riogrande5761 Motley The advantages of using foam is, you can dig down into the foam to make rivers and ditches, overall just to make the landscape look hilly. It's one way of doing it. Another way is to support the subroadbed on risers high enough the benchwork that there is ample room for the landscape to fall below or rise above the RR grade. That way you don't have to carve away possible half or more of the foam to get the morphology of the land scape, potentially throwing away a lot of paid for foam. Like Sheldon, I have never understood the attraction to foam. It won't hold spike and you have to carve and throw away a good deal of material you paid for to get land scape. With old school subroadbed on risers, you throw almost nothing away, and only build landscape that is needed using wire mesh or cardboard strip (free) and a bit of hot glue. Over that you can use plaster cloth or paper machet or whatever.
Motley
The advantages of using foam is, you can dig down into the foam to make rivers and ditches, overall just to make the landscape look hilly.
It's one way of doing it. Another way is to support the subroadbed on risers high enough the benchwork that there is ample room for the landscape to fall below or rise above the RR grade. That way you don't have to carve away possible half or more of the foam to get the morphology of the land scape, potentially throwing away a lot of paid for foam.
Like Sheldon, I have never understood the attraction to foam. It won't hold spike and you have to carve and throw away a good deal of material you paid for to get land scape. With old school subroadbed on risers, you throw almost nothing away, and only build landscape that is needed using wire mesh or cardboard strip (free) and a bit of hot glue. Over that you can use plaster cloth or paper machet or whatever.
That looks great and all. But sure seems like a lot of work just to make hills, I have no experience doing stuff like that, and frankly scares me a bit. I need easy solutions. This includes benchwork, which I am not very good with either.
With foam it is very easy to carve out, and build it up for mountains. You can put the plaster over the foam.
Michael
CEO- Mile-HI-RailroadPrototype: D&RGW Moffat Line 1989
Motley The advantages of using foam is, you can dig down into the foam to make rivers and ditches, overall just to make the landscape look hilly.
Yes, I have always used open grid methods similar to riogrande's picture.
In fact I still tend to be a "hard shell" or plaster on wire screen kind of guy....
Sheldon
MotleyThe advantages of using foam is, you can dig down into the foam to make rivers and ditches, overall just to make the landscape look hilly.
Rio Grande. The Action Road - Focus 1977-1983
SeeYou190 Wow... you sure are making progress. . Way to go. . -Kevin
Wow... you sure are making progress.
.
Way to go.
-Kevin
BigDaddy The mountains look good. I intially thought the eye level of the was too high but the more I think of it, the more I like that is at the height of the smaller buildings. I am interested in how you work the scenery next to it, because the lack of foreground in the city scene seems odd to me, but I previously admitted a lack of knowledge in working with photo backgrounds. So don't take it as a criticism.
The mountains look good. I intially thought the eye level of the was too high but the more I think of it, the more I like that is at the height of the smaller buildings.
I am interested in how you work the scenery next to it, because the lack of foreground in the city scene seems odd to me, but I previously admitted a lack of knowledge in working with photo backgrounds. So don't take it as a criticism.
ATLANTIC CENTRAL Michael, Your progress is great and the backdrops look very nice. I may have to consider that for some areas of my new layout. I have a question, please forgive if this has already been explained. I struggle to understand the attraction to foam board, so my question is this. I see you are laying cork right on the foam and it appears most trackage will be level at that elevation. So what is the advantage of the foam? What purpose does it serve different from plywood or homasote? I see it looks like you have osb board under the foam, cost and effort it seems to me homasote or simply better plywood would do the same job? Just trying to understand? Sheldon
Michael,
Your progress is great and the backdrops look very nice. I may have to consider that for some areas of my new layout.
I have a question, please forgive if this has already been explained. I struggle to understand the attraction to foam board, so my question is this.
I see you are laying cork right on the foam and it appears most trackage will be level at that elevation. So what is the advantage of the foam? What purpose does it serve different from plywood or homasote?
I see it looks like you have osb board under the foam, cost and effort it seems to me homasote or simply better plywood would do the same job?
Just trying to understand?
Hello Sheldon thanks for your comments. The advantages of using foam is, you can dig down into the foam to make rivers and ditches, overall just to make the landscape look hilly.
I am using OSB because its cheaper and easier to work with cutting. and provides a flatter surface than plywood.
Living the dream.
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Got the new Denver downtown backdrop installed. And steadily making progress on the trackwork.
thomas81z Motley Finally have an update. As you guys know I waited more than 4 weeks for the backdrops, and now the city backdrop is being returned. Ordered another backdrop from Railroadbackdrops.com. So I am finally able to start laying track. just wow with the rockies for your background ,so roster wise what are you modeling transition or mordern era ?? 80 to present ??
Finally have an update. As you guys know I waited more than 4 weeks for the backdrops, and now the city backdrop is being returned. Ordered another backdrop from Railroadbackdrops.com. So I am finally able to start laying track. just wow with the rockies for your background ,so roster wise what are you modeling transition or mordern era ?? 80 to present ??
Finally have an update. As you guys know I waited more than 4 weeks for the backdrops, and now the city backdrop is being returned. Ordered another backdrop from Railroadbackdrops.com.
So I am finally able to start laying track.
I am modeling modern era, but I have never owned any 1950s era trains before, so I will swap them out from time to time. Duel era.
Motley Finally have an update. As you guys know I waited more than 4 weeks for the backdrops, and now the city backdrop is being returned. Ordered another backdrop from Railroadbackdrops.com. So I am finally able to start laying track.
Update on the backdrops. I still don't have them. Its been over 3 weeks now. Damn. I called Backdrop warehouse, and they are behind. Apparantly when I placed my order, they recieved a lot of other orders at the same time. Just my luck.
They told me my order was being printed now, and will ship on Wednesday. So I should have it by Friday.
SPSOT fan Nice to see the track plan starting to come together, even if the track can’t quite be laid yet! It’s good to hear that you able to get some of those structures built while waiting to lay track! That will save you from having a bunch of sidings without indust once the track is laid!
Nice to see the track plan starting to come together, even if the track can’t quite be laid yet!
It’s good to hear that you able to get some of those structures built while waiting to lay track! That will save you from having a bunch of sidings without indust once the track is laid!
Regards, Isaac
I model my railroad and you model yours! I model my way and you model yours!
Well I've been in a holding pattern. I can't install any track until I get the photo backdrops. Here it is Friday and its been two weeks since I ordered them. Hopefully I get them by Monday, I'm really itchin to lay track and run trains.
I laid out all the track for Coors, Mountains, and left side where the power plant will be. I thought I could make room for the Oil Refinery, but I can't make it work. Only have like 10" of space between the backdrop and mainline. So I will go with the Frac Sand facilty (I already have the kit).
In the meantime, I've been building structures. Almost finished with the first Coors building. And doing a lot of shopping. I finally found some D&RGW equipement! Got some BLI SD9s coming in the mail.
I have been working on laying out the track and see how things will fit.
I started with Coors on the right side. I will only have room for two tracks there (trackplan had 3). I am using the Walthers Superior Paper kit (already have kit and currently building it) for the main building. and its 20" x 12" size. Using the ADM grain elevator kit 10" x 13", and the modern warehouse kit which is 20" x 12". I know that is a lot of big buildings, but I have to because its Coors!
This is the upper right corner where the coal mine will be.
I will be ordering the photo backdrops tomorrow. I cant glue any track down until I install the backdrops.
I got all the foam installed. I'm starting to lay out the track. Going to start with the right side where Coors will be.
This is very exciting!
This is where Coors will be
This is the top side where the mountain scene will be.
Motley Doughless Nice progress. .Now you'll be able to see the trackplan come into reality, and will probably make adjustments once you start laying things out. Thanks Douglas. Right now I'm working on getting all the foam down. And I need to order all the backdrops. Ouch thats gonna be around $1000 for 5 10 ft backdrops. Yes indeed my other layout I know had a lot of changes when laying track. The only thing I'm concerened about is the yard tracks, and I'll have to use some curved switches on both ends. Probably end up doing the yard section last.
Doughless Nice progress. .Now you'll be able to see the trackplan come into reality, and will probably make adjustments once you start laying things out.
Nice progress. .Now you'll be able to see the trackplan come into reality, and will probably make adjustments once you start laying things out.
Michael, seek out others advice, but you might want to do the yard first, not last.
I always think its best to start with the most congested area of turnouts, then work out from there. Simply adjusting the angles a little bit can have some dramatic changes into what will fit and what wont. I think yard tracks look best when they are perfectly parallel for a long length, so I would probably start with that. Otherwise, you might be forced to fit them in after other things are laid and it might not look right. JMO.
- Douglas
Nice to see some progress on your layout. I too can’t wait to see you get some trains running. I really love these threads on people’s layouts! See people make progress is really cool!
Nice progress. Now you'll be able to see the trackplan come into reality, and will probably make adjustments once you start laying things out.
Well I FINALLY finished the benchwork. Took a bit too long, I wasn't putting a whole lot of time into it. Could have finished a couple weeks ago.
Nevertheless. I am happy benchwork is over, its a lot of hard work. lol
Foam will be down in the next couple of days, then I can get some trackwork done!! My goal is to have the two mainlines completed in 2 weeks. I wanna runs some trains already!
I made sure to give myself plenty of room to duck under the entrance here.
Doughless Motley Doughless Shows up fine for me. I use Google Chrome. Douglas, Hey I got a question for ya. Can I paint the foam with latex paint first, will it affect the latex caulk from sticking to the cork roadbed? I'm not the guy to ask, since I've never used foam. I hear that paint sticks to foam fine, but I'd use a flat finish. I think ultimate adhesion by anything you stick to a painted surface is only as strong as the adhesion that exists between the paint and the surface. In this case, the critical bond is the paint to foam. That won't affect how well the caulk sticks to the roadbed, which I don't think is your real question. The paint to foam bond might be a good enough bond for laying caulked roadbed onto the painted foam, but I think most would suggest to lay the caulked roadbed straight onto the foam, then paint around it at some point.
Doughless Shows up fine for me. I use Google Chrome. Douglas, Hey I got a question for ya. Can I paint the foam with latex paint first, will it affect the latex caulk from sticking to the cork roadbed? I'm not the guy to ask, since I've never used foam. I hear that paint sticks to foam fine, but I'd use a flat finish.
Doughless Shows up fine for me. I use Google Chrome.
Shows up fine for me. I use Google Chrome.
Douglas, Hey I got a question for ya. Can I paint the foam with latex paint first, will it affect the latex caulk from sticking to the cork roadbed?
I'm not the guy to ask, since I've never used foam. I hear that paint sticks to foam fine, but I'd use a flat finish.
I think ultimate adhesion by anything you stick to a painted surface is only as strong as the adhesion that exists between the paint and the surface. In this case, the critical bond is the paint to foam.
That won't affect how well the caulk sticks to the roadbed, which I don't think is your real question.
The paint to foam bond might be a good enough bond for laying caulked roadbed onto the painted foam, but I think most would suggest to lay the caulked roadbed straight onto the foam, then paint around it at some point.
Motley Doughless Shows up fine for me. I use Google Chrome. Ya probably most people stil use internet exploder. Douglas, Hey I got a question for ya. Can I paint the foam with latex paint first, will it affect the latex caulk from sticking to the cork roadbed?
Ya probably most people stil use internet exploder.
On my current 2nd layout, I don't have a duckunder and love it. Being able to walk with hands full and not worry about crashing into anything is invaluable. I can't imagine getting older and having to crawl down to the layout. Many prob won't bother ducking under either. Again, if that's fine with you; it's your layout!
Ok I have no idea whats up with Google photos. I just signed up for flicker. (screw google).
Can you guys see this now?