with plans to move, need to remove existing layout to repaint room and building an experimental interim switching layout using spare 8’ sheets of blue foam.
thinking of this more as TOMA (The One Module Approach) where the foam base is not permanently attached to anything, allowing it to be flipped over to conveniently work underneath
when used, it needs to rest evenly on something. may need to add some bracing to keep it flat. packing tape with glass fibers is one thing that works in tension that can be used on the bottom. some thin wood strips on top could prevent compression to prevent sagging
considering bare copper wire for dcc bus and soldering feeders directly to bus.
manual turnouts simplifies things. not thinking much about scenery. i think i can lift and reuse handlaid turnouts from existing layout
assume a dcc connector can be mounted to a thin sheet of wood glued to bottom of the sheet along with anything similar.
imagining building a CpNode using an arduino for other electronic sensors with an rj-12 jack
module could be start of future layout in next house
Building an around the room shelf layout with removable peninsular optional tack on units.
Woodland Scenics uses 36"x18" X1/2" expanded styrofoam bases for their Modu -rail system. Rigidity is provided by using their vertical “back boards” also of 1/2" material. You make the 1/2" rigid enough by gluing the backboards on all four sides and carving just those down to the desired elevations. The “modules” are then bolted together using hardboard plates drilled for bolts secured with wingnuts. I always think using wingnuts is particularly appropriate for our hobby.
Woodland Scenics uses foam risers to raise the track instead of requiring you to grind or cut down thick layers of foam. Using just risers allows you to build landscape the traditional way with wadded paper and plaster cloth, cardboard strips or window screen mesh, or their interesting system of thin sheet foam used for architectural models which I also intend to try out. Not carving foam is really important to me. It’s just a really frustrating process. It reminds me of the joke about Michelangelo. He wasn’t such a great sculptor you know, anyone can just take a big block of carrera marble and chip away anything that doesn’t look like David. Take your time, take tiny chips,…
By putting all this on 1/2" foam base instead of the more usual 2" thick base opens up some other construction alternatives. Everything becomes much easier, especially bridges and tunnels.
Extruded styrofoam also comes in 8’x4’ X1/2" thick sheets which are much more manageable than 2" thick. Then, using hardboard for fascia, backing edge and end plates to stiffen the 1/2" base foam also creates a hollow box under the 1/2" sheet for concealing wiring and “module” connectors. Woodland Scenics even supplies sets of predrilled connector plates made from 1/4" hardboard complete with bolt sets
Sounds like a good plan Greg[Y] I think you’ll like the lightness of it. I certainly do. Not only for flipping it on on its side to work on the wiring and things underneath. I plan on taking it to train shows someday when I get older so I have something to do and I won’t want anything heavy at that time.
The all foam top only weighs about 10 to 12 lbs.
The quarter inch framed luan top only weighs about 8 to10 pounds. This is an old picture when I had it cantilevered from the wall. I hated that and it’s on wheels now. I like this much better as it is much easier to work on.
I am now piecing together foam for my corner mountains. They are removable so I can carve them at the table and will be able to remove them for cleaning track if I ever get that laid[:-^]
I’m quite slow in my modeling practices but I’m working on it[swg]
Just make a 1x4 box base for the foam, adds stabillity and if done with pine, not much weight and in fact it gets lighter over time because the boards lose moistue. This will allow you to use swich machines if you like. I would use 2’x4’ modules and mine I could pick up with one finger when done. You can just bolt the two halves together which is what I did for the whole layout.
Also of note, I used stranded bus line and Posi-Taps to connect power to the track, you can reuse those and change things any time you need to, fairly cheap if bought in bulk or e-bay deal.
All-foam layouts work, I have seen a few. Two 2 inch thick foam sheets laminated into a 4 inch sheet is remarkably strong, and you can use cheap folding tables as your supports.
i’m thinking the layout(?) would be far less than permanent, needs to lay to the side most of the time and would be flipped over often while worked on, tested with just a fews cars and loco
i think adding a 4" box would defeat the above needs. trying to keep things very simple
based on my experience building RC wings, i think the glass fiber tape and thin wood strips would stiffen the panel to prevent sagging. my curent layout is foam glued to 1/4" luan
To stiffen any panel, foam or plywood, you could add thickness or run stringers under the panel, in effect building a bridge. However, that is not necessary for the modest vertical loads of a model railroad.
Instead, you can just run the “stringers” only along the edges without increasing the thickness at all.
Laminating even quite thin plywood, mdf, aluminum or any metal angle or even channel along both front and rear edges of the foam sheet is all that is required.
Extruded foam is quite rigid. It isn’t particularly strong though. Model airplane wings have been moulded from expanded polystyrene and easily handle those modest vertical loads, even cantilevered.
Modern adhesives can replace the effect an angle or channel edging would provide.
With appropriate stiffener you can easily get away with 1/2 thick foam sheet.
