A 1x4 grid is extremely strong. Absolutely no need for 2x4's. The potential weaknesses are the joints and the leg connections. So I glued and screwed my 1x4 base grid together. And my L-shaped legs are ripped from 1/2" ply using carriage bolts to attach them to the frame. No leg X-bracing is needed and access underneath is very clear for working underneath and storage. In fact I used to slide this whole section around on the carpet and the legs never wobbled at all. This is a very early picture but the leg design was so successful I built the rest of my layout the same way.
Funny thing, my dad was building a layout at the same time and when I went to visit I found he built his legs the same way. We never discussed it before-hand, just had the same exact idea.
Huntington Junction - Freelance based on the B&O and C&O in coal country before the merger... doing it my way. Now working on phase 3. - Walt
For photos and more: http://www.wkhobbies.com/model-railroad/
Except for early parts of my layout (I used 2x4s for the benchwork), ALL of my benchwork and legs are made with 1x4s. I used 1x4s to make the L-shaped legs, as well. With X-bracing, it's plenty strong. When I made my 20'x26' expansion, I cut the legs using a tapering jig, giving them a more finished look. I used 2x2s, drilled for T-nuts and bolts to get everything level. Most basements don't have a totally flat floor, so water will drain to the center of the room.
Marlon
See pictures of the Clinton-Golden Valley RR
raptorengineer cool cool. i going ot reuse 2x4 legs and look at ways ot make them taller by jointing another 2x4. and find way ot braces them too.
cool cool. i going ot reuse 2x4 legs and look at ways ot make them taller by jointing another 2x4. and find way ot braces them too.
2x4 legs are overkill but if you want to reuse wood and save on costs, there is no reason you couldn't reuse them to legs. I use 2x2's for benchwork legs, and 1x4 for open grid framing and 1x3's for cross members and 7/16" thick OSB wafer board instead of plywood. The OSB is cheap and cheerful and I've used it on 2 different layouts with great success.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
cool cool. i going to reuse 2x4 legs and look at ways to make them taller by jointing another 2x4. and find way to braces them too.
well at this current state of my layout how i made it back then it was nice i guess for first timer in away. i use alot of 2x4s and few 2x6s and uneven plywood witch i even out by useing commercal fiber ceiling tiles and it work out really nice. and since my layout is nothing but e-z track and the trains run well on it. if you want to know how i got woodland grass mat flat like that... double sided carpet tape also i addeding like 3 layer of latex paint on top of fiber ceiling tiles. work amazing.
The sides of my modules or sections are either L-girder made with 1X4 clear spruce (with the top part of the girder 1X2 or ripped 1X4, whichever I have plenty of...), or just 1X4. All my stilts/legs are 1X2 braced, but also blocked up where they tuck against the framing corners. By blocked I mean a short 4" length of 1X2 is snugged up against the leg on its outside, both flat against the same 1X4. Over both of those, flush against their flat exposed sides as they snuggle, I screw a square of 1X4 flat against them. The small block of 1X2 keeps the leg from rotating in that direction, the corner of the frame prevents its motion the opposite way, and the 1X4 square cap does exactly that...caps it all in the 90 deg direction. A couple of braces and it's very rigid.
Another thing I do to help the whole stay rigid is to drive some 2.5" deck screws through the side frames of the layout, through the drywall, and into studs that I have previously located and marked, but on the exposed side of the 1X4's that are up against the walls. I have commenced laying track on my yard and have had to crawl up onto it. Doesn't budge...at all.
UNCLEBUTCH...why are you crawling on it?
If you look at the diagram showing the layout in the room, it looks like lots of reasons to need to crawl on it.
I'm guessing that the O.P. doesn't plan on having much in the way of scenery or even structures on the wider portions of the layout - hands and knees scuffing across the tabletop won't be too kind to the track either.
If you're not to far along in your layout construction raptorengineer, you might want to re-think your trackplan and the area occupied by benchwork. It looks like it won't be a lot of fun to build or operate if major portions of it are hard to reach.As for the strength of 1"x4"s, there's a part of my layout's second level which has a 1"x4" front edge, but the 39" long crosspieces are 1"x2"s, and it supports my full weight. I learned that when it was time to paint the rail, and I discovered that while I could reach it, I couldn't see the back (normally unseen) side of the rails. This usually wouldn't be of concern, but I often take layout photos with the camera on the layout, facing towards the aisle, and don't want shiny rails messing up the view. The area of which I'm speaking is at the far end of the aisle in the photo below...
Wayne
As long as the legs are braced to prevent folding, 1x4 6ft with 16oc cross members and plywood would allow you to walk across it.
I have to ask,why are you crawing on it?
It will be strong enough to walk on. You just want to make sure you have cross bracing on your legs or else it will be very rickety.
Craig
so i was watching video on new module layouts using 1x4s and i going to rebuild my layout to make it module but keep the same design and size. so i going to have each section 2 ft by 6 ft. and the stringers will be 16 inchs apart and top will be 7/16 plywood. and hight will be 3 ft tall. now on my current tabletop i sometime crawl to turntable area to move engine and it support me. i wondering how strong is 1x4 with 16 inch stringers?