Greetings, fellow model railroaders of all ages, shapes, and genders.
When I waded in last week with my proposed Son of the Beer Line layout, little did I know that my wife would veto a 4X12 layout because it was too long in her opinion. I am now going for a variation of Iain Rice's East Suffolk Short Line, which is 8X10, and has nice wide curves to my liking. Losing the 2 feet from the longest dimension makes moving around the family room easier for her.
One opiner from last week tried to talk me into a walk in style. I resisted then, but have adopted the idea nonetheless.
What brings me here tonight is a set of questions about backdrops. I still have my requirements/design goals of a layout I can take down and stack in a corner when not in use, and this complicates implementation of backdrops. Can anyone recommend materials that are lightweight, reasonably forgiving, lend themselves to use on a portable layout, and take paint well?
I'm thinking along the lines of sheet plastic, or maybe that corrugated plastic that professional yard sign makers use. Iain Rice has suggested some kind of heavy fabric, but that would require a substantial frame to hold up. Opinions and experiences, please!
I used to be clueless, but i've turned that around 360 degrees.
Bob,
Your choices are nearly endless. As you said, the corrugated plastic works, as does foam core, hardboard, sheet styrofoam, plywood, insulating foam.... you name it.
You can drill holes for dowels in your fascia, or mount brackets behind it. Glue short lengths of dowel to the back of your backdrop panels so you can easily mount them and pull them off. I would recommend that you go with a somewhat tougher material, since you will be handling them a lot. Hardboard, masonite, or plywood would probably work best for you.
Connecticut Valley Railroad A Branch of the New York, New Haven, and Hartford
"If you think you can do a thing or think you can't do a thing, you're right." -- Henry Ford
Bob
The bench you see in the photo is 18' x 6' foam on 1" x 4" open grid. My neighbour and I picked it up and carried it around and into the house from the garage with little effort. Your modules should be somewhat lighter no matter what you make them out of. A 2' x 8' module made out of foam and 1" x 3"s should be easy for one person to move.
I used hardboard for the backdrop and it is freestanding with no frame behind it. It is attached to the 1" x 4" benchwork with 10/32 machine screws and "T"- Nuts. I also used the same to join my bench sections together and attach my legs on. It takes seconds to undo with the drill.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
Your concept/ design of having to be somewhat portable does pose problems not only in the "module" nature of the benchwork but those backdrops as well. Materials such as 1/8" tempered masonite or FRP (fiberglas panel) is about the lightest yet most durable that I can think of for use. The sectional backdrops can be attached to a 1x2 frame and can mount in various ways. They could just drop in just like side on a stake body flatbed truck. If the backdrop panels are to be stacked when not in use, a good couple coats of acylic flat should protect them from scratching and other damage.
Modeling B&O- Chessie Bob K. www.ssmrc.org
Hi Bob
I would like to suggest that you start a brain storming session on what you want to do with a drawing of the room and all things in it. Knowing where everything is located in the room will help. Along with knowing what concerns the wife has.
I few people here like to design layouts and will be glad to give their input. There are also a few people that move their layouts taking them from show to show and can point out the best ways to make them portable and easy to reassemble. I find that the "free-mo" people along with the folks in England have some very good ways of doing just such a thing. As I live in an apartment and will move from time to time I find myself studying their layouts designs. As some have pointed out I will not have a "modular" layout but a "sectional" layout build in such a way as to make it easy to disassemble and move when that time comes.
Johnnny_reb Once a word is spoken it can not be unspoken!
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I am unsure about having a backdrop; however, because 3 sides of my doughnut-shaped layout will be against walls, and because I don't want to commit to a backdrop until the trackwork is up and running, I have designed a construction that will allow me to add or remove a backdrop at any time in the future from the "front." See attached.
I believe the 3/16" hardboard is stiff enough to stand erect without added bracing. Haven't built this yet but will try a short piece on one of my bench sections in the near future.
Dante
Well...........the pic isn't as clear as it should be. The backdrop hardboard rests in a slot formed by two other pieces of hardboard. The inner piece is only about 2" high leaving a 2" deep slot for the backdrop. Dimensions will be subject to the trial results!
3/16" hardboard will support it's own weight up to about 30" high. After that it will get very "floppy", although you can always add stiffeners to the back.
Dante's method above will work well, but you have to have built it into your layout already. However, there are lots of ways to fasten your backdrop on. What you want is something that you can easily remove when you have to disassemble your layout for whatever reason.
dante I am unsure about having a backdrop; however, because 3 sides of my doughnut-shaped layout will be against walls, and because I don't want to commit to a backdrop until the trackwork is up and running, I have designed a construction that will allow me to add or remove a backdrop at any time in the future from the "front." See attached. I believe the 3/16" hardboard is stiff enough to stand erect without added bracing. Haven't built this yet but will try a short piece on one of my bench sections in the near future. Dante Well...........the pic isn't as clear as it should be. The backdrop hardboard rests in a slot formed by two other pieces of hardboard. The inner piece is only about 2" high leaving a 2" deep slot for the backdrop. Dimensions will be subject to the trial results!
Tried this today and it works. If your hardboard has a slight bow in the vertical plane, you might have to gently bend it to remove the bow because there is no vertical framing to which it can be attached. 3/16" Gatorfoam also works and-at least the piece I used-had no bow in it.
I used L girder benchwork for my layout and came up with this method. My backdrop is totally removable. The 24" x 96" pieces are held together by splices on the ends. I used a tablesaw and cut a 1/8" notch on the end of the 1x4 joist. The notch is about 2" deep. I then glued and nailed (a nailgun for 2" brads makes it easy) a 3/4" square strip about 12" long to the end of the joist. You can get the general idea from my drawing. The masonite backdrop just drops into the notch and the strips hold it upright, no other assembly required!
Scott