Please teach this “old timer” a new trick. I’m curious to know why so many of today’s MRR’s choose foam as their track / scenery base? Doesn’t the thickness of the foam limit how much scenery can be placed below track level? And, can you really get track to stay were you put it using foam?
Hi Bob!
I wouldn’t try to teach you anything after seeing your great work, but I had an idea of how to use blue foam in a slightly different way. I use it more like plywood with the cookie cutter method.
You can look at my web site (such as it is) and it may answer some questions. I hope you enjoy the tour and thanks for looking.
Your Sunday post was excellent.
I haven’t used it and don’t intend to. But, I’ve been told that it has better sound deadening than cork, hence less train rumble from the layout base. Personnally, I like some rumble. It adds to the effect.
I tried it for one section of my new layout but went back to plywood for the rest. I think the disadvantages outweigh the advantages. For a permanent layout, I think plywood is a better choice. For a sectional layout that someday might be moved, foam’s lightweight might make it the better choice.
I think it’s great. I do use cookie-cutter, so that’s how I get my elevation changes. If I want, I can gouge out part of the foam for ditches, streams and so on. I build foam ramps on trestles for level changes. I started building my first layout in 40 years about a year ago.
Foam is lighter and cheaper than plywood. I use Liquid Nails for Projects to hold the foam to the base frame, the roadbed to the foam, and the track to the roadbed. The track stays where I put it, but when I need to “correct” some track placement, I can still get it up with a putty knife without damaging the track.
Foam is easy to cut, and particularly easy to shape out small sections. Since I’m building my layout in the already-carpeted “family room,” I wouldn’t dare bring in a power saw to cut lumber, but foam is no problem. I don’t even need to drill holes for wiring - an ice pick or one of those bamboo skewers goes right through two inches of foam.
My layout is a free-standing 5x12 foot table on casters, dictated by the need to “promote domestic tranquility,” in the words of Thomas Jefferson. This would be a lot to muscle around with 3/4 inch plywood, but with the foam I can still drag it around with one hand, even over the carpet.