Well, the responses have certainly been all over the map! I guess I’ll toss my two cents in:
2-inch foam on top of hollow-core doors. Lightweight but sturdy as all get out, and not prone to warping. I’ve been working with this as benchwork for the past year. Previously, I was a homasote and plywood on open grid or L-girder kind of guy. Never again. Foam on a door is much superior, at least in my opinion.
No matter what you choose, I encourage you to select materials and design with portability in mind. You said you’re moving soon. The next time you move, you should leave yourself the option of bringing your railroad with you.
Having a total thickness of : 2"+ 1 3/8"+1/4"= 3 5/8" How well do your sw machines work having to use a wire that needs to be at least 4 1/2" long. I would thing that the point rail pressure would be very weak even using a heavier piece of music wire. Has this been any problem and how have you solved it?
I use foam and would never go back to ply!!! WS inclines are cheap if you just buy the starters and use scrap foam for going higher, I buy the 2" @ 2’x4’ foam for the base but all else I use free foam shipped with packing stuff. I also should note that after I carve the basic landforms with foam I cover all with plaster cloth that you can buy cheap in bulk from the likes of ASW.
bogp40, sorry I can’t answer on that one, as I’m using all ground throws. But while I have no personal experience with switch machines mounted under hollow-core doors, I’ve read that it can be done. I just didn’t note the particulars because I have no plans of using 'em anytime soon.
Just completed a big expansion of the layout earlier this spring (see my other posts for pics of 2" foam installation), but I because I incorporated my original layout which is on 3/4" and 1" Medite (high density particle board) I have a constant noise comparison as trains run from one section to another…
…and foam is much much noisier…by a matter of many decibels.
Don’t use particle board, but certainly I would recommend plywood over foam if you do not anticipate wild climate control issues.
Cisco, what did you use to support the foam? I think that might be a factor as far as noise goes.
I had read about noise concerns from some modelers, and considered that before I made my decision to go with foam. I can’t do the “side-by-side” comparison, so I’ll bow to your experience there, but I haven’t noticed any undue noise while using foam on a hollow-core door.
Then again, I’m in N scale, so that is also likely a factor.
The reason for asking is my current layout is 8x12 with a 2x8 wing. It is designed to either add sections or wings. The layout is an open grid with twenty four inch depth on a plywood base and can be taken apart in sections. After visiting a layout with 30" depth, I saw how much running space and scenery could be added. I am modeling in HO and run great northern and soo line in the 60’s . I have a main line and sidings for each. This eats up a lot of space and doesn’t leave much room for other buildings and scenery. I have thought about running just one at a time but I like running two different railroad names at the same time. I guess i might have to wait untill I move to see how much room I am going to have available. Any insight and suggeations or openions are always welcome. I just have track ran at this point with no scenery. My plan is to be in the next house for a very long time and want to have a very nice layout to build. I like to have a starting point and industries to switch at as well as have a continious run plan. Thanks for your input.
Yes, I think the scale might have a lot to do with it.
I have the foam glued to half-inch plywood sheets which are screwed to two by four benchwork, supported on legs on carpet, but also screwed to wall studs (and that last point may have something to do with it).
My work is seen at this rather terribly long post elsewhere in this forum about my construction