Main Level Plywood in Place - Pictures!

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

Hi!

Well, it took a long time, but I finally have the main level plywood in place, and the surface is ready for track laying. The layout is in an 11x15 room, HO, code 100 track, and two levels. The lower level (subject of previous postings) is connected by a winding 2 % grade, and ends up with 6 storage/staging tracks - two for passenger trains, 4 for freight.

This is a “replacement” layout of one I built in the early '90s, with two main differences. The earlier one had a lot of tunnels and rockwork (which really cramped mainline railroading), and was wired for DC (which was more complicated than necessary). This layout will be a platform for trains and structures, with minimal bridges and no tunnels (except the one leading to the lower level). However, there may be a couple of additional bridges added, and I’ll “jigsaw” the plywood as needed to make the cuts.

The layout is also being wired for DCC, which I find to be simpler, but of course more “finicky” than DC. The chosen system is a Digitrax Super Chief with two boosters, two controllers, and two PSX4 circuit breaker setups - allowing for 8 power sectors.

Once the roadbed, track, and wiring are in place, I’ll do a complete testing and then begin placing structures and putting in scenery. I’ll start on the outside perimeters and work my way in towards the center. Lastly, I’ll paint the faces of the benchwork flat black, and put an edging on the top to cover the ends of the plywood.

The pictures try to “walk you around the room”, and I have to add that they make the room look much smaller than actual size. Oh, yes, there is a dreaded duckunder (40 inches wide), but its necessary to maximize the layout surface. And frankly, if this 65 year old, 225# guy can quickly get under it, then that’s fine by me!

2

hey nice bench work and the backdrops ohh i wish i could have those. you want to come and paint mine for me. hey keep up the great work.

3

I am impressed. Wow, keep it up, you’re on the fun part now!

4

Ahhhh virgin plywood, I can almost smell it.

Looks good.

Enjoy

Paul

5

mobilman, looking great! We have layouts of similar size and appearance, so I’ve been especially enjoying seeing your progress pics! Looking forward to following your progress.

6

Can anyone explain to me the advantages of using a solid sheet of plywood over the layout if track grades or below-track-level scenery (rivers, gulches, etc.) are desired? I see only disadvantages. Don’t they make sabre saws anymore?

Mark

7

Using a solid sheet of plywood better known as cookie cutter is the backbone of model railroading I would say it safe to say. We hear a lot about open gird bench work and spline subroadbed and homasote etc. But I would venture to say that the majority of model railroads out there are on top of exactly what you see here. Most guys don’t have the gigantic basement empires we see in the magazines and videos but rather a couple of sheet of plywood with track work and scenery. Even with the bench work pictured you can still have positive and negative scenery. Tracks can be elevated by the use of risers screwed in to the plywood or by using foam stacked up and glued then carved into different elevations or by commercial products such as Woodland Scenics foam riser kits. Some modelers choose to keep their operations on one level . What if a guy wants to model the Kansas Wheat fields, ever seen any mountains out there, or what about down in the deep south in places like Mississippi or Alabama. Check out Cliff Powers MA&G a three levels of operation all on flat pieces of plywood connected by a helix.

Even good old flat plywood’s only limitation is the builders imagination

8

I wasn’t referring to cookie-cutter plywood. I have used it lots and recommend it for many applications. I was speaking of flat-table-top plywood applications. Screwing risers on top of the solid, flat plywood table for raised roadbed is a waste of materials and prevents access from below once scenery is applied. Even in apparently flat territory, it is rare for tracks to be continuously at the bottom of the land contours… A bit of rain and you’re flooded. Even in flat country, railroads will be crossing creeks and gulches and the ground will frequently be gently undulating.

9

Mark,

The plywood is the base, and the scenery, etc. may be built up, or in some cases down from there. The incline to the staging is cookie cutter to start and then continues down via risers, etc. My previous 14 year old layout had a similar footprint, but had several levels and lots of rockwork, tunnels, etc. I grew somewhat tired of it, for it limited terminal/yard space and cramped up the various structures I would like to add.

By having the plywood base, I have easy options to change track configuration or more likely, structure placement. Yes, I have scale plans drawn up with placements drawn in for existing structures, but it is a distinct possibility I could change my mind over the next several years.

Of course I would love to have a 20x20 room for an “empire”, where I could “have it all”. But, that is not the case - and frankly I consider myself very fortunate to have the room I have.

Ha, much of the backdrop indicates hills in the distance, with the local area pretty flat. If one looks for something like this in the real world, I would suggest standing in eastern Colorado and looking west, or (a favorite place of ours) standing south of Santa Fe NM and looking north.

Mobilman44

10

I would look at the plywood as a nice flat canvas to start with ans I can see how t affords a lot of possibilities, one calls it a waste of material another says it adds strength. We have a guy in the club who has a rather odd layout. It’s in a room 18’x100’ long he opted for the flat top plywood bench work. teasing him we nicknamed it the USS Enterprise. He proceeded to cover it with several layers of foam going as high as 28" from the 42" table top height. He was a pink foam carving maniac and a better man then me for messing with all that mess but I have to admit he has some impressive scenery, with plenty of grades and unique landforms such as rivers, washes hills mountains etc. It’s kind of neat as he has so much running room the train never goes through the same scene twice and changes direction at both ends. I would trade what I have for what he has plywood table top and all.

11

Besides, Mr 44, for the benifit of those unaware ---- if you model the area around you, in most cases the highest spot in the county is a highway overpass. From the Gulf of Mexico in-land, it is FLAT for 50 to 75 miles.

John T. in the wet cow pasture

12

WOW, nice bench work. Wish mine had turned out that well. Will you be posting your layout out design? Would love to see what you are doing.

I am about finished with my bench work in a 11’ x 11" room and am having problems comming up with a track plan I like.

13

Thank you for the nice words!

The scale drawings are done on quadrille paper and are not on the computer. I took two years of drafting in high school (Lane Tech, Chicgo - 1962), and put the training to good use.

The lower level stages comes up via a 2 % incline and merges with the double main that pretty much runs the outside perimeter of the layout. There will be a “sub-main” inside the double main that will be the lead track to access the engine terminal, yard, and industrial sidings. As I get in roadbed/track, I’ll be posting more pictures.

I’ve been toying with track plans since grade school, and while I have most of the layout books put out by Kalmbach and others, I have yet to find a plan that I would want for my own “as is”. I have gotten lots of tips and guidance from them, but the end result has always come out of my own head.

Mobilman44

14

hey use the flat plywood benchwork as thats what i use and i can say it is pretty still sturdy. as wp&p who is helping design my layout bumped up against the middle peninsula and said how sturdy it was that made me a believer. but on this layout im going to use the cookie cutter method for the first time. and use the woodland scenic risers to get to the next levels. i would recommend the flat plywood as i can stand on top of my layout if needed. keep up the greatwork as i look at yours and said i got to get to work.

15

If Mobilmann is modeling Texas, a sheet plywood might not be flat enough![(-D]

I used plywood myself, for many of the same reasons, another plus is that you can literally stand on it, or sit on it, this is a BIG deal comfort wise when laying track along an inside wall near the backdrop. I actually built all my stringers and supports right on top of my plywood, my last layout used manual switches but access holes can easily be cut into the plywood with a jigsaw, and you never EVER worry whether your benchwork will support the scenery, plaster? Phhh! I’ve seen big REAL rocks mounted like mountains ontop of plywood bases.

16

Hey mm44,

I’ll chime in with another thanks for posting on your progress, and another wow - nice work so far!

Also with another request to post your track plan. I’ve seen others post photos of their hand-drawn plans - would that be possible?

I’m most interested in your lower level design. How’d you get that much separation between the levels, plus staging tracks, in what looks to me like two sides of an 11x15 room. I must be missing something. Or maybe you could just describe your solution?

Thanks again.

17

Hi, thanks again for posting your layout. In my attempts to build a layout, I must admit, when I saw yours, the first thing that came to my mind was, solid. And I truly mean that. When considering how much weight will be placed on this table, I can’t think of a better way to spread the weight evenly. Also, what a better way to start with ‘Ground Zero’ and spacers cut accordingly to have the perfect start with everything nice and even. Also, for the meantime, enjoy the nice workbench. As for me, I also took in height, because of my Husky, I didn’t want a wet nose to touch a hot track. I shall mark this thread with 5 stars and follow your progress. Thanks Again!

Keith

18

Hi!

The only way I could get the track plan into the Forum is via a scanner - which I don’t have. Soooo, I’ll attempt to describe the incline to the lower level staging.

It starts (or ends) at the wall with the long lake (Lake Patricia - wise move as that’s my wife’s name) and curves down along the back wall and wraps down along the window wall. It disappears below the benchwork right before the window. It continues downward and does a loop at the large area by the “farmlands”. That space allows a 28 inch radius loop, so anything I have will easily make it.

The loop allows the track to go back along the window wall, turn along the end wall, and then turn again along the lake wall.

The incline trackage is just one track, but after it goes around the loop it turns into two tracks. One track is the main for the two passenger tracks, the other for the four freight tracks. And, along the end wall, additional # 6 turnouts lead to the rest of the storage tracks.

I separated passenger from freight, making the passenger tracks much longer in length. The freight sidings are shorter, but there are four of them.

I’ve had previous postings of the lower level (before the ply was put in place) and that should make it much clearer.

The layout is meant to reflect the Santa Fe (and a minor in the Illinois Central) during the 40s/50s. Nothing is later than 1959. The location is strictly generic - a mixture of Texas and southern Illinois or “whatever”. And by the way, Texas has pretty much every type of scenery you can imagine!

Mobilman44

19

[:D] Been there…When you can match this, then I be impressed [:D]

20

Mobilmann44,

What are you using under the track. Looks like cork strips with cork on top. Did you paint the cork gray?