laying flex track and woodland scenics risers.

[Anonymous]

hello, im thinking about getting the woodland scenics risers but im wondering how could i make a whole freight yard or make an engine house that would be level with the risers.

[egmurphy]

Tim,

For the small size layout you are thinking about, you don't need to put the entire trackplan on the risers. Just use them for the elevated portion and the ramps up and down.

Some people put the whole track plan on risers so that they can model dips in the scenery that go below track level. For a small layout you can do the same thing by simply mounting your layout on a sheet of foam insulation over your plywood base. Most of your trackplan will mount directly at that level (I recommend using cork roadbed under the track first). The elevated parts can be modeled using the risers and ramps from Woodland Scenics. If you want part of the scenery to dip below the tracklevel, you can cut into the foam sheet to create rivers, streams, or simply dips in the terrain.

In fact, if you use a foam sheet on top of your plywood base (or whatever you are using for a base), you can use the "cookie cutter" method to cut the foam sheet and use it for the ramps and elevated portions. See this view of my layout that is being constructed using that method.

Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

hello, i figured it would probably be best if i didnt go with the risers espically for the small space, however im thinking about what egmurphy just stated, however attaching the road bed to the foam seems pretty easy but how do u then connnect flex track to the road bed if u dont have a wooden base?

[egmurphy]

Glue.

Most people glue the flex track to the cork roadbed using Elmer's white glue. You need to temporarily hold it in place with push pins or something similar until the glue dries enough to hold it in place. I usually give mine about 12 hours before removing the pins.

I also used the same glue to attach the cork roadbed to the foam.

QUOTE: how do u then connnect flex track to the road bed if u dont have a wooden base?

You probably want to have some wood base under your foam for strength. A small railroad like your 3'x4' size, you can probably get away with a sheet of 1/4" or 3/8" plywood. I used a hollow core wood door (light but stiff) as the base for my 3' x 6'-8" layout.

Regards

Ed

[Anonymous]

ED,

Just a note, if you plan to use foam as the base, you don't need to put a sheet of plywood down. a 2" thick sheet of foam is strong enough to use by itself, on top of that you can use the "cookie cutter" design with 1/2" thick foam and use spare 2" sections for the supports. Cork is fine, but I prefer AMI instant roadbed, bit more felxable when down if you need to adjust the track rise upon testing.

[egmurphy]

Probably right. I forgot that they have thicker sheets of foam, since down south (bought mine in Houston) they only stocked 3/4". Even then, I suppose you could laminate 2 or 3 sheets to get a thick enough base to be stiff.

I can't find it at all down here (south of the border) so I'm glad I brought every scrap from the original sheet with me!

Ed

[Sunset Limited]

Your Right Ed! I live in Texas also and I can't find that pink or blue 2'' foam board. They only have the white 2'' pellet styrafoam Board. Can I use this as a base board? I'm looking for a light weight layout for my N-Scale. One thing also, if your going to have a freight yard on the high level, make sure you use a level. (Unless your thinking- Hump yard!).

[bogp40]

And don't forget, if you have a plywood base ,areas can be cut out for lower laying scenery (ponds, rivers, valleys) the cookie-cutter/ topigraphical method works in either direction.
Bob K.

[egmurphy]

QUOTE: They only have the white 2'' pellet styrafoam Board. Can I use this as a base board? I'm looking for a light weight layout for my N-Scale.

I can't give you a defiitive answer because I've never tried it, but knowing how it is for working as a scenery material I'd personally be leery of it. If I were to try foam as a base (without any plywood) and could only get the 3/4" stuff, I'd be tempted to laminate two or three sheets together by putting a good pattern of Liquid Nails for Projects between the sheets and weighing them down real well (a great use for your old MR magazines) for a few hours.

If it's not a big layout you could also try laminating one sheet of foam on top of a piece of that thin Luaan plywood (the stuff that they use for the skin of hollow core doors). Should add a bit of stiffness but not much weight. Just an idea, I haven't tried it. I used the whole hollow core door.

Regards

Ed