Working on the second level of my layout and think I have boxed myself into a corner. My branch line gets to the second level via a foam Woodland Scenics Riser and Incline combination. At the end of the incline, I want to run the rest of the subroadbed as masonite spline on plywood risers (L-girder benchwork). My problem is the WS riser/incline ends about 8" high and I can't figure out how to attach the spline. It connects on a 24"R curve to make things more complicated. I've got a plywood riser about 3 inches from the end of the ramp, but the last 3" has got me stumped. Foam ramp is only 2-1/2" wide while the spline is 2". With only 1/4" extra on each side, I doubt the foam is strong enough to hold the spline at the end of the curve if I cut out a portion of the foam and bury the spline in it. The only solution I can think of is to let the last 3" of spline hang free off the end of the plywood riser and put cork roadbed over the top. Any advice would be greatly appreciated. Thanks!
Dave T.
Modeling the NYC branch Dolgeville and Little Falls RR in HO.
to the Model Railroader Forums.
I'm not sure that I fully understand your dilemma, but your spline roadbed doesn't need to actually be connected to the WS incline, as long as it's firmly secured to your benchwork with appropriate risers. If you're planning on using cork roadbed on both the WS incline and your spline roadbed, just make sure that it's continuous over the transition between the foam incline and the spline roadbed, and likewise when you add the track.
Your first few posts here will be moderated, but it won't take too long before you can reply again.
If I've misread your post, a photo might help explain the situation more clearly, but you'd need to have it in a hosting site, such as photobucket or Flicker.
Wayne
Just have the spline butt up against the foam, they don't need to be connected and 3" unsupported is nothing to worry about. I don't use cork on the spline as I taper the edge of the spline to form the roadbed shoulder. Not needing cork is one of the good things about using spline. Just adjust the top of the spline to meet the foam.
This 4' section has not sagged a mm in over ten years so don't worry about 3".
Just curious, why did you not use spline for the incline as well? It flows beautifully up and down as well as left and right and makes unnoticeable transitions.
Note beveled edge on the spline, no cork needed.
Brent
"All of the world's problems are the result of the difference between how we think and how the world works."
The others have it. You place risers every so often to support the splined roadbed. One of them should be close to, not necessarily right at, the end of the incline pieces of foam. The risers are all clamped, not glued. Then, you begin with only three ply on the splines, abutting them tight up against a screw driven down, vertically, into the middle of the top surface of the riser. If the ends of the first three spline strips don't line up well, use another riser, or even a clamp, to generate the curve. For example, you can put a piece of thin plywood on either side of the foam where it ends, and make it so that the first three spline strips are clamped tight to match the foam end.
It's a learning process, but you can figure it out. Then, adjust the risers until you get the superelevation you want and the grade you want, plus the curve continuation, of course.
Wipe up all the oozing glue before it hardens into beads on the tops of the glued spline strips. Saves some work later.
The way I did mine was I had all my risers fixed in place with the math done. The nail you see in the pic is where the centre spline goes once I had the three splines installed they held fast as far as shape goes and I pulled out the nail, added the rest of the splines. Once they were all in, drill a hole down through the spline and into the riser and install a screw. Also, put screws though from the side every couple of feet as well alternating sides. Make sure you drill a pilot hole.
For superelevation, I just used a rasp to great effect, you have to take off very little.
You've got it and answwered my question thanks. I will be using cork so it should work. Having that unattached spline was freaking me out but I feel better thanks to the answers here.
Thanks Bat. First incline I ever did so I was planning on cookie cutter, but I saw that the WS incline had all the math done already so I splurged for the foam. Now that I've started with the spline it's really pretty amazing the way it curves, and my elevation changes from here are pretty small so not much math to fool around with. Anyway now I've got experience with cookie-cutter, foam and spline so I'm more confident. I wasn't sure whether the spline would be too complicated for me but it's going really well. Well except for nobody has 1/4" masonite only 3/16". So more splines to get t 2" but that's life.
How do you guys landscape up to the trackbed, using splines? Cardboard web and plaster? What is you want a large flat area for an industry or or other building?
Henry
COB Potomac & Northern
Shenandoah Valley
Depends on where the flat area is. If it's elevated above the yard and the rest of the railroad, use the cardboard strips for slopes, use extruded insultation foam-board or plywood, each properly suspended and supported for flats at lower and higher levels.
I use metal window screen hot-glued to the sides of the splines and hot-glued at their lowest anchor point, and hot-glued together at the overlaps. Then I use the goop formula I learned from Joe Fugate: Three parts fine vermiculite, two parts plaster of Paris, and one part Portland Cement. I add dry powder masonry dye to tint it. Tempera dry paint or liquid should also work. If you do this, you should mix many small batches of about 1.5 liters and get it slopped into place and jiggled or patted smooth quickly; it likes to set up quickly.
Mybe I misunderstand the problem but I would just caulk a riser to the foam for suport of the spline.
BigDaddy How do you guys landscape up to the trackbed, using splines? Cardboard web and plaster? What is you want a large flat area for an industry or other buildings?
How do you guys landscape up to the trackbed, using splines? Cardboard web and plaster? What is you want a large flat area for an industry or other buildings?
I use whatever method works best for a certain situation.
I don't stack foam, except where I will be carving it. My mountains are generally hollow supported by bits of foam and/or wood.
I cut out the hunk I wanted to raise up.
Here I used a different method, cardboard weave and tea towels I found in the kitchen drawer dipped in Plaster of Paris.