I just got a new woodland scenics layout kit and now I need advice, should i put down Woodland’s sub-terrain or just put my track bed on the plywood, and if I do use sub-terrain what thickness would be best 1/2" or 3/4". Any suggestions are greatly appreciated. Thanks
I have no experience with the Woodland Scenics layout kits but I would ask a simple question. Do you want realistic track bed profiles? If you do then that will mean that you will need drainage ditches beside your track. If you want ditches that will mean that you will need to elevate your track above the plywood which is what (if I understand the process) the sub-terrain is designed to do. Texture (i.e. depth) is one of the things that adds to the realism of layouts. I would go for the depth. You will need to fill in the slopes between the track and the plywood but products like Sculptamold will do that nicely.
Dave
Welcome to the forums.
I don’t have experience with the WS kits either, however, I agree with Dave that having below track level scenery adds much to the visual effects of your layout.
I use 2" foam and have plans to dig out several places so that there will be low places on the layout.
Does the kit come with the sub-terrain? If so use the thicker, that’s about 5 1/2’, which when you look at most terrain isn’t much. If it doesn’t, you could concider foam insulation either 1", 1 1/2" or 2" for your base.
I would also recommend that you use cork or WS roadbed to raise your track and give you a good ballast profile base. You can use other things, those are the two simplest that I know of.
Good luck,
Richard
The WS products are a good, solid scenery and layout construction system. They’re intended to provide the beginner with logical, easy to follow steps and simple processes to make decent scenery.
As the others have stated, real railroad track is seldom the lowest point in the scenery, and your model track shouldn’t be either. This is what the risers are for, to elevate your track so that it has terrain both above and below track level.
When I built my sons’ layout a couple of years ago, I used 2" risers on a plywood base to elevate the track. Scenery was constructed of newspaper covered with plaster cloth. Both trackside structures and the track sit on the risers, so the the structures have a level base next to the track.
Using the sub-roadbed will permit you to have nice variations in the apparent “Ground level” of your layout. Plus, as others have noted, real railroads have drainage ditches and other details below the level of the track that really makes a difference in the overall final appearance.
John