I am building my first layout. Southern Pacific in the desert Southwest. Will be using atlas under table switch machines. What should I use for the table top? Plywood, homasote, extruded foam? Also, since I’m putting down 160’ of track, what is a good alternative to model train store ballast and how much will it take? Need advice from all you experts out there! John
I know this probably isn’t what you want to hear, but it really doesn’t matter. Plywood is heavy and expensive, but very solid, and has the advantage of being able to mount a switch machine anywhere.
OTOH, if you make open grid benchwork topped with 2" extruded foam board, it will be much lighter, and easier to work with, but you will need to plan your switch machines a little more carefully (but don’t worry, a small piece of scrap wood screwed on to a joist lets you mount a switch machine just about anywhere).
As far as “hobby store ballast”, I think this is an area where people falsely economize. You’re not going to be ballasting 160’ of track in an afternoon – personally, I can handle about 5’ at a time. Unless you’re modeling in O scale, most other products are not fine enough to convincingly model ballast. Ballast is crushed rock in the 1" - 3" range, or smaller than a human hand. Compare the size of whatever you’re planning to use to a figure in the appropriate scale. I’ve personally seen huge disasters with people using kitty litter, so I can’t recommend it (although others will disagree with me).
I would say find a cheap source of hobby store ballast in bulk (probably on the Internet – stores like to sell small batches at MSRP) and use it. Avoid small packages and shakers (I apply mine from a paper cup creased into as spout and smoothed with a paint brush). How much you need will depend on how thickly you apply it. It’s tough to say, because if you use Scenic Express or Highball Products ballast, which is made out of real stone, a 1 lb bag of ballast isn’t very much, whereas Woodland Scenics ballast, which is made of nut shells, a pound would last you forever. Generally, I’d say about 30’ to the bag is a pretty good rule of thumb.
hi,
i do not know much about your layout. If you are planning on lots of grades, i would prefer to have a wooden frame with a plywood sub-roadbed. When OTOH your layout is as flat as a pancake foam would be my choice.
Paul
homasote and many foam sheets will sag if not supported, but are easier to nail/spike to or mold than plywood. have you considered homasote or foam on 1/4 plywood or luan?
Greg, I like your luan/foam idea. Best of both worlds! Thanks! John
Benchwork is a part of every Tabletop. Benchwork (+) Tabletop = Team Effort.
If a modeler says foam worked great for them – Then foam was appropriate for their specific needs.
Example: CR&T must use plywood as a base due to anchoring of overhead traction poles with a “take no prisoners” attitude. Plywood “cookie-cutter” will also be employed for smoother grades between layout towns, plus provide a strong pole anchoring base. As a U-shaped layout – CR&T is treated as a “glorified shelf layout” on box-grids. There will be some L-girder benchwork between cookie-cutter sections. Rock-solid anchoring of traction poles is priority one, and; a foam base simply is not conducive to that goal. Foam-pieces will only be used for either hillside carving and/or base scenery carving.
Two of my prior layouts used a homasote tabletop over box-grid(s) with underlying grid dimensions of 2’x4’. Benchwork was 1"x4" wood, and benchwork legs were (2) L-shaped 1"x4" (use screws not glue). Homasote sagging was never a problem.
[1] Thus: Tabletop (+) Benchwork = a total solution.
[2] Foam vs Plywood vs Foam: “It always depends on…”
Personally, I use 1/2" plywood which should work fine with Atlas under the table mountings. I wouldn’t use homasote with out a layer of plywood under it - foam I have no experience with.
Good luck
Paul
I used foam on 1" x 4" open grid and spline roadbed on this layout because I wanted to try something I had not used before. In my youth it was L girder or plywood. Trying new things is part of growth at any age.[(-D]
Spline roadbed runs about $10.00 for fifty feet. It transitions up and down, left and right beautifully. For mounting switch machines or anything else under the layout simply glue a small square of 1/4" plywood in the appropriate spot.
Every layout is different in size, location. Will it be permanent, movable, portable, size of budget type of landscape etc… All things to consider when choosing your method of construction.
Here is mine just before the first piece of track was laid. Spline is in.
Here is a video from a couple of years ago showing the trains on spline, foam, a steel stud and cement board. Use what ever works.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXrYeMHw5j0
Good luck.
Brent[C):-)]
no good reason to use foam under spline, as if the remaineder of the world must be flat.
Paul
Agreed. Don’t assume it is all still there, these pics are several years old. After the track is laid the foam gets cut and lifted up off the grid to the level of the spline for landscaping purposes. I found it very easy to shape the foam to fit the curving path of the spline by doing it this way. As I cut the foam to put in the supports for the spline it ends up being cut to fit the spline at the same time.
In the end the foam supports the track, buildings and the edges of my hollow foam mountains. It works for me. In fact it is working better than I expected. The foam I don’t need for support gets used for my solid granite mountains.[(-D]
My first effort at the Canadian Rockies. Foam below the spline was cut and lifted off the grid about 4" to the level of the spline and built up (and down) from there.
Here is a 4’ span of unsupported spline that is to be replaced by a knockoff of the CPRs Stoney Creek Bridge. The canyon will go to the floor. My layout is far from flat.
Brent[C):-)]
Wow, never thought of plywood of still being of use but catenary is definitely one!!! I use foam and for elevations, Woodland scenics but only the starters to save $. I personally like WS ballast but I have plenty of the other. I use cork over the foam as it caulks on to the foam easy.