covering with a clay colored latex paint will be your base coat.  You can even add different colors to the strata of your canyon.

Someone else a while back suggested using the Devil's Tower (from Close Encounters) for an Area 51 themed layout...

[Anonymous]

Since your theme actually exists in the southwest, why not skip the grassy terrain all together and create a desert/canyon type scenery.  You can make lots of neat rock formations out of foam, and then an even covering with a clay colored latex paint will be your base coat.  You can even add different colors to the strata of your canyon.

Someone else a while back suggested using the Devil's Tower (from Close Encounters) for an Area 51 themed layout...

Now just where is Perry when you need him... probably radioing his alien friends for more suggestions on powering his layout!

[mistyk11]

The clay colored paint sounds like a good idea. Then we could repaint over it if he wanted to change things up a bit. I also like the Close Encounters idea.....I'll have to start combing the internet for some pictures. Shouldn't be too hard to make, right

[Anonymous]

Just start with a large pile of mashed potatos 

Jerry

[mistyk11]

Ok, so we scoped out some pictures of Devil's Tower. It actually looks pretty simple, considering the fact that I'm quite sure it won't match to model standards....it looks like it would be pretty fun to do as well. As for using the mashed potatos, I hate to waste my favorite carb on that....perhaps we could get some of those southern grits and use them??