Cookie Cutter layout


U

usndalge

New Member
I've built two Atlas HO layouts so far, but have moved to N becuase space is at a premium. I found a great plan I modified in the MR 101 Track Plans book. The only issue is that I cannot figure out where to make the cuts in the plywood (cookie cutter) or how to best build the underlying frame that should support the plywood that the track will lay on. The plan has elevation information, but I can't figure out a good way to make it work.

I have used the Atlas Plans in the past...Granite Gorge and The Central midland- both included the framing plans, so they were rather simple to make.

I had thought about using the foam insulation blocks, but am not sure how I would attach the track (nails?) or how I would mount an under-the table switch in that configuration.

Any thoughts you may have are much appreciated.

The name of the plan is #58, The Grand River Western.

Thanks

Tom
 
Tom, can you post a scan of the track plan? Most of us don't have that book so it's hard to tell what the issues are. In general, foam is a much easier medium to work with than a cookie cutter plywood layout. You just use a sheet of plywood as underlayment and glue (with latex caulk) a 2" layer of foam to the top. You can even build a perimiter frame with joists on 1 foot centers and glue the foam directly to the frame, since the foam is plenty strong. You secure track to the foam using latex caulk also, just running a tin bead under each rail. You can use T-head pins, also called florist's pins, to pin the track to the foam while the caulk drys. Woodland Scenics makes some nice foam risers with grades for 1% to 4% that make it very easy to lay an accurate and smooth grade of any configuration.

The plywood/cookie cutter layout still works fine but, having done both cookie cutter and foam layouts, foam is the only way I'd build a new layout now.
 
Thanks for the input Jim. I can't get the image to a small enough size for posting due to the limits imposed.

I guess I'll try the foam. How do you mount under-table switches with foam and do I still use road bed or attach the track directly?

Tom
 
Thanks, Mikey. Tom, you can download a free picture resizer for Windows from the Microsoft website that integrates with Windows Explorer.

You can mount under layout switch machines on a small block of plywood glued to the bottom of the foam with latex caulk. Some guys will use a hollow brass tube to run the trip wire through the foam but I've found it will work just as well with just a hole through the foam. As far as roadbed, it still looks better to have at least the mainline tracks running on a roadbed to raise them above the surface of the foam. Woodland Scenics makes a nice foam road bed that comes in rolls and is easier to use, for me, than cork. You secure the roadbed with good old latex caulk. :) For yard tracks and industry spurs, I laid track directly on the foam since I wanted them to look like they had sunk in the mud. Once again, you can easily secure the track with latex caulk.
 
Has anyone made a cookie-cutter layout using, say, 1/2-inch foam instead of plywood? It seems like this might be reasonable for N-scale.

I was thinking of open frame wood benchwork topped with a 1- or 2-inch foam base, then using a sheet of 1/2-inch foam and cutting it cookie-cutter fashion to form the sub-roadbed. I think 1/2-inch foam is flexible enough that one could create smooth grades with it. You could support the grades with foam risers.

Somebody must have tried something like this, and I am curious to learn if it worked.

- Jeff
 
I used 3/4" foam on my small layout [HO], on top of 3/8 plywood sub base..
and cut and lifted using slices of foam about every 2" [they are 3/4" wide], and when leveled / grade set / edge trimmed , i dribbled WeldBond White Glue into the cuts to 'set' it..very nice and rigid...
If you use a tortoise or similar under table mounted switch you will have variety of actuator lengths, a little more work after..for mine I mounted Atlas switches underneath the turnout, bent the tip 90 degrees to come up from underneath, about a year and some now, so far no dead ones...:)_

left my camera in the garage, otherwise I could have attached a photo. sorry

..enjoy..
 
My Grandview & Western

What a coincidence I am building plan #58 (the larger of the two images above) in HO Gauge. I am building it as a cookie cutter AND as a modular meaning; I am building it as four separate tables for ease of movement in the event I need to move.

I am using 2x4x8 for an outer frame and a 1x4x8 for an inner frame, the tabletop will consist of 4’x8’x1/4” OSB for its ability to be conform. As for the track, I plan to use bulk rolls of woodland scenic’s roadbed and their super sheets for the yard.

I have been analyzing that plan for almost a year and have some work up drawings I can post for you if I can find them.

As for the track, I did make a few changes and added a couple of spurs, but overall there are (20) L/H turnouts and (18) R/H and I estimated approximately 280ft of flex track.

I plan to power it with the Digitrax Super chief starter set, the turnouts I plan to use manual throws as much as possible and in area I cannot reach, I plan to use a stationary decoder for the tortoise under table switch motors.

[FONT=&quot]Back to the table, I plan to build a flat grid work frame, then make, and attach by screws, risers to lift the plywood to the elevations they give in the plan. My grades may be a bit higher as I want to make all of my modular joints care free as possible so I plan to begin and end all grades (with exception of one maybe two) at or before the joints. My tables will be 6.5’ x 5.0’ and for construction simplicity and a little more room for scenery I altered the corners a bit for the pit as you can see.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Like I said I've been milling around on this for quite sometime and I hope this helps a bit.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Table 1 image is my magic with liquid paper of a photocopy to try and unclutter the image. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Table 2 image is of my alter track plan AND the proposed cut lines on the plywood[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]Table 3image is of my rough draft of the frame work I am using. The blue numbers are the 1x4 measurements to be fitted into the plan, the green is of the 2x4 and the red was an attempt to preallocate what what piece would be drawn from my board footage to try and anticipate how many pieces of each type of board i would need to purchase to make the table. Of course this is only a rough draft, i did not account for the thickness of the boards, joints etc to make it all work, I do that on the fly. I also cut the boards with notched joints to 'interlock" them across each other within the table for the 1x4 inner frame. then in then end I will attach by screw the risers which will be also be made of 1x4 stock.[/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I also plan to use either 4 or 5 legs made of 36" high 2x4 and I am still undecided to use a turn table or a mini yard in its place to store my engines when not in use. I also as mentioned altered the plan a bit by not incorporating as much valley etc as the original I did this to try and keep the cookie cutter simple and to have room for the extra spurs as hand drawn into table 2 image. I plan to add a basic detection and signal system to it eventually so I also was able to mark out 16 basic blocks to stand up a functioning block detection w/signals. I decided against a prototypical signal system due to the cost and frankly not to many will know the difference, I didn't till I generated a thread here that also helped me arrive at my decision. [/FONT]

[FONT=&quot]I was toying around with taking images and post them as I build it in its own thread here but didn't think to many would be interested but it appears that this is sort of a popular layout as I recalling seeing one or two other threads here on a similar plan like this. Anyways I hope this helps out. [/FONT]


table1.png


table2.png


table3.png
 
Last edited by a moderator:
lpd4005 said:
I was toying around with taking images and post them as I build it in its own thread here but didn't think to many would be interested but it appears that this is sort of a popular layout as I recalling seeing one or two other threads here on a similar plan like this. Anyways I hope this helps out. [/FONT]
Click to expand...
I think you would find a lot of interest in a build thread for your layout. Such threads are a great source of ideas and inspiration. And as you said, this particular track plan seems to be popular.

In my opinion, there is no such thing as too many build threads!

- Jeff
 
jdetray said:
Has anyone made a cookie-cutter layout using, say, 1/2-inch foam instead of plywood? It seems like this might be reasonable for N-scale.

I was thinking of open frame wood benchwork topped with a 1- or 2-inch foam base, then using a sheet of 1/2-inch foam and cutting it cookie-cutter fashion to form the sub-roadbed. I think 1/2-inch foam is flexible enough that one could create smooth grades with it. You could support the grades with foam risers.

Somebody must have tried something like this, and I am curious to learn if it worked.

- Jeff
Click to expand...


Yes, that's what I did.

I used 2" foam as a base and built up from there using 1" and 2" foam. Here is a picture showing the 1" foam built up to form a grade:

layoutpics003.jpg


I used shaped pieces of foam as support block between 2 layers of 1" foam. This gave me the incline I wanted with a flat surface and easy transition to grade.

On the other end of the layout, I had a spur going up-hill on a curve. When I built it using shaped 2" foam, I didn't notice that I had a dip in the track in the middle of the curve. The spur was alrady pretty steep and the dip made for a short section of REALLY steep track, so much so that some engines just spun their wheels! Of course, the track was down and ballasted and most of the scenery was already in place!

Using on of those retractable snap-off blade hobby knives, I made slits in the foam and inserted pieces of cork roadbed into the slit. The cork raised the upper portion enough to eliminate the dip in the track without disturbing the track or scenery. You can see where I made the slit about 3/4" down in the 2" thick foam. Here's a picture of what I did:

layoutpics007.jpg


I love using foam! It is easy to work with. Sometimes, you have to think a little out of the box because the foam can be manipulated in many ways to achieve what you want.

Hope this gives you the answer you were looking for.

Darrell, quiet...for now
 
Darrell -

Thanks for the description and photos. I knew someone must have done it!

I was thinking that 1/2-inch foam would work, but the very sturdy appearance of that 1-inch foam is giving me second thoughts. It may depend on what I can get locally. I know I can get 2-inch, but I'm not sure what else is available here.

That's a very inventive solution for the grade problem. Nicely done!

When I get around to building my layout, I will certainly document it in a thread.

- Jeff
 
Anyone able to tell me what the scale ratio is for HO gauge. Im trying to figure out the scale feet is for a 7" ledge above the table i.e. is it 150' in HO etc so I can determine the proper bridge model to use on the layout. I have been looking at the Micro Engineering truss bridge models for the loop around that has the 7" height but I am unsure what height to get, they show a model for 150' and 210'.
 
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