QUOTE: Originally posted by selector Jarrell, you just did a huge thing for Karl, if inadvertently, by praising his work. I know you were away for some of it, and probably missed the exchanges in the last weekend photo fun post. Scroll down until you get to his post. You'll understand once you have read everything.
QUOTE: Originally posted by chateauricher QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12 QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build. Chip, I sure do want elevations and bridges and all the other. I didn't realize it would be harder once the foam is glued down. Would you mind elaborating on that some, I'd appreciate it. Building grades and elevations is NOT harder to build once foam is glued down. All you need to do is add layers of foam to make elevations; and use WS's inclines to easily make grades. See Simon1966's photos (scroll down to get them all) in this topic... http://www.trains.com/community/forum/topic.asp?TOPIC_ID=37559 He shows a wonderful way of using foam economically to build a mountain. You'll notice he sometimes used what appear to be scrap pieces from packaging. As for "wasting" foam inside mountains ... How much would using plywood decking and lumber risers cost in both time and money ? A cookie-cutter plywood construction techniques takes time and effort to make the grades at the right heights. You have to balance the cost of materiels and the difficulties involved with your chosen construction techniques. You also have to consider your skills at working with power tools and lumber, over those for cutting and shaping foam. Do you have the tools to work with wood? Or do you have the tools to work with foam?
QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12 QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build. Chip, I sure do want elevations and bridges and all the other. I didn't realize it would be harder once the foam is glued down. Would you mind elaborating on that some, I'd appreciate it.
QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build.
QUOTE: Originally posted by ukguy QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerstripe I've spent half my life playing with trains, the rest I just wasted. Great quote !! Have fun & be safe Karl.
QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerstripe I've spent half my life playing with trains, the rest I just wasted.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12 I can't wait till I start laying track. This oughta be a riot![(-D] Thanks for your help! Jarrell
QUOTE: Originally posted by 3155944 why dont you cut one foam sheet in half and lay one half on your plywood and then stradle the plywood joint with a full sheet of foam. use the other half of foam on the end of the last peice of plywood.
QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12 QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Jarrell, Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build. Chip, I sure do want elevations and bridges and all the other. I didn't realize it would be harder once the foam is glued down. Would you mind elaborating on that some, I'd appreciate it. Jarrell Sure. All your grades need support. If you are going with a cookie cutter approach. Cutting out plywood and supporting with wooden risers, it is much easier to attatch to the benchwork that it is to foam. Chuck shows a step by step method using L-guirders. I applied the riser to the plywood and secured witha nail gun. This is not the best picture, but it is what I have. Notice that the foam only goes to the edge of the grade. You don't need it underneath and it can be used for the parts further up the mountain. Now it could be possible to use the Woodland Sceneic Foam, but your foam better be "on the level." Even so, all the foam under your mountain is wasted, and if you just bought it, you know how much it costs.
QUOTE: Originally posted by jacon12 QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Jarrell, Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build. Chip, I sure do want elevations and bridges and all the other. I didn't realize it would be harder once the foam is glued down. Would you mind elaborating on that some, I'd appreciate it. Jarrell
QUOTE: Originally posted by SpaceMouse Jarrell, Are you 100% sure you don't want elevations, or bridges or hills or other places your train goes up and down. Because when you glue down the foam, elevations become harder to build.
Chip
Building the Rock Ridge Railroad with the slowest construction crew west of the Pecos.
QUOTE: Originally posted by Robert Knapp Jarrell, As already mentioned above, flat where track will be is more important than "level". Shimming can cause additional problems w/ the trackwork if you create a short/ quick 1/4" lump. Use a long (at least 4') straightedge to check if the raised piece is high. If not then the lower one can be shimmed. You just want to have an even/ flat area for roadbed. You can easily shave any high spots as mentioned, the Shure form rasp seems to work best for this. Of coarse, your railroad need not be pefectly level, some grades look good and some may be necessary for your final trackplan.anyway.Did you mention that you may want a logging or mining branchline? A track can run up grade even as much as 4% for a branch like that. You may need to have any elevated portion at one of the 4x4 ends, this would give you enough track length to climb. A portion of the mainline would be covered of coarse, but scenery wise that could look very impressive. Bob K.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
QUOTE: Originally posted by tigerstripe try a shim using a section of cork roadbed use HO or N as req. my sections are not glued to the benchwork at all and just sit there. Just for fun measure your foam to check the actual thickness. I have noticed sheets that came from the same stack have as much as 3/8" difference.
QUOTE: Originally posted by MisterBeasley It's only important if there is track crossing there. Then, you should take great care to get things even. Do you have a spirit level, one of those things with a little bubble that tells you if it's horizontal or not? (They also make digital versions of these, but the old bubble level works fine for me.) Even and flat are one thing, but level is quite another. You should strive for all 3 for your trackwork. Remember the words of the great philosopher above, "Land isn't flat." The more slopes and kinks your scenery has, the better it will look. The more slopes and kinks your trackwork has,though, the worse it will run.
QUOTE: Originally posted by selector The quickest way would be to shim, depending on the construction holding the sheets of foam in place. Too, you could use a plane ('surform', I think it is called..help, anyone?) and shave in that area....remember, land isn't 'flat', so don't be all wrapped around the axle about this. It is a small discrepancy, and I would just use a wire bru***o lightly scrub it down. Unless buildings are going there, ground cover will look after it later. As for your rail road, again, you can just scrub the right of way flat there, just like in the real thing.
It takes an iron man to play with a toy iron horse.