Order of trackwork, wiring, scenery

Model Railroader Layouts and layout building
1

I’m new to HO, and am restricted to an 4’ x 8’ table. I’ve chosen a layout that with 18" curves, multiple remote control accessary turnouts, multiple elevations, two mobile and sound equipped engines, tunnels? scenery. I’ll be using Tortoise switches on the turnouts, NCE Power Cabs, and DecoderPro/PanelPro, for operations.

Question: What should I do first? cork subbed? track? scenery? choice of engines? wiring? I’ve chosen this particular layout in order to tackle all aspects of model railroading at a time. Any advice is very much appreciated.

Ned

2

Hi!

I’m 65 and been playing with trains since the mid '50s. I’m currently in the middle of building my 8th layout (HO, two level, 11x15, DCC). While different in size and probably complications, your 4x8 building process could well be the same as what I am doing.

Especially for the size layout you are building, I would first finish the benchwork, which may be done before or after the layout design (lots of different opinions on this). Assuming you have the design, I would mark out the centerline of the proposed “trackage”, and then install the roadbed.

Next comes the track/turnouts. This will make or break your layout, so do a good job and have high standards of what is “good enough”.

Next comes the wiring. By this I mean putting in track feeders and hooking up the DC power pack or DCC controller/booster.

Now comes a really important part - that we tend to sometimes rush. This is to TEST! Test your locos, cars, and wiring. If there is a problem, fix it NOW. I promise it won’t go away on its own and will haunt you until its fixed. Obviously, at this stage it is relative easy as compared to when scenery is down.

When you are happy with the operation of your “plywood central” layout, then its time for scenery. Here is when you can pretty much do what you please. Some folks like to finish out a scene, others like to do all of one thing at a time (I.E. put down all the ballast, groundcover, etc.).

Ok, most of us would agree a layout is never finished (always something to add/improve), but now you can operate, operate, operate!

Oh, most important thru-out the whole process is to ENJOY !!!

Mobilman44

3

I guess the first priority is to really nail down your overall plan – so for example if you are going to be cutting into the table top to create a river (with or without bridge) or gravel pit or other scenic effect you know that first, before the track goes down. Another thing to think about before the roadbed and track goes down – where do you want drainage culverts under the track? That kind of planning assumes you have some notion of prototype location. Era and equipment can wait but I bet for most people they come first! that’s OK.

But let’s assume that basic planning has been done. Long-time Model Railroader editor Linn Westcott used to theorize about building an entire layout of scenery first, and then cutting a mainline through it just like the real railroaders did. But that was just theory. The traditional advice is to the lay the track and wire the layout and get it running exactly the way you want it BEFORE starting the scenery. That way if you need to remove some track and start over (it is easy to introduce a kink into the track that simply has to be removed if you want any hope of derailment free operation, and getting things perfect the first time is almost too much to wish for) you won’t also be tearing up a scenic effect that might represent an expenditure of time and money. Wiring, too, is easier if you aren’t trying to avoid having a hot soldering iron near a plastic structure or bridge or even foam-based grass for that matter. And yeah from time to time you might so badly botch the plastic ties with wiring that you won’t be happy until you replace that segment of track - easier to do if it has not been ballasted and scenicked.

That is all very good advice but in my own experience, just track and wiring can get boring and starting in on some scenery, if only for a corner or special scene, is a great way to maintain interest. On my own l

4

I couldn’t have said it better myself.

Trackwork goes down quickly, relative to detailed scenery. I basically put down all my trackwork first. (I’ve got a 5x12 foot table layout in HO.) Then, I started the scenery at one one end, mostly, and worked my way across. That took about 4 years. Most of the track was glued down, but part was only pinned because I knew I’d have to remove it to complete the scenery. So, for all that time, I was testing my trackwork and fixing what needed fixing. During this time, it was also possible to easily add sidings for industries, as I found that my layout lacked operational interest.

The very last step for me is ballasting. But, I do that in small sections, as the surrounding scenery is completed. I’ve also found that ballasting a few feet of track is relatively easy, while just looking at a large amount of unballasted track is enough to make you run away and find something else to do.

5

If you haven’t decided on he engines and cars you want to run, then do that first. If you want to run an engine or car that requires 22" radius curves then you have to plan for that - not that all your curves have to be 22", just enough to run the big stuff. OTH you can chose the track plan and then only use what will run on it.

For small layouts like yours I would first loosely lay all the turnouts (or templates that match your brand) in place to make sure they will fit according to the plan and the connecting tracks will meet the minimum radius. I did this for the 5’4" x 12’ layout I’m currently building and was unpleasantly surprised to find that the #6 turnouts I wanted to use would not fit the plan - but at least I found out before I had laid half the track.

You indicate that you will have multiple levels and tunnels, so I would first lay all the roadbed for the lowest level and the tunnel area, add the track, wire it, and test it. Then go on to the higher levels. Personally, I like to lay track through one turnout, wire it, then test it, then lay through the next turnout, wire that and test it, etc. That way you know which track/turnout to look at if there’s a problem.

Scenery gets done only for sections that have all the track laid and tested. For a small layout, I would not do any until after the trains are running. But for a large layout you could do it in sections with each section done to whatever stage of completion desired before starting the next. You could also have multiple sections in various stages of completion and work on which ever one strikes your fancy at the moment.

Enjoy

Paul

6

Ned,

I am in the process of building my first layout in over 20 years (I am 68 now) and have run into a problem I should have worked out before starting it. I designed a track plan that would give me a lot of mainline running room and a busy yard with a turntable and roundhouse. I have 75% of the track done and realized I didn’t leave enough room for all the building kits that I purchased over the past 2-3 years. This may be a common problem but it really hurts now that I can’t use all the buildings I wanted to use. Also, some of the kits are bigger than I realized and I am redesigning areas to accomodate them. I started making foam board mockups of the larger buildings so I could actually place them in the areas where I wanted them.

Do your homework and FULLY design the layout with building sizes and ajacent ground detail like parking lots, access roads and truck access. These are the details that will make a layout look like it really could exist.

7

Why not go with a 22" and 18" curve

8

With a 4’ x 8’ available, have you considered N scale, rather than HO ?? Following, is a, (modified), Marklin layout, that was suggested by one of our European master modelers. I rounded off the corners and added new turnouts, to give the layout a free flow, without sharp corners to deal with. You will have a lot more real estate, (for possible layout design), with N scale. I was one of the lucky ones who had scenery left over from previous layouts, and was able to build a 24’ x 24’ garage loft, (with an inside stairway, to my around the room HO layout). The Marklin layout design, allows for underpass-over-pass layout with a mainline, (that could be constructed first). I followed the Model Railroader sequence of “Dream-Plan-Build”. My final layout design was pre-planned, but built in four phases, with dead turnouts installed for future expansion. I built my layout with 2"x4" legs,(screwed to the flooring, 5/8" plywood layout topping, with curved edges, to make a flowing maze, or aisle access. I installed dead turnouts for planned expansion, and used cardboard footprints of structures, roads, rivers. etc,etc, so that my “HO Code 83 Flex-track could follow the center lines drawn on the plywood. Before starting with the bench work, I installed ten fluorescent shop lights. and applied Luan backdrop (with four curved corners. I electronically matched to sky coloring of the uniform SceniKing 7"x11’” sectional photo panorama, later applied all around the room. I had previously installed adequate electrical outlets, and insulated all the walls, before installing the Luan backdrop. Before you build an Island 4’x8’ layout, consider if it would be better to plan a wall layout. or C shaped layout, with a central backdrop, (which gives much more forced perspective, with photo scenery on the two sides). When the Walthers’ --HO “Ashland Iron and Steel” complex became available, I ripped out my round house and turn table and pulled up the track nails,( to adjust the railroad track placement). I am now in

9

From experience, build your benchwork then add ply (if less sound from running is important, if not go straight to 2"foam). Lay out your design ( one way I like is to layout all the turnouts and overlay the flex so you get a visual of things). Next draw a centerline for all trackage. Chose your roadbed (I prefer cork as it is easy to form for inclines). Put in any inclines you want and I do recommend WS inclines but I only use the starter sets (less expensive) and any old foam to build up to the height I need. Next caulk in you roadbed and let the material sit high at the bottom of any inclines to avoid a dip (I always over caulk this area and squish it down). At the top it is best to carve a bit of foam to get a nice transition (if not you are in for a lot of sanding). Once that is done you can caulk down the track (I like to start at the most complicated area). Now drop your feeders and solder them ( I test them all with a volt meter before I proceed). Next run your buss lines ( I like stranded wire here as I use Posi-taps to connect to the feeders). Once all the wiring is done, test!!! Now paint your track the basic color you are using if you are going to spray and clean the railheads and retest. Next blue painters tape the track and most of the roadbed and put in your landforms. Continue on with your scenery ( I like all the major stuff to get done at this point basically anything messy). Next pull up the tape and do your ballast. Last add any additional scenery and super detailing of track side

10

I am in the process of building my L-shaped switching layout, which is 9’ X 2’ along one wall and 5’ X 1’ along the other wall. it is a point-to-point, rather than a continuous run style of layout. I am presently in the wiring stage, as I have just completed the track on this interesting “switching maze”, which is planned to serve 6 industries. It also has a small engine servicing facility. It’s DC powered, divided into 6 power blocks and two cabs.

Anyway, the sequence of construction, the way I see it is simply as follows.

Design, (with building placements etc. in mind). Benchwork, backdrop (painted, at least sky blue with clouds, if not background hills or fields), track, wiring (test track as mentioned in previous threads, very important), structure construction, along with scenery, ballasting, and scenic details

Have fun!

11

My 2 cents, since I am fairly new to this, is put the basic layout track down so you can run your train… Spending a lot of time and never running your train is not fun. You might have a layout in mind but I found that once I got my basic loop down (mine is two 4x8 done in an L shape) I was changing my design everytime added a new section of track or a new building because I would either get inspired on how to do the next section or the desire to have a building I saw at the LHS fit in with either the area or scenery, such as I have more of my farming/ country buildings at one end and my more industrial buildings at the end where my rail yard is at, I did not want some modern day warehouse next my 80 year old looking barn. And some will surely disagree but once I got my basic loop down, I put in some ground clover and few trees just so I did not have bare plywood stareing back at me. And if you are doing plywood without foam, mix up some latex home paint if you have some extra around or hit the Homedepot for some discounted paint that is kind of earthy color for under the ground cover.

And if you dont have a train set yet, look at the Atlas trainman set… You get an engine, some track, power supply and 4 or 5 cars for under $150 or so. The engine is dcc upgradeable and the power pack can handle at least two engines, maybe more (two is all I have right now)

12

I am working on my second Ho layout and I am using some of the stuff I learned from the first one. Build your benchwork, in your case a simple 4x8 sheet of plywood is probably all you need. I prefer plywood with foam on top. It should be stable and built at a comfortable height for you. Remember you will have to crawl under it. I’m 6’5" it was an issue. I’m not much for drawing designs. I put the track down and see what it looks like. But thats me. Draw it or not, Lay all your tracks out how you want them, Use push pins to set flextrack the way you want them. Once you get your track the way you want it, Draw it on the table. I used a sharpie to great effect here. Then take your track up and layout your cork or whatever you are using for a roadbed. Be sure to allow room for industries and models. I use simple cardboard or paper cutouts for the footprints of the models. Then lay your track and wire it up. A simple 4x8 can be done with one terminal for one DC engine. DCC and Anything more will need more wiring with some soldering involved for good electrical contact. Now run your trains. Try every engine and every car. Push and pull the cars across all of your switches at different speeds. Make adjustments as necessary here. This will make or break your layout. If you are wiring up your switches, now would be a good time to do that. Nothing wrong with staying manual. Most of mine are manual. I only wired up two hard to reach switches

To me personally, 90% of my enjoyment is watching trains run. I have no scenery built yet. I have placed a few small buildings in a loose town formation and a cheap depot symbolizing the yard. The harbor has two fuel tanks alongside the sidings and a barge just sitting on the foam. But I can run trains. I think structures and scenery go hand in hand and have broken my layout into 4 sec

13

Ned

My recommendations are going to be somewhat different - perhaps because all I have ever built is 4x8 and smaller layouts in HO.

I really, really like the progressive construction techniques published and pushed by Kalmbach in the early '60s. HO Railroad That Grows (Westcott book); Portage Hill & Communipaw (December 1961 - April 1962 Model Trains, May 1962 - 1963 Model Railroader); and Ma & Pa (Dec '64 to Oct '65 Model Railroader) were all project layouts built using these techniques. Another good article is A Changeable Railroad from June 1962 MR. Ben King even built scenery before track on part of his small layout, as did Model Railroader on the Enfield and Ohio N project layout.

On my 1st layout, I laid the oval 1st on an L-girder frame, plywood and Homasote 4x8. Then I moved to a house that couldn’t hold the 4x8 in the spare bedroom. I redesigned the layout, and cut it down to 4x6. I laid the basic oval, a passing track, and one spur. These were wired for DC blocks, although I never added the 2nd power pack.

I sketched where the remaining track would eventually go, and then cut out all the plywood and Homas

14

Ned

As you can see by the responses given, there is no one way to build a layout. You can choose any of the items you listed to do first, and you won’t be wrong. Or you can do a little of each rather than trying to finish any one task completely on your layout (my preference).

The 4x8 and the curves you are forced to use to stay within the boundaries are going to drive your choice of engines. You simply don’t have the minimum radius or the space to run the big engines very successfully or realistically in HO. Small and medium engines will work fine, and look much better.

Obviously, you can’t finish laying the track until the cork is put down. But it’s a lot easier to trial fit your track before putting down the cork. And you can’t run trains until at least the minimum wiring is in. But downstream wiring is much easier if you put in the various bus wires near the beginning.

In my earlier post, I suggested putting a minimum of trackage and wiring for operation to begin with. Then go into some other phases like scenery. Come back and add elevations and additional track when you are ready. Then add some more scenery. Rinse and repeat.

For my curre