Banded Iron Rail


Hi
Now the layout sorted, I have started putting down the roadbed, I think few more minor adjustments and working out the grades, then I start on the track.

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So this is the train load out area, it sits 100mm higher than the rest of the layout. I'm going to build the TLO on a 10mm piece of acrylic, so I'll have a 90mm for the track going under it.

As I'm building on foam, I also want to be able to move the TLO to build it away from the layout.

What would be the best way to support it, I'm not sure if I can build the supports directly on the foam or cut through the foam and support it from the wooden frame underneath? I'm not sure if the foam would be able to support the weight over time.

The pieces of wood are just to get an idea of the height.

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I think you will find that with any weight on the foam from the supports will ultimately sink them into the foam. Is the foam glued down to some kind of subbase like plywood? You could use some threaded rods and attach them with nuts and washes to the acrylic, cut out a small amount of the foam for each rod and then fasten them to the subbase. The plus side you could even adjust the height if you had to.
 
Grades

So I have started on the inclines on the layout, of which I'll have two. After using some scrape polystyrene to work out how to bend the incline around a bend, then using the same dimension on XPS foam.

I have found that these materials bend very differently to each other when you use the same dimensions for the kerf. Needed to reduce the spacing to 30mm between each cut rather than 50mm with the polystyrene.

Armed with a hotwire and some would I have managed to cut out my inclines including the batters, its cool when it starts to take shape.

Cheers

The jig for cutting the inclines, just work out the height and length, place the XPS foam on the ground, with the two peices of wood flush at one end, a support at the end of the incline. Turn over and cut with a hot wire.
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The batters were a bit more involved, after cutting the incline I had to change the widith of the batter as the hight of the incline increased.

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This will be a drill and blast area rather than a batter.
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Grades and Batters

Hi

Someone ask how I did grades and batters so here it is in a nutshell.

This is easier if the batter width is constant rather than on a grade, however it's just a matter of thinking about it before you cut.

Cheers

Line up the end of the foam with an edge and place a piece of wood on both sides, this just shows one side. You want to make sure that the edge of the foam lines up with bottom of the wood. When looking at the side your grade will be upside down.
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On the other side I placed a spacer to the height of the grade I want, so for 3% my length of foam is 1200mm so the spacer is 36mm.
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This is what it looks looks before I have turned the whole thing over ready to cut the foam
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Ready to cut. Cutting the foam, make sure the clamps are not hanging over, my two pieces of wood are different sizes.
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Here I'm cutting the batter. I have beveled my two pieces of wood, so I have a sharp edge. The bevel I cut was for a 1 in 1.5 batter, but as it turned out all I needed was the sharp edge so 45deg will do. The width of the embankment is constant at 35mm (being from the centre of the track to the edge). The width of the batter went from 45mm to 35mm along the length of the foam. So its just a matter of lining up the pieces of wood on both side to suit and cut.
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regme said:
Mat Cutter, so handy for cutting cork road bed. Set the width and don't forget to rotate the sheet on every second cut.

View attachment 161071View attachment 161072This took 20min to cut up a sheet of 900 x 600mm
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Yessiree. A mat cutter is a very useful tool. Mom was professional artist (painter) and when she passes, her's comes down to me. Just need space to use it.
 
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Really good work, and your benchwork/cabinetry is just top notch. You are very skilled.

The only mistake <cough> I can find is that you are using that funny measuring system. I think it's called "metric"...or something like that.... :D :D :D. Probably dates back hundreds of years or some such....

Not sure how that translates to HO, since the American railroad standard gauge is 4' 8 & 1/2"*, but there's probably a metric equivalent. LOL!

[*...of course you've only known this for fifty odd years, I'm sure. Just shoot me now]

================

On a less humorous note (I hope it was, anyway), you'll be aware there was actually a space probe launched not that far back which failed. I believe the conclusion they reached about why it happened was that some of the parts were built to metric specs, while others were built using the foot+inch system.

Fortunately none of those things ever happen in model railroading....

[OMG! I've been cutting my recent N-scale parts using the metric end of my "General 1251 Model Railroad Reference Rule" and not the N-scale end! "Oh....the humanity...!"]
 
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Thanks, but my benchwork has many mistakes, the biggest think I have learnt is to buy a square that is square.

@Snowman you will be happy to know that you are in one of three countries that are still using imperial :)

Many years ago I was in England traveling to Norwich when I passed a sign that said "Norwich 16". The longest 16 kilometers I have every traveled until the penny drop and I realised the sign was in miles. 😞

But fear not, once you have come to the light side, you wonder why you stayed on the dark side for so long.
 
regme said:
Thanks, but my benchwork has many mistakes, the biggest think I have learnt is to buy a square that is square.

@Snowman you will be happy to know that you are in one of three countries that are still using imperial :)

Many years ago I was in England traveling to Norwich when I passed a sign that said "Norwich 16". The longest 16 kilometers I have every traveled until the penny drop and I realised the sign was in miles. 😞

But fear not, once you have come to the light side, you wonder why you stayed on the dark side for so long.
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We try to please, our money is metric as are most measurements and weights etc. but our roads remain Imperial, so you get the best of both.

Come to the UK, we will totally mess with your mind. 😂
 
Hi

I have a structure that I'm building on a piece of 10mm acrylic sheet. As this sheet sits proud of my foam base I was going to have a small gradient up to it plus some scenery to blend it back to the base.

The kicker is that I want to be able to build the structure off the layout so the sheet will have to be movable. The sheet is 1200mm by 495mm.

What would be the best way to interface between the gradient / scenery and acrylic sheet, I thought of using a plastic angle molding, which I would have to recess into the foam slightly.

Is there another way?

Cheers

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Smudge617 said:
We try to please, our money is metric as are most measurements and weights etc. but our roads remain Imperial, so you get the best of both.

Come to the UK, we will totally mess with your mind. 😂
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Here in Canada I'll jump into my 1/2 ton truck, drive 50 kilometres per hour down the mile road, and burn 10 litres of gas to by a 4ft by 8ft sheet of 18 millimeters plywood. Yikes!
 
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