I’ve been pondering a new layout and had a few questions about benchwork design. For starters, I plan on loosely following the N&W Abingdon Branch track plan featured in the Sep 2010 Issue of MR (I can post the plan later, if I’m allowed to). It pretty much has what I’m looking for and is exactly the size of the space I have available.
However, I do not have any interior walls in my basement, so my main question is, could I build the double/triple deck benchwork to be freestanding (not attached to anything)? Also, how would I go about constructing it to where it doesn’t collapse in on itself?
I’m no civil engineer, but I wanted to get an idea of how I could go about this task.
The bracing required on a multidecked layout would be rather extensive. Why not just stud the wall and DW or at least attach 2x or strapping to the concrete. This way you have at least some solid surface for attachment and only need to support the front of the benchwork. If you don’t want to do either, at least attach some sort of ledger to the concrete w/ anchors or “Tapcons”. A studded wall or at least full vertical strapping will allow layout attachment as well as securing your backdrop.
Gidday, Unfortunately over the years I never seen a “skyhook” around when you need one. If you wish to build a cantilevered multi-level layout then I can only agree with bogp40.
However, and having not seen this particular layout plan, I would suggest that you have “legs” front and back of the layout. These could run from the floor, (of course), to attach to your basement ceiling joists, again presuming they are exposed, if it could be done it would give the stability I’d prefer, though you’d get similar stability from the corners of the layout presuming that it is of the around the wall type. The down side is that you will not have an uninterrupted view of the layout, and again not sure if it would work in this particular case, the legs could be used as scenery breaks.
LION cannot find the right pictures when he wants them. Here is some information from my website on how I attached railroad to the walls. There is no weight on the walls, the weight is on the floor, but the sections are attached to the wall with just two or three anchors to keep it from tipping over.
If you really want an island, you do about the same thing: Build a will out of two by fours, so that the weight is straight down on the floor and then build cross pieces to support the layout. You will need legs to keep it from tipping, or if this is an unfinished basement you can secure your ‘wall’ to the ceiling and that will be as stable as you could ever want.
There are basically two ways you cna do this. One, using legs, front and rear, as suggested. This would mean the trains running behind legs on the lower level and this might be a visual distraction, but if you can live with that, you can make the entire layout free standing.
Scond way, short of building a full stud wall, would be to install lengths of 2x4 with concrete anchors, along the lines of the vertical brackes used for shelves, and use a more typical shelf construction to build the levels suspended from that. The layout isn;t very wide, and somethign as simple as a 1x3 sticking out with a small triangular plywood brace would be plenty strong - people sometimes get this idea that the benchwork has to be able to support a ton weight placed on it, it doesn;t… The 1x3 will be plenty sturdy to hold the layout up with minimal intrusion on the level below. The 2x4’s anchored int he conrete will be strong enought to climb. I installed 3 sections horizontally to attach a plywood panel to run all the network wiring to when I rewired my first house, each section had 2 anchors in it, and when secured I could climb the three like ladder rungs, and I’m not a lightweight.
based on the cross section illustration found in the track plan database, the benchwork is a combination of cantilever shelves and leg construction (there is a helix involved). Randy is in line with Lynn Wescott, walls (especially concrete) are the most vibration free attachment, and layouts tend to be overbuilt. If you look at Lance Mindheim’s website you will notice he built a layout with big box store wall standards and hollow core doors. I would venture that a couple of appropriately placed 2x3s run horizontally and attached to the concrete walls would be more than sufficient support for shelf brackets.
The shelves in question seem to vary from 12 to 18 inches.
Although you may have good reasons for wanting to build a multi-deck layout standalone in the middle of a larger room, that’s going to be a challenge (or involve legs in front of the lower deck, as others have noted). Or you’ll basically be building a studwall room-within-a-room.
A better approach might be to consider the overall space that you have, including all the obstructions, room entrances, etc., and then see what sort of a layout would fit best, rather than choosing one that seems to fit poorly in your space.
I’ve seen many people start with a rectangular layout footprint in the center of a larger space, but once considering the opportunities and constraints of the room, they found that a different approach was easier to build and offered better access and visibility.
My current layout is a double deck around the walls design with a large freestanding peninsula down the center of the room. The peninsula benchwork consists of a 1 1/2" by 3" stud wall (2x4’s carefully ripped down to an actual 3 inches to ensure straight edges) with a double cantilever to either side of the stud wall. The stud wall is attached to the floor with Liquid Nails (and it ain’t moving anytime soon!). The top of the stud wall is screwed to the ceiling joists above. All other framing was cut from 1/2" hardwood plywood (7 ply with no voids). I used glue and 18 gauge wire brads to assemble a very rigid structure but an incredible amount of rigidity came from gluing the backdrop 1/4" drywall panels to the stud wall. The shear strength provided by the drywall made this structure unbelievably rigid! Both layout decks are 2 feet deep to either side of the stud wall (equal load to either side of the stud wall). The remainder of the layout is cantilevered off the perimeter walls of the room. I highly suggest using high grade plywood to create your benchwork framing members as it won’t warp like dimensional lumber. Don’t forget to use glue when assembling your benchwork joints as the glue (once cured) is far stronger than screws or nails. In fact, most of my layout was assembled using just Elmer’s Carpenter Glue and 18 gauge wire brads. The only legs on my layout are beneath the two helix structures. Everything else is cantilevered with legless spans as much as 15 feet long, and yes, these spans will support all of my 210 pounds.
On my layout - still in the early stages - I’m using John Sterling shelving components, with uprights attached directly to the concrete block basement walls using concrete screws and a drill with a “hammer” setting. This allows me to have a two-deck layout, with shelving space above and below the layout.
In a couple of places I’ll be using freestanding benchwork for “blobs” where the layout extends out from the walls into the interior of the basement.
Take special note of Byron’s advice above to plan what best fits the space.
I have no choice but to build a free-standing layout in 1/2 of an apx. 10’x10’ recently refinished room that HGTV would be proud of. So, the benchwork for (N Scale) CR&T will soon be a U-shaped cockpit with apx. outer dimensions of 5’x9’x5’. In a sense, CR&T is a glorified shelf layout on two levels.
Each inside & outside corner (a total of 10) will have attached 1"x4" leg(s) – Screwed together in an L-shape. One layout corner, with the added advantage of a 1’x5’ notchback, will contain a helix which also anchors for benchwork strength.
Some of the legs, at the outer corners will be tall enough to also reach the upper level – And part of the upper level will have (cut from plywood) L-trusses, also attached to these legs, to further support the upper level, on either side of the helix.
CR&T’s total footprint is a little larger than an equivalent 4’x8’ layout, but; with the advantage of the U-shape for added stability. The equivalent layout footprint if built in HO Scale would be apx. 8’x14’x8’ – Much harder and expensive to design for layout stability.
P.S.: Circa 1956 also helps as shorter cars and motive power means a smaller track radius in layout design vs. modeling the modern era’s larger cars and diesels.
Some years ago I constructed a free-standing shelving system (including a layout shelf) starting with L shaped 2x4 (flat side to) framing. The short leg simply rested on the floor, and was attached to the 68 inch vertical leg with a hefty steel L-bracket. The shelves were attached to the verticals, some with similar brackets and some using the vertical track-and-slot bracket system. That supported my layout, my (fold-out) work surface, bookshelves for my model railroad library, etc… Heavier items were stowed below the layout shelf in boxes on the floor.
It was NOT attached to the wall - you don’t drill or put screw anchors into the walls of Base Housing! Nevertheless, it served as my hobby wall for all of that tour and never showed any signs of strain.
My present layout has a large not-quite-freestanding blob (5x11 feet) that is a table at the lowest level. The legs (set in from edges and ends) extend upward - support for additional track at higher elevations. The whole has more layers than a wedding cake, but only the highest are intended to be visible.
I contend that most benchwork is overbuilt. Unless you plan to climb the framework like monkey bars, the main consideration is stiffness, and that can be achieved with the judicious use of angled braces and steel brackets.
Chuck (Modeling Central Japan in September, 1964 - on steel stud benchwork)