Creating a Portable 4' x 4'?

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hey everyone,

I’m looking at building a 4’ x 4’ N Scale layout, but I’m anticipating that it will need to be moved. (If it lasts as long as I hope, maybe quite a few times.) I’m thinking it would probably have to be turned 90 degrees and carried through interior doorways at some point. (2 1/2 feet wide sound about right?)

Any ideas on an appropriate style benchwork for such a layout? Or a direction you could point me in? If someone has had luck with anything like this - or moving layouts in general, it’d be great to hear your from you as well.

(Thanks guys and gals!)

2

If you want something lightweight but strong, waffle benchwork would probably work. Make it out of Luan plywood.

http://s-ss3.home.mindspring.com/id1.html

Another example…

http://model-railroad-hobbyist.com/sites/model-railroad-hobbyist.com/files/users/rtalukdar/IMG_2362.JPG

You might want to plan ahead and figure out where all your turnouts are going to be, and plan the grid so that you have access to them all (assuming you’re using undermounted switch motors.)

Steve S

3

This section of my layout is built on an open frame, 5x12 feet.

It’s made with a 1x4 outer frame and 1x3 rafters in between. The legs are 2x4, and I used triangular plywood gussets to give it angular stability.

The layout is built on 2-inch pink foam. It’s set inside the frame for protection and better support.

I could easily carry the whole frame with the legs removed up the stairs by myself, in one hand. Be aware, though, that track and scenery will add significantly to the weight of the layout.

4

Thank you both. I don’t have any power tools, so I’m looking for something pretty simple and easy for beginners. Most of my scenery hills and such will be done with pink foam, so things shouldn’t get too heavy.

I was actually thinking about something like this (I know it’s expensive): https://www.kamkonnect.com/store/p106/48"_x_48"_Standard_Table_with_Blue_Dow_Styrofoam.html

Thoughts?

5

Since I’m in Free-mo, I have a lot of experience with “layouts” that have to be carried, frequently through doors.

Your best design will be a balance of strength and lightness. There are various ways to get there. Since you won’t be moving this a lot, probably going more towards strength will be a good choice. I recommend a maximum weight of 50 pounds. The design weight might also be affected by how many helpers you have.

And I recommend considering where you will place your hands when you pick it up–maybe handholes or handholds?

I would keep the “support system” separate from the layout, saving weight. Thus, legs would be removable for transport. Or you might want a table you could set the layout on.

During the move of the layout, you may want to arrange protections for the top face of the layout. This could be anywhere from a full cover that is attached to the layout after you’ve loaded it for transport, to just being super careful.

As an example of weight, if you made the basic layout with a 1/4" plywood top, 6" sides of 1/2" ply, and four internal crosspieces, 4" high, of 1/4" ply, it would all weigh 25 pounds.

The waffle design is an interesting alternative. In my experience, it is not especially weight saving, however. It might gain in strength, though.

It’s not too hard to figure out weights of the basic frame before you build:

1/4" ply weighs .0048 lb per sq in. 1/2" is .088 lb. and 3/4" is .0132.

Just figure the areas of all the plywood pieces and do some addition and multiplication. Not necessarily in that order.

Ed

6

There is an article on the MR site about using 1/2" birch plywood as the framing. The fans of 2" foam say you don’t need any plywood underneath. I have a 2x7’ module I am working on with 1/8" plywood under the foam. The legs are detachable but with the legs and no scenery and track, I can easily carry it and I have a terrible rotator cuff.

My move hopefully will be in a year, so the mountains and hydorcal will wait. I intend to build 2 sides and a top that will temporarily attach for a move. What I haven’t figured out is what to do with any controls switches or control panel that would normally go on the front fascia, but would be at risk during a move.

As you get older, the days of you and your college buddies helping you move quickly comes to an end. It’s one thing to take a module to a show 5 times a year, it’s another to move all your stuff on Thursday and maybe move it 1,000 miles.

A thread on benchwork comes up every month or more, so scroll back/search and see what has been said.

7

With Free-mo, if they are on the fascia face, they are recessed.

Larger control panels have detachable mounts and plug disconnects.

Ed

8

A lot of ideas on a base. My thoughts ran along the lines of Mr. B’s, framed foam with a seperate support system.

I will add thoughts for your track plan. If you use a removable scenic divider it will make a place for your trains to go. I have a 4x6 HO layout with a removeable scenic divider, just tall enough to make it hard to see over. One thing that helps make it less noticable is to have it at a slight angle and not centered , making one side of the the layout a little larger. You can even have one side just staging if you prefer a large scene on one side.

My divider does not go to the edge of the layout, but you can. To hide the transition from one side to the other there are a variety of ways. A tunnel entrance or bridge, go behind a large building or hill. One end of mine goes into a group of large trees, the other through a curved rock cut. There are probably others.

With the divider painted sky blue, maybe a few clouds, lighter at the bottom, it makes no real difference which way you put it on. I stacked foam to make hills, leaving a slot to put the divider into. If you plan to remove it frequently, I’d recommend lining the slot with strips of masonite or thin plywood to prevent damage to the foam.

Good luck,

Richard

9

I keep repeating myself when it comes to building a lightweight, but strong benchwork for a small layout.

Here is what I would do for a 4 by 4 movable layout:

  • Buy a 4 by 8 sheet of 2" insulation foam (XPS - that´s Extruded Poly Styrol, aka Styrofoam) and cut it in two 4 by 4 sections
  • Buy a 4 by 8 sheet of 1/8" Masonite and cut it in two 4 by 4 sections.
  • Glue the two Styrofoam sheets onto a sheet of Masonite
  • Lay the leftover sheet of Masonite on top of the Styrofoam, mark out where your track goes, cut that out and glue it to the top.
  • All glueing can be done with regular white glue
  • The sides need to be covered with a fascia of 1/8" Masonite - for protection.
  • Get two sawhorses to rest the benchwork on

This benchwork is lightweight, cheap and quick to build.

Watch this:

I am currently building a 3 by 5 HO scale narrow gauge layout and I built the benchwork more in a traditional fashion. I am regretting this - I should have followed my own advice!

10

I agree with sir madog. 4x4 nscale pink foam on 1/4 masonite would be sufficient and light weight.

Steve

11

A lot to think about. Sir Madog, that video was really helpful although it leaves me with a couple of questions. The first is that with the layout I’m proposing to build, there is a dry riverbed that runs under the railroad in two places - it looks like I’d have to cut out sections of masonite there, so I think I kind of understand that. The more difficult question is: What do you attach the fascia to? Just ‘glue’ it to the sides of the foam? I guess I don’t feel like the fascia would be very sturdy without something solid to screw it into. (The guy in the video didn’t seem worried about that, though.)

The foundation is so important to the overall lifespan of your railroad; I’m kind of stressing out about this. Oy. I just want to be sure that I have something sturdy and solid that will last (and hopefully not expand, contract, or warp causing track connectivity problems…). I’m planning on manual turnouts, so that’s one less thing to worry about at least. (Now I’d just have to decide between Kato Unitrack or Peco Code 55…)

Thank you all for the discussion - it’s nice to have a place to go over these things.

12

Hi Michael,

As a quick how-to, I would look at the free video series called “Family Train Layout” on this (MRs) website. The construction that is shown could easily be adapted to a 4x4 N scale layout. One suggestion: If you have access to 2 in. foam insulation, use that for the base instead of 1 in. sheets. Hope this helps.

Fred Klein

Okeechobee, FL

13

Welcome to the forums.

If you are using 1" foam, you have about 7.25 scale feet below grade without cutting into the masonite, 2" would give you 14.5 feet. That should be enough to get a bridge over a river.

For a more secure facia attachment, if you use 1" foam, cut the first piece a couple of inches smaller and attach a 1" board around the top of the perimeter of the masonite. If you use 2", cut a grove in the bottom to fit over the board. That would give you a solid surface to screw or glue the facia to.

My 4x6 has been on sawhorses for years with no problems. If you are worried, you could attach a couple of cleats to create a groove to keep the layout from slipping on the horses.

Good luck,

Richard

14

The foam and hardboard method is good assuming that you don’t cut away ~30% of the foam for landscaping after.

If you want vertical changes, then you can stack on extra 1" sheets where necesary.

15

+1 for waffle. Easier to drill holes for wire drops than thick foam, a bit more robust in transit and storage.

Foam works, too, I just happen to find waffle easier.

Byron

16

Michael,

glueing the facia to the foam sides is quite OK, if you use the right kind of glue.

This is the 21st century, but we quite often employ 20th or even 19th century methods in building the benchwork.

You´d be surprised what actually gets glued these days and forms a rock-solid bond. Car makers, air plane builders, the NASA, your dentist and a lot of others know.