Upper deck benchwork

Model Railroader General Discussion (Model Railroader)
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I’m in the midst of putting the finishing touches on my plan, and I’m completely in the dark when it comes to benchwork that isn’t 6" tall…how should one go about constructing an upper deck for a multi-level layout? One suggestion I’ve had was to construct it out of laminated sections of ripped 1x4 plywood (effectively making a 2x4 that has very little expansion, contraction, or warping) but the costs were looking prohibitive - four times the cost of regular 2x4s, although it was looking about equal compared to 1x4s.

So, who has a proven method of constructing a shelf that doesn’t take up too much room vertically?

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Designing & Building Multi-Deck Model Railroads by Tony Koester

If you’ve never built a multi-deck before, might be worthwhile to get a foundation in the design and construction principles.

Best of luck.

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I have that book, and when it comes to the actual building aspect, it’s a load of crap - out of 100 or so pages, only 2 were talking about the benchwork, and gave one method of construction with only one diagram, a cross-section.

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I built my upper deck in sections. each is 18 inches wide and 7 foot long. I built a frame using furring strips. They are rough 1x3’s. Then covered the frame with Luan (glued and nailed), which is almost 1/4 inch thick. On top of that I glued on a one inch thick blue foam sheet. I added a facia to the front cut from paneling and painted brown. The end of the frames were made from 3/4 inch cabinet grade plywood. This was done so the bolts used to join the sections together would be in harder wood than just the furring strips.

I used the same type of construction for the sections on the bottom bench-work as well.

At the end of the top level, all the way to the right, I used 1/16 inch piano wire to hold up the outer corner. If you look closely, you can see it.

They are fairly light weight and easy for one person to move and install.

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Wow. Harsh. I saw a lot of examples in the photos that would be helpful, but that’s just me.

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trainboyH16-44

Seeing as most of my current 2500 sq ft layout has multiple decks - I might be able to provide some help

Most of the levels are made from 1x3 (2.5 nominal width material) which a lot of people call furring strips.

While the local lumber yard calls them that - I have had quite a number come through with ZERO knots.

I had pick the lumber for my layout - and I can say it all was built pretty much this this stuff and I can crawl up on the layout and walk around with this small stuff for the framework (260 lbs)! :wink:

But getting back to the point!

I built a number of Open Grid boxes in the width I needed for the areas and have made then up to 24" wide.

Supporting most up to 12 inches wide - I just screwed the boxes to the wall with drywall screws. They are solid enough that they do NOT need any front support !

The open grid box frames are 8 ft long (the length of the 1x3s) and the ends are tied into the rest of the layout so the support is adequate!

The wider areas are supported with angle wood (metal could also be used) to help support the center of longer sections of benchwork. The angle wood is buried in scenery on the lower level and is not seen!

In the new area, I recently built - after adding on a room - I came up with THIN EDGE Benchwork!

Where most of my upper level benchwork is about 3 1/2 inches high with the 1x3 frame (2.5 nominal) plus 7/16" OSB & 1/2" Homasote - I wanted to have the front edge of the layout even thinner.

This thinner edge would give me a better view - as the 3 1/2" front edge of the original upper level benchwork would limit seeing to the rear of the lower level - when the upper sections were wider than 9".

This new concept (as others have claimed they have seen it before - yet no one talks about it) is only 1 inch thick at the front edge!

What I did was (using 11 ply cabinet grade plywood - 3/4") so no support would be needed between stri

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Bob and Elmer, that’s a lot of great advice! Thank you!

I have one more question - I was planning to use fluorescent lights hidden in the framework for the upper deck to light the lower deck. How far away can I get away with spacing the joists? Would 36" be too much? I assume 24" would be minimal spacing, but the cost of light fixtures is frightening. ($50 each times 30 if I use 24" fixtures)

I suppose I’ll head to the hardware store today and see what they have for low-profile fixtures!

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My framework was 24 inches. I used CFL’s for lights in every-other bay. I found some fixtures or light bulb holders at Lowes that I wired in a parallel string. If you look close at the photo, you can see one of the bulbs that is on near the front edge.

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A lot of MRR benchwork can be ‘over-engineered’.

Years ago, benchwork was built like framing on a house - 2x4’s and 2x6’s and 5/16 or 3/4" plywood.

Now there’s nothing wrong with building benchwork with those schedules of materials, but most modelers aren’t building with scenery materials like cement and plaster, that can add a lot of weight to the supporting members.

Most modern construction techniques lend themselves to the use of Foam Insulation panels, which are a great alternative to the ‘old school’ wire screen and plaster method.

This allows for much lighter materials to be used for framing without giving up strength.

I am currently constructing Phase I of a IV phase layout project, that will occupy 3 levels in 3 different room areas. I wanted to convey form and function and came up with a cantilever design that utilizes simple, easy to get hardware and transfers weight load away from the supporting members to the walls of the room - a totally open benchwork that is multi-level and has ZERO supporting legs in the room-none.

When I first allowed visitor’s to see early construction progress, all said the same thing: “at first glance, it looks like the whole thing will just fall down”. “But when you touch it try and shake it, its as solid as the house”.

I use only select white pine and masonite, and all sub-assemblies are “screwed and glued”, to assure uniform alignment and no warping - sections are bolted together with heavy duty hardware, and located with a number of bolts that corralate to the size and ditributed weight load.

The result is a very clean looking and very strong, but lightweight benchwork that supports itself, the lighting valences(on supports from the wall and benchwork and allows for multiple levels with good reach access without a lot of lumber supporting it.

I’ll try to post some images of part of that benchwork but if you want, you can view my 1st test run of light power and a few train moves on Youtube at

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trainboyH16-44

This is an ongoing problem I am still dealing with!

With the narrow width on most of my upper deck sections (I have 5 levels in places) the lighting is not a problem!

But there are larger areas that are darker than what I would like!

Lately I have been trying out the 14" GE linkable under cabinet kitchen lights (Pt # 10168) - available from Home Depot (the only place I could find handling that brand).

They run around $15.00 each

I build my open grid benchwork with the joists on 16" centers so the 14’ lights fit easily between the joists and can link up to 10 units together on one plug.

At this time they seem to be better than nothing - but I like to have my layout lighted much brighter than most layout owners seem to light their layouts - which I never understood!?

I like to see my work - not guess where it is ! :wink:

BOB H - Clarion, PA

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Both levels of my layout are of cantilevered open grid design. With the exception of 2" by 2" glue blocks used to reinforce the 90 degree joints, all of the framing members were ripped from sheets of 1/2" hardwood plywood ($27 per sheet at Lowes). I used a laminated double layer of 1/2" plywood strips 5 inches wide to anchor the deck to the studs of the existing walls using 3" drywall screws and large fender washers so the screw heads can’t pull through the wood. A 2" by 2" block was glued to the anchor strips at the location of each cantilever rib spaced at 16 inches on center. The cantilever ribs were made by first ripping plywood strips five inches wide, then cutting pieces 22 1/2 inches long. Since I also wanted the depth of the deck to be as thin as possible, I then ripped each piece at an angle to make two ribs five inches deep at the wall anchor end and 3 inches deep at the fascia end. A 48" long frame level was used to ensure that the individual ribs remained relatively level when glued and screwed to the anchor strips. However, I purposely fugded the fascia ends of the mid span ribs slightly above level to compensate for any sag in the finished assembly. The fascia panels were made from 4" wide strips of 1/2" hardwood plywood. Spans longer than 8 feet required angled lap joints doubled by a second layer of 1/2" plywood. The ends of two or more fascia strips were cut at a 60 degree angle (looking at the face of the fascia strip) with a backing piece behind the long angled joint. This provides a long joint that is significantly stronger than a plain 90 degree butt joint with a backing strip. The fascia strips were attached flush with the tops of the cantilevered ribs and reinforced with 2" by 2" glue blocks. The 4" fascia depth leaves an open space 1" deep under the front of the deck for lighting. All of the various decks are at least 24 inches deep with the longest span being just over 13 feet. The

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